2025 Las Vegas Lights FC season

Las Vegas Lights FC
2025 season
Principal OwnerJosé Bautista
Head coachVacant
StadiumCashman Field
USL ChampionshipWestern Conference: TBD
USL Championship PlayoffsTBD
U.S. Open CupTBD

The 2025 Las Vegas Lights FC season is the club's eighth season, and their eighth season in the United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second division of American soccer.

During the offseason, the Lights underwent a notable coaching change. Following their first playoff appearance in club history the previous season under head coach Dennis Sanchez, who took the club all the way to the Western Conference Final,[1] Sanchez was hired by New Mexico United.[2] He was replaced by Antonio Nocerino, who previously led fellow USL Championship club Miami FC to a league-worst eleven points all season.[3][4]

Squad

Roster

As of March 13, 2025[5]

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 ([A])
79 MF  HAI All Gue ([A])
90 FW  JAM Khori Bennett
  1. ^
    USL Academy contract

Staff

Title Name Nation
Owner José Bautista  Dominican Republic
CEO Shawn McIntosh  United States[6]
Sporting director Gianleonardo Neglia  Italy[7]
Head coach Vacant[8]
Assistant coach Gerson Echeverry  Colombia
Assistant coach Ivan Mirkovic  Serbia
Goalkeeping coach Armando Quezada  United States

Competitions

USL Championship

Standings

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
7 Oakland Roots SC 16 6 8 2 18 23 −5 20[a] Playoffs
8 Monterey Bay FC 17 5 8 4 16 23 −7 19
9 Las Vegas Lights FC 15 5 7 3 10 20 −10 18
10 Orange County SC 13 5 6 2 17 20 −3 17[a]
11 Lexington SC 15 4 6 5 16 22 −6 17[a]
Updated to match(es) played on July 5, 2025. 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
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Orange County SC are ahead of Oakland Roots SC and Lexington SC on head-to-head points: Orange County SC 4, Oakland Roots SC 3, Lexington SC 1

Match results

On December 19, 2024, the USL Championship released the regular season schedule for all 24 teams.[9]

All times are in Pacific Standard Time.

March
March 8 1 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies Las Vegas, Nevada
7:00 PM Pinzon 74' Report Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 3,258
Referee: Brandon Stevis
March 15 2 Las Vegas Lights FC 2–3 New Mexico United Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Rodriguez 72'
Gyau 90'
Report Gaines 52' Hurst 69'
Seymore 90'+5'
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,851
Referee: Elton García
March 29 3 Oakland Roots SC 0–0 Las Vegas Lights FC Oakland, California
7:00 PM Report Stadium: Oakland Coliseum
Attendance: 7,077
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
April
April 5 4 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–0 Orange County SC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Pickering 90'+3' Report Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,353
Referee: Brad Jensen
April 12 5 Lexington SC 0–0 Las Vegas Lights FC Lexington, Kentucky
4:00 PM Report
Stadium: Lexington SC Stadium
Attendance: 3,337
Referee: Calin Radosav
April 19 6 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–4 FC Tulsa Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Noël 51' (pen.) Report Lukic 14'
Calheira 28' (pen.), 67'
Dalou 42'
Stadium: Cashman Field
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
May
May 3 7 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–0 Loudoun United FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Rodriguez 25' Report Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,189
Referee: Muhammad Hassan
May 17 9 Sacramento Republic FC 5–0 Las Vegas Lights FC Sacramento, California
7:00 PM Herrera 30'
Gurr 36'
Jamieson 44'
Ross 66' (pen.)
Amann 86'
Report Stadium: Heart Health Park
Attendance: 10,194
Referee: Corbyn May
May 24 10 Las Vegas Lights FC 1–2 El Paso Locomotive FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Rodriguez 7' Report Cabrera 37', 64' Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,396
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
May 28 11 Las Vegas Lights FC 0–1 Phoenix Rising FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM Report Okello 24' Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,165
Referee: Matthew Thompson
June
June 7 12 San Antonio FC 3–0 Las Vegas Lights FC San Antonio, Texas
6:00 PM
Report Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 5,393
Referee: Atahan Yaya
June 14 13 Las Vegas Lights FC 2–0 Monterey Bay FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM
Report Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,632
Referee: Cristian Campo Hernández
June 21 14 Indy Eleven 0–1 Las Vegas Lights FC Indianapolis, Indiana
5:00 PM Report
Stadium: Carroll Stadium
Attendance: 9,132
Referee: John Griggs
July
July 4 15 Las Vegas Lights FC 0−2 Sacramento Republic FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 3,538
Referee: Muhammad Hassan
August
September
October

USL Cup

The Lights will participate in the second edition of the USL Cup, the first edition to feature teams from both the USL Championship and League One.[10][11]

April 26, 2025 (2025-04-26) Orange County SC 1–3 Las Vegas Lights FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM PDT
Report Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,350
Referee: Gerald Flores
April 30, 2025 (2025-04-30) Las Vegas Lights FC 2–1 AV Alta FC Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM PDT Report
  • Blancas 47'
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,795
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva
May 31, 2025 (2025-05-31) Sacramento Republic FC 4–0 Las Vegas Lights FC Sacramento, California
7:00 PM PDT Report Stadium: Heart Health Park
Attendance: 9,437
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
June 28, 2025 (2025-06-28) Las Vegas Lights FC 2–0Spokane Velocity FCLas Vegas, Nevada
7:30 PM PDT Report Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 2,597
Referee: Servando Berna Rico

US Open Cup

The Lights, as a member of the second division USL Championship, entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Third Round based on its performance in the 2024 USL Championship season.[12] Drawn away against Division 3 USL League One club Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, the Lights lost in a penalty shootout.[13]

April 16 Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(3–4 p)
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL1) Las Vegas, Nevada
7:30 p.m. PDT
Report
Stadium: Cashman Field
Attendance: 1,061
Referee: Jaclyn Metz
Penalties

References

  1. ^ Alvarez, Christopher. "Las Vegas Lights FC made it to the playoffs for the first time this year". Nevada Public Radio | NPR and local news station in Las Vegas. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  2. ^ Catlin, Nick (December 24, 2024). "New Mexico United announce new head coach". KOAT. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  3. ^ Soccer America (January 10, 2025). "Las Vegas Lights name Antonio Nocerino head coach". Soccer America. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  4. ^ Webster, Dennis (January 9, 2025). "Lights FC hire new coach after best season in team history". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  5. ^ "Lights FC New Roster Signings". Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  6. ^ "Las Vegas Lights FC hires veteran sports executive Shawn McIntosh as Club's Chief Executive Officer". Lights FC Communications. August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  7. ^ "Las Vegas Lights FC Appoints Gianleonardo Neglia as Sporting Director". Lights FC Communications. February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  8. ^ Lewis, Linsey (June 10, 2025). "Las Vegas Lights FC, Head Coach Antonio Nocerino part ways". KLAS-TV. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  9. ^ USLSoccer Staff (December 19, 2024). "USL Championship reveals the 2025 season schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  10. ^ Lewis, Michael (December 12, 2024). "ANOTHER COMPETITION: USL adds Jägermeister Cup for Championship, League One teams". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  11. ^ Silverman, Alex (December 12, 2024). "USL expanding Jägermeister Cup to all teams". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  12. ^ Lewis, Michael (April 17, 2025). "ROUND OF 32 DRAW: For the U.S. Open Cup". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  13. ^ "2025 US Open Cup Round 3: Chattanooga Red Wolves win historic PK shootout over Las Vegas Lights". thecup.us. April 17, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.