On the 11th of August, 2017, Las Vegas Lights FC was established as a USL expansion team. This was followed by the official unveiling of its name and crest later that month. The team then started playing in the league from the 2018 season. In December, the Lights FC held several scouting camps and signed many Mexican football players thanks to the connections of their first head coach, Chelísa, who was a former MLS and Liga MX manager.

In their first pre-season match versus Montreal Impact, the Lights FC attracted a crowd of more than 10k fans. The presence of several Mexican players in the squad created a language barrier that hindered the team’s on-field chemistry and caused them to lose all three pre-season matches against MLS teams. They eventually worked their way around this problem.

In March 2018, the Lights FC played and won their first regular season match against Fresno FC in the latter’s home stadium. Seven days later, they hosted Reno 1868 FC in their first home regular season match, which ended in a stalemate. Las Vegas Lights FC was featured in the U.S. Open Cup, where they made it to the third round. Their inaugural season was one to forget as they concluded the season with 8 wins, 7 draws, and 19 losses.

Chelis left the club before the season ended due to poor performances, and Isidro Sanchez took charge of the team. The arrangement was short-lived, as the new manager barely lasted a month. The next man to hold the fort was Eric Wynalda, former TV commentator and U.S. national team player. Though the Lights fared better under his leadership, they still didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

Feel the energy of the game under the neon lights – reserve your Las Vegas Lights FC tickets and enjoy an unforgettable soccer experience!