LAS VEGAS LIGHTS F.C.
2019
Match Worn Shirt
De La Fuente Bryan
Did you Know?
Las Vegas Lights FC is an American professional soccer team based in Las Vegas, Nevada, that plays in the USL Championship. The team made its debut in 2018 and plays its home games at Cashman Field. The Lights are owned by Brett Lashbrook, who also serves as general manager. The team employs neon imagery in its crest and jerseys. It has engaged in unusual promotions to attract fans, including the use of llama mascots and rewarding players with casino chips. The team’s main rivals were Reno 1868 FC, a Nevada club who used to play in the USL Championship but folded due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The first professional soccer team to be based in Las Vegas was the Las Vegas Quicksilvers of the North American Soccer League, who moved from San Diego after the 1976 season. The team played at Las Vegas Stadium and had an average attendance of 7,092 during the 1977 season, but moved back to San Diego the following year. The Las Vegas Seagulls of the American Soccer League briefly played at Las Vegas Stadium (by then the Las Vegas Silver Bowl) in 1979, but were terminated by the league after their first season due to financial issues. The city also played host to the 1994 FIFA World Cup draw in December 1993 and was considered several times for a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, but was passed over by the league. The city hosted several exhibition matches between club and national soccer teams during the early 2010s, including a 2012 World Football Challenge match between Real Madrid and Santos Laguna that drew a state-record attendance of 29,152 spectators. An MLS expansion bid was explored in 2014, led by Findlay Sports and Entertainment and the Cordish Company, proposing a 24,000-seat stadium at Symphony Park in Downtown Las Vegas. The Las Vegas bid was rejected for further consideration by MLS in February 2015, putting an end to plans for the publicly-financed downtown stadium. Despite an attempted revival, the city declined to submit a proposal in time for the league’s deadline for expansion bids in February 2017.In April 2017, Brett Lashbrook submitted a formal proposal to the Las Vegas City Manager to use Cashman Field as the venue of a USL expansion team that would begin play in 2018. The Las Vegas City Council approved the Cashman Field lease in July, and the USL began planning for a formal announcement in mid-August. On August 11, 2017, Las Vegas was formally announced as a USL expansion team that would join the league in 2018. The team unveiled its official name, Las Vegas Lights FC, on August 29 and its official crest in late October.For the first two seasons the team’s shirts had a smiley face on the reserve to show by the players during the goal’s celebrations.
Things to know:
This shirt was worn by Bryan De La Fuente during a USL game of the season 2019. De La Fuente signed for USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights, on January 9th 2019. He played for the Las Vegas Lights for two seasons, playing 27 games and scoring 1 goal. Back to 2010, de la Fuente became the fourth home grown player to sign a professional contract with Chivas USA. He made his professional debut in the final game of the 2010 season against the Chicago Fire. De la Fuente was released by Chivas USA in January 2012, and subsequently signed with Mexican Primera División team Club Tijuana.
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS F.C.
2019
Las Vegas Lights vs Tacoma Defiance
#NoTeal Special Edition
Match Worn Shirt
Hernandez Cristhian
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Cristhian “Tripa” Hernandez during the USL game between Las Vegas Lights and Tacoma Defiance which took place in Las Vegas, “Cashman Field”, on April 14th 2019. Las Vegas Lights defeated Tacoma Defiance 5-0. This is a special hand painted #NoTeal shirt used by the team exclusively in the game against Tacoma Defiance to support the Las Vegas NHL team of the Golden Knights in their Stanley Cup Playoffs Series against San Josè Sharks, by blocking the teal-ish colors in the uniforms. The shirts were hand painted in gold by the Las Vegas Lights players themselves, covering with a golden marker the teal color on Lights’s shirts. Hernández attended Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in New Jersey. In 2011, he led Saint Benedict’s Prep to a 24-0 record, a number one ranking and the school’s seventh national championship in 2011. He was named to the NJ Star-Ledger’s All-Prep First Team, ESPN High School All-New Jersey State and a top 10 soccer recruit in the nation. Hernández also spent some time in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. In 2008–09, he made 24 appearances for the LA Galaxy U15/U16 squad and scored five goals. In 2010, Hernández joined the Players Development Academy (PDA), a Youth Development Affiliate of the Philadelphia Union, and scored 16 goals in 26 appearances for the club on his way to winning USDA U-18 Academy Player of The Year. Hernández also made one appearance for USL Premier Development League club Central Jersey Spartans in 2011. On March 5, 2012, Hernández signed with the Philadelphia Union as the club’s third homegrown player.[2] He made his debut for the club about a couple weeks later, coming on as a sub in a 2-1 home loss to the Colorado Rapids. After failing to make the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, Hernández joined La Liga side Real Sociedad for a training stint during the MLS off-season. On 15 April 2014, Hernández signed for New York Cosmos B.
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS F.C.
2020
Match Worn Shirt
Burgos Junior
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Efraín Antonio Burgos Jr. during the 2020 season. Junior Burgos, is a Salvadoran professional footballer who currently plays for El Salvador national team. Burgos grew up in San Bruno, California, attended Westmoor High School, and played two years of college soccer at San Jose State University before transferring to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California as a junior in 2008. He scored seven goals in 28 appearances as a Mustang before graduating in the fall of 2010. Burgos became the first Cal Poly player in history to ever be drafted in the MLS SuperDraft. During his college years Burgos also played in the Premier Development League, for the San Francisco Seals, Bakersfield Brigade and Chicago Fire Premier. On 13 January 2011, Burgos was selected in the third round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. He signed with Toronto FC on 21 March 2012. Burgos made his debut for Toronto as a second half sub for Julian De Guzman against Columbus Crew on March 31, 2012. Burgos was released by Toronto FC on 28 June 2012. He spent time training abroad including places such as Germany with FC Energie Cottbus of the 2. Bundesliga and Chile with Club Deportivo Universidad Católica. On 26 February 2014, he signed with Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League. Burgos led the Silverbacks with 3 goals and 3 assists in the club’s historic 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, eliminating Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids before being eliminated by Chicago Fire in the quarterfinal stage. On 4 February 2015 it was announced that Burgos had signed to Colombian club Jaguares de Córdoba, which plays in the Categoría Primera A Colombians highest league, where he would rejoin former Silverbacks teammate Junior Sandoval. He decided to part ways with the Colombian side after the club refused to meet the terms of the signed contract between both parties. Shortly after, he signed temporarily with Orange County Blues FC of USL in April 2015, as a transition move before the summer window opened up. After appearing in 4 games for Orange County Blues, Burgos rejoined Atlanta Silverbacks on 7 July 2015. Burgos, went on to score 4 goals and 6 assists making it a successful return to Atlanta. Burgos free kick goal vs San Antonio was nominated as the 2015 NASL Goal of the year. He was presented with an award during half time at the NASL Championship match. On 2 February 2016 it was announced that Burgos signed with Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United FC, becoming the second signing in the club’s history, ahead of their 2017 MLS debut. Burgos was loaned out to the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the 2016 campaign in the North American Soccer League. Burgos was waived by Atlanta in December 2016, ahead of their inaugural season. On 4 March 2020, Burgos joined USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights FC ahead of the 2020 season. Burgos joined Chalatenango on 25 February 2021. Burgos is a member of El Salvador’s national team. He made his international debut on 30 August 2014 vs Dominican Republic, where he assisted on the 2–0 win. In September 2014, Burgos was named to the UNCAF cup 21 men roster, making his official international debut on all competitions in the 1–0 win over Honduras. Burgos first got called in to represent his country prior to the country’s September 2010 friendlies versus Honduras and Guatemala, and was previously invited to the El Salvador camp prior to a 2009 friendly versus Peru and World Cup qualifiers versus the United States and Costa Rica.
Things to Know:
This shirt was worn by Jaiden Waggoner during the season 2020. Waggoner began playing college soccer at Brigham Young University, where he played soccer with the college team in the USL PDL. In his sophomore year he transferred to Utah Valley University, where he played for a further three seasons. Waggoner also spent time in the PDL with Albuquerque Sol, but never made an appearance for the team. On July 8, 2020, Waggoner signed with USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights. He made his professional debut on August 15, 2020, starting in a 1–0 loss to Orange County SC.
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS F.C.
2020
Match Worn Shirt
Waggoner Jaiden
Did you Know?
The Lights play their home matches at Cashman Field, a stadium in Downtown Las Vegas that was primarily used for the Las Vegas 51s, a minor league baseball team from 1983 until 2018. It has 9,334 permanent seats and additional standing room capacity. The configuration of Cashman Field is more suited for soccer than other former baseball parks. With center field at a right angle and all the foul territory behind first and third base at equal distance, the field is in a square shape and seats are close to the field for soccer. Prior to the Lights, the stadium also hosted MLS preseason matches between the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes in 2016 and 2017. The Lights have a 15-year lease agreement with the city government to use Cashman Field, expiring in 2032. The Las Vegas 51s (renamed the Las Vegas Aviators) relocated to a new stadium in Summerlin in 2019, leaving the Lights as the sole tenant of Cashman Field. The Lights began renovations to the locker rooms and stadium offices prior to the 2019 season, with further plans to make it a soccer-specific venue. The city government also began exploring options for a larger soccer-specific stadium in downtown Las Vegas to accommodate an MLS expansion team.
