The 2019 Lights FC campaign kicks off in February as part of the annual Lights FC Soccer Spring Training featuring matches against Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC (Saturday, February 2nd) and Colorado Rapids (Saturday, February 16th), with both having special start times of 2 p.m.
Lights FC will start its second regular season in team history at Cashman Field on March 9 against expansion franchise Austin Bold FC. The squad representing the capital of Texas is one of three new opponents Las Vegas will face in the upcoming year, as El Paso Locomotive and New Mexico United are also slated to make their debut in 2019.
The Silver State Cup will begin on June 1 in Reno, concluding at Cashman Field on October 12 in what will mark the final Lights FC home game of the regular season. Las Vegas will try to take away the state’s supremacy from their neighbors up north after 1868 FC won the 3-game series in 2018 by an aggregate of 6-5, with the difference being a last second goal in the 2nd of three matchups (1-1 draw in Las Vegas, 2-1 1868 FC win in Reno, 3-3 tie in Reno).
A good rivalry was formed against eventual Western Conference Champions Phoenix Rising FC, both teams are separated by only 300 miles. The first duel between both in 2019 will be played at the Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex on May 18, while the match at Cashman Field will be contested on Wednesday, September 11.
Regular season games at Cashman Field are scheduled for 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than most Lights FC home matches in 2018.
Single game tickets for all 2019 home matches are now on sale at LightsFC.com/SingleTickets starting at just $15. Additionally, all Lights FC preseason, regular season & US Open Cup home matches are included in every Season Ticket Package, which are also available for purchase beginning at just $200 at LightsFC.com/SeasonTickets.
Breakdown:
AT HOME – 15 Saturday games, and one each on Wednesday and Thursday.
ON THE ROAD – 13 Saturday games, 3 Wednesday games & 1 Sunday game.
MONTH WITH THE MOST LIGHTS FC GAMES – September with 6
MONTHS WITH THE LEAST LIGHTS FC GAMES – July & October with 3 each
MOST HOME GAMES – May, June and September with 3 each
MOST ROAD GAMES – August with 4
Expanded Format For 2019 USL Cup Playoffs
The 2019 USL Cup Playoffs will expand to include 10 teams from each conference, with the lowest four seeds in each conference opening the postseason in the Play-In Round, provisionally slated for Wednesday, October 23 with the No. 7 seed hosting the No. 10 seed and the No. 8 seed hosting the No. 9 seed for a place in the
Conference Quarterfinals.
Following the Play-In Round, the two teams to advance will be placed into the main bracket for the Conference Quarterfinals, with the lower remaining seed facing the conference’s No. 1 seed and the higher remaining seed facing the No. 2 seed.
The single-elimination format will then continue for the following four weekends in a fixed-bracket format with the higher seed in each matchup serving as host through the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The 2019 USL Cup will be held between November 14-18, 2019 and be hosted by the conference champion with the better regular-season record.
2019 USL Cup Playoffs Schedule
Play-In Round – October 23
Conference Quarterfinals – October 25-27
Conference Semifinals – November 1-3
Conference Finals – November 8-10
USL Cup – November 14-18