A lot has changed since Lights FC ended the 2020 COVID-shortened season with a 2-9-5 record.
Coaching changes have been made, the roster has been flipped and the team has added an MLS partner for the first time.
All of these changes will be seen on Wednesday night when the Lights make their season debut at the LA Galaxy II.
The fact that the lights will team up after the pandemic survives seems like the first victory. In the second-rate United Soccer League, several clubs collapsed for financial reasons last year, including Reno 1868 FC.
Lights owner and GM Brett Lashbrook said a team was always in sight on Monday.
“We are determined to stay in Las Vegas for decades and decades,” said Lashbrook, whose team will play a home game against Cashman Field against the Tacoma Defiance on June 5th. “The difficulties we all had in 2020 never got us to that point. We were always determined to come back in the 2021 season. “
The biggest news in the off-season was that the Lights became LAFC’s USL partner for Major League Soccer. LAFC has taken over all of the sporting activities for the Lights as the team is now based in Los Angeles and will only travel to Las Vegas for games.
“We’re very optimistic, we’re very excited and we think we’ve found a better model,” said Lashbrook. “LAFC is a class organization. … You set the bar for American football. “
The relationship could do wonders for the lights in the coming season. The Lights and LAFC have signed Steve Cherundolo as head coach. Former coach Eric Wynalda was sacked last season after setting a 12-16-8 record while at the club.
This is Cherundolo’s first head coaching assignment in the pro senior class, after having worked as an assistant for the German 15 U national team as well as for Hannover 96 and Stuttgart in the Bundesliga in recent years.
Cherundolo, who was hired in March, had a 17-year career for Hannover 96 and an impressive track record in the US men’s national team. He performed at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.
“It was a quick transition,” said Cherundolo. “We are looking forward to the start of the season and are ready to start the season. It’s a new team so there is some pain growing but we are optimistic. “
The Lights roster was reversed this off-season. There are no returning players from the 2020 roster. There are only 12 players on the official list of lights. Look for them to loan players from LAFC.
“My goal in the off-season was to improve the squad positions from one to 18,” said Lashbrook. “And I think partnering with LAFC and being able to work with their loaners did that for us straight away.”
This is a young Lights squad with talent that Cherundolo believes can shape.
“We have been here for six weeks now and I can already see the growth and development,” said Cherundolo. “So if we think ahead towards the end of the season, we will be very happy with the result of this team and everyone involved (players).”
Contact Aidan Subira at asubira@reviewjournal.com.
