2024 Las Vegas Lights FC season

Las Vegas Lights FC
2024 season
Principal OwnerJosé Bautista
Head coachDennis Sanchez
StadiumCashman Field
USLWestern Conference: 4th
USL Cup PlayoffsWestern Conference Finalists
U.S. Open CupRound of 32
← 2023
2025 →

The 2024 Las Vegas Lights FC season is the club's seventh, and current, season, and their seventh season in the United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second division of American soccer.

During the offseason, the Lights underwent some massive changes. On January 16, the Lights were bought out by an ownership group managed by former Major League Baseball player José Bautista. Additionally, the Lights hired a new head coach less than two weeks later on January 29, hiring Dennis Sanchez, a former assistant coach for MLS Next club Austin FC II.

Squad

Roster

As of July 12, 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  SUI Nicholas Ammeter
3 DF  USA Hayden Sargis (on loan from D.C. United)
6 MF  ENG Charlie Adams
7 MF  USA Joe Gyau
9 FW  DOM Riki Alba
10 FW  DOM Edison Azcona
11 MF  USA Coleman Gannon
13 MF  USA Giovanni Aguilar
14 FW  GHA Solomon Asante
20 DF  USA Shawn Smart
21 DF  MNE Emrah Klimenta
22 DF  USA Joe Hafferty
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 DF  JAM Maliek Howell
26 MF  CMR J.C. Ngando (on loan from Vancouver Whitecaps)
27 MF  FRA Valentin Noël
29 MF  USA Christian Pinzón
31 GK  USA Austin Wormell
33 DF  USA Gennaro Nigro
56 GK  CUB Raiko Arozarena
72 DF  CIV Gaoussou Samaké
77 MF  SLV Alexander Romero ()
79 MF  HAI All Gue ()
90 FW  JAM Khori Bennett
  1. ^
    USL Academy contract
    2.

Staff

Title Name Nation
Owner José Bautista  Dominican Republic
Sporting director Gianleonardo Neglia  Italy
Head coach Dennis Sánchez  United States
Assistant coach Gerson Echeverry  Colombia
Assistant coach Ivan Mirkovic  Serbia
Goalkeeping coach Armando Quezada  United States

Competitions

USL Championship

Main article: 2024 USL Championship season

Standings

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (C) 34 15 12 7 48 40 +8 52 Playoffs
3 Memphis 901 FC 34 14 11 9 52 41 +11 51
4 Las Vegas Lights FC 34 13 10 11 49 46 +3 50
5 Sacramento Republic FC 34 13 11 10 46 34 +12 49
6 Orange County SC 34 13 14 7 38 45 −7 46
Source: USL Championship Standings
Rules for classification: 1) head-to-head points; 2) head-to-head goal differential; 3) points-per game within conference; 4) total wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) total goals scored; 7) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 8) disciplinary points; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots
(C) Champions

Match results

On December 18, 2023, the USL Championship released the regular season schedule for all 24 teams.

All times are in Pacific Standard Time.

March
March 9 1 Memphis 901 FC 2–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Memphis, Tennessee
1:00 PM Careaga 33'
Pickering 44'
Duncan  46'
Ward  80'		 Report Noël 22'
Azcona  40'		 Stadium: AutoZone Park
Attendance: 3,290
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
March 16 2 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–3 FC Tulsa Las Vegas, Nevada
5:00 PM Alba 60'
Smart  85'
Berumen  90'+5'		 Report Stojanovic 11'  14'
Goodrum 25'
Yosef 56'
Worth  90'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,675
Referee: Brandon Stevis
March 23 3 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–0 El Paso Locomotive FC Las Vegas, Nevada
5:00 PM Garcia 33' (o.g.)
Ngando  36'
Smart  77'
Gue  90'+7'		 Report Hinds  32'
Stauffer  65'
Akinyode  67'
Dollenmayer  72'
Alfaro  78'
Zacarias  84'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,070
Referee: Thomas Snyder
March 30 4 Oakland Roots SC 0–3 Las Vegas Lights FC Hayward, California
7:00 PM Nije  20' Report Klimenta  30'
Gannon 46'
Samake 50'
Azcona  63'
Noël 66'  69'
Smart  76'
Nigro  90'+2'		 Stadium: Pioneer Stadium
Attendance: 2,812
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
April
April 6 5 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–0 San Antonio FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Azcona  17'
Garcia  54'
Smart 56'		 Report Haakenson  38'
Silva  50'
Lambert  55'
Agudelo  76'
Taintor  77'
Lacey  90+6'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,436
Referee: Greg Dopka
April 13 6 Monterey Bay FC 3–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Seaside, California
7:00 PM
Report Samaké 45+1' Stadium: Cardinale Stadium
Attendance: 3,524
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
April 20 7 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–2 Rhode Island FC Las Vegas, NV
8:00 PM
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,943
Referee: Benjamin Meyer
April 27 8 Charleston Battery 6–0 Las Vegas Lights FC Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
1:00 PM Markanich 4' 30' 37' (pen.) 49'
Myers 22'
Molloy 81'		 Report Arozarena  24'
Adams  45'+5'		 Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex
Attendance: 4,520
Referee: Joe Surgan
May
May 4 9 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–2 New Mexico United Las Vegas, Nevada
6:30 PM Adams  23'
Samake 44'  72'
Gannon  65'
Kimenta  72'		 Report Bruce 13' 30'
Herbert  39'
Astorga  82'
Tabakis  89'
Dubois  90'+4'
Bailey  90'+4'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,061
Referee: Brad Jensen
May 11 10 San Antonio FC 1–1 Las Vegas Lights FC San Antonio, Texas
6:00 PM Burks  38'
Marcina  45'
Chol 45+2'
Hernández  47'  48'
Lambert  82'		 Report Klimenta  13'
Nigro  45'
Noël 59'		 Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 7,218
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
May 18 11 Las Vegas Lights FC 2–2 Louisville City FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Noël 16'
Adams 36'
Smart  55'		 Report Davila 7'
Harris  48'
Adams  62'
Serrano 70'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,048
Referee: Joshua Encarnacion
Assistant referees: Stephen McGonagle
Assistant referees: William Aten
Fourth official: Pavel Georgiev
May 25 12 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–0 Las Vegas Lights FC St. Petersburg, Florida
4:30 PM Munjoma  56'
Worth  81'
Jennings 85'		 Report Nigro  31'
Smart  68'
Azcona  71'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,753
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk
June
June 1 13 Las Vegas Lights FC 0–0 Phoenix Rising FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM
PHX Report
LVL Result
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,720
Referee: Muhammad Hassan
June 8 14 Las Vegas Lights FC 3–1 Miami FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM
Report
  • López 25'
  • Mujeeb Murana  65'
  • Michael Lawrence  87'
 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,748
Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez
June 14 15 Loudoun United FC 1–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Leesburg, Virginia
7:00 PM McCabe  24' 52'
Ryan  45'+6'		 Report Gannon 2'
Bennett  36'
Howell  43'		 Stadium: Segra Field
Attendance: 3,580
Referee: Nabil Bensalah
June 18 16 Las Vegas Lights FC 3–3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Las Vegas, Nevada
6:30 PM
Report Huerman 6'  22'
Santos  8'
Henríquez 31'
Lacroix  53'
Damus 89'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,339
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
June 22 17 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–1 Memphis 901 FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Adams  54'
Howell  74'
Bennett 80' (pen.)
Azcona  83'
Bennett  90'		 Report Lapa 43'  90'+3'
Hyndman  62'
Paul  63'
Fernando  69'
Careaga  72'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,657
Referee: Trevor Wiseman
June 29 18 Las Vegas Lights FC 2–0 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Las Vegas, NV
7:30 PM Bennett  26' 40' 87'
Romero  90'+1'		 Report Osumanu  14' Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,893
Referee: John Griggs
July
July 3 19 Sacramento Republic FC 0–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Sacramento, California
7:30 PM Phillips  80'
Portillo  90'+4'		 Report Pinzon 10'
Ngando  70'
Arozarena  71'
Nigro  75'		 Stadium: Heart Health Park
Attendance: 8,988
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
July 12 20 El Paso Locomotive FC 0–2 Las Vegas Lights FC El Paso, Texas
7:30 PM Craig  2'
Borelli  59'		 Report Gannon 64'
Stauffer 83' (o.g.)
Pinzón  89'		 Stadium: Southwest University Park
Attendance: 6,727
Referee: Servando Berna Rico
July 26 21 Colorado Springs Switchbacks 1–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Colorado Springs, Colorado
6:00 PM Fjeldberg 30'  45'+1'
Real  53'
Hanya  58'		 Report Smart 26'  73'
Doody  61'
Jabang  86'		 Stadium: Weidner Field
Attendance: 8,023
Referee: Ricardo Fierro
July 31 22 New Mexico United 1–2 Las Vegas Lights FC Albuquerque, New Mexico
6:00 PM Bruce 45'+5'
Houssou  85'		 Report Pinzón  4' 66'
Noël 12'
Nigro  79'
Jabang  90'		 Stadium: Isotopes Park
Attendance: 7,558
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
August
August 10 23 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–1 Detroit City FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Bennett  56' 66' Report Morris 39'
Murphy  54'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,990
Referee: Gerald Flores
August 17 24 Hartford Athletic 2–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Hartford, Connecticut
4:00 PM
Report
Stadium: Trinity Health Stadium
Attendance: 4,933
Referee: Matthew Thompson
August 24 25 Las Vegas Lights FC 3–2 Indy Eleven Las Vegas, NV
7:30 PM
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 4,532
Referee: Trevor Wiseman
August 31 26 Orange County SC 2–3 Las Vegas Lights FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM Scott  6'
Zubak 11', 19'
Powers  37'
Norris  77'		 Report Bennett 39' (pen.) 63'
Shutler 87' (o.g.)
Gyau  90'+3'		 Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,579
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva
September
September 11 27 FC Tulsa 1–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Tulsa, Oklahoma
6:30 PM Diallo  31'
St. Clair  35'
Yosef 38'		 Report Doody  57'
Howell  76'
Gannon 78'		 Stadium: ONEOK Field
Attendance: 2,663
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
September 14 28 Las Vegas Lights 0–0 Monterey Bay FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Smart  15' Report Volesky  33'
Gnaulati  52'
Gonzalez  77'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Referee: Adam Kilpatrick
September 21 29 Las Vegas Lights FC 2–1 Sacramento Republic FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Bennett 29'
Noël  59'
Pinzon 71'
Jabang  73'		 Report Phillips 9'
Ukaegbu  76'
Portillo  81'
Viader  90'+1'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,240
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
September 28 30 Phoenix Rising FC 1–2 Las Vegas Lights FC Phoenix, Arizona
6:30 PM
Report
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium
Referee: Calin Radosav
October
October 5 31 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–1 Orange County SC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Bennett 26' Report Hegardt 16'
Chattha  35'
Partida  37'
Nakkim  71'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Referee: Gerald Flores
October 13 32 Birmingham Legion FC 0–3 Las Vegas Lights FC Birmingham, Alabama
2:00 PM Hernandez-Foster  5'
Rufe  45'
Tabortetaka  64'		 Report Gyau 18'
Bennett  73'
Gannon 87'
Pinzon 90'+3'		 Stadium: Protective Stadium
Attendance: 4,761
Referee: Ricardo Fierro
October 19 33 Las Vegas Lights FC 2–3 Oakland Roots SC Las Vegas, Nevada
Hackshaw 12' (o.g.)
Noël 90'+4'		 Report Rodriguez 3', 72'
Njie  36'
Diaz  89'
Donasiyano  90'+3'		 Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,878
Referee: Brandon Stevis
October 26 34 North Carolina FC 2–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Cary, North Carolina
4:00 PM Craig 12'
Martin  32'
Anderson 45'  45'+1'
Perez  63'
McGuire  76'
Mentzingen  78'
Batista  90'+8'		 Report Bennett 9'
Smart  37'		 Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Referee: Matthew Thompson

Playoffs

November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) Conference Quarterfinals Las Vegas Lights FC 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 p)		Sacramento Republic FCLas Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM PDT
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,415
Referee: Elton Garcia
Penalties
November 9, 2024 (2024-11-09) Conference SemifinalsNew Mexico United0–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Albuquerque, New Mexico
7:30 PM MST
Report
Stadium: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park
Attendance: 10,049
Referee: Natalie Simon
November 16, 2024 (2024-11-16) Conference Finals Colorado Springs Switchbacks 1–0Las Vegas Lights FCColorado Springs, Colorado
7:00 PM (MST)
Report
Stadium: Weidner Field
Attendance: 8,023
Referee: Elton Garcia

U.S. Open Cup

Main article: 2024 U.S. Open Cup

As a member of the USL Championship, the Las Vegas Lights entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Third Round. It was announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation on April 4, 2024, that the Lights would face off against a member of the USL League One from Washington called the Spokane Velocity FC, a team in the third division of U.S. soccer. After winning 2–1 against Spokane at home, they were drawn on April 18 to play against Major League Soccer club, and eventual tournament winner, Los Angeles FC. The Lights would end up losing 1–3 at home.

April 17 Third Round Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) 2–1 (a.e.t.) Spokane Velocity FC (USL1) Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,197
Referee: Alexis Da Silva
May 8 Round of 32Las Vegas Lights FC 1–3 Los Angeles FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 3,495
Referee: James Duling

References

  1. ^ "Ex-Jay Bautista flips to soccer; buys Vegas Lights". ESPN.com. January 16, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Seeman, Matthew (January 16, 2024). "Las Vegas Lights FC sold to ex-baseball star Jose Bautista". KSNV. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  3. ^ "Las Vegas Lights acquired by former MLB All-Star". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 16, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  4. ^ USLChampionship com Staff (January 29, 2024). "Las Vegas Lights FC appoints Dennis Sanchez as new Head Coach". USL Championship. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Seeman, Matthew (January 29, 2024). "Las Vegas Lights FC name Dennis Sanchez as new head coach". KSNV. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  6. ^ Brewer, Ray (January 29, 2024). "New Las Vegas Lights coach familiar with developing younger talent". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "Lights FC New Roster Signings". Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  8. ^ "Las Vegas Lights FC Appoints Gianleonardo Neglia as Sporting Director". Lights FC Communications. February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  9. ^ USLChampionship com Staff (December 18, 2023). "USL Championship Unveils 2024 Regular Season Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "U.S. Soccer Sets Third Round Schedule for 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Producer, Alexa Teneyck SWX Local Sports Digital (April 5, 2024). "Spokane Velocity FC set to face Las Vegas Lights FC in Round 3 of U.S. Open Cup". Nonstop Local SWX Sports. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "2024 US Open Cup Round 3: Las Vegas Lights overcome stunning equalizer, beat Spokane Velocity in OT, 2–1". thecup.us. April 18, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  13. ^ "Spokane Velocity's run in U.S. Open cup ends in loss at Las Vegas 2–1 | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Baxter, Kevin (May 7, 2024). "Las Vegas Lights rebuild quickly and face a familiar foe in LAFC in U.S. Open Cup". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Lights FC ready for 'great test' against MLS powerhouse". Las Vegas Review-Journal. May 7, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  16. ^ "Las Vegas Lights fall to LAFC 3–1 In U.S. Open Cup". Channel 13 Las Vegas News KTNV. May 9, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.