For the first six years of Las Vegas Lights FC, there was an emphasis on almost everything except soccer.
From gimmicks to stunts to unusual promotions, the club mirrored much of its city’s entertainment value without much of a return on the footballing side. As a result, the first half-dozen seasons were spent in the basement of the Western Conference without much ambition to better the situation.
But once former Major League Baseball star José Bautista bought the team this past offseason, his goal was to shift the culture. He hired Sporting Director Gianleonardo Neglia and Head Coach Dennis Sanchez, and together the trio worked expeditiously to construct an entirely new roster from scratch.
“There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes, especially from José and Gian, to help build this project in such a short period of time,” said Sanchez. “It’s really a testament to the players. One of our north stars is bravery, and whether these guys realize it or not, they took a really brave step in coming to a brand new project and believing in a coach who a lot of them had never even met before and buying into the process that the staff has instilled all season long.”
The Lights have found great success so far under Sanchez, who has turned a rudderless franchise that won just three matches last season into a bona fide playoff contender. The former Austin FC II, Sacramento Republic and Charleston Battery assistant has his team on the brink of its first postseason appearance in history.
“Coming into this organization at the beginning of the year, there were so many unknowns,” said defender Gennaro Nigro. “There were so many question marks. To be involved in a group like this is special to begin with.
“This team was formed in a short period of time,” he continued. “That ultimately has allowed us to bond and push for one another when the moments came for it. I can name a number of times throughout the year where our mentality has pushed us over the edge where maybe we were lacking on the football side of things. That comes from the staff, the guys in the back room, maybe some of the things you don’t see every single day.”
The players are aware of what this would mean for the city of Las Vegas, as well as its most ardent supporters, many of whom have been around since the beginning and have yet to be rewarded with a postseason appearance.
“Being a part of this history, part of this franchise…Vegas is too great a city for them to not have a great soccer team,” said forward Christian Pinzón. “It would be a special moment. Not just making the playoffs, but also pushing for the championship.”
The Lights are not out of the woods yet. There are still six matches remaining, and in a tightly contested Western Conference — just four points separate second place from sixth — anything could happen.
But as they draw nearer, the smell is growing stronger, the taste more palatable. The only thing they can do is keep their heads down and keep working, something they’ve been doing all season.
“What we’ve accomplished so far has been great, but we haven’t won anything just yet,” said Pinzón.
“We’re not content with what we’ve done so far,” echoed Nigro. “Realistically, we haven’t done anything. Yes, recently we’ve been putting in good performances, but I still believe that there’s another level that this team can get to. We all feel it.”
The final push begins on Saturday in a massive home tilt against Sacramento Republic (7:30 p.m. PT | TICKETS), a team aiming to exact revenge after Vegas went into northern California in early July and took all three points. A few more positive results — Vegas’s magic number to clinch a postseason spot is 13 points — and the dream of a playoff run will become reality.
“It would be a great accomplishment for the club,” said Sanchez. “We’re a group that’s confident and we know we can compete with anybody. There’s so much that goes into a season in terms of momentum, confidence, being injury-free. We’re really trying to take it one game a time.
“We know as we get closer to the end, the games are going to gain a level of weight and significance,” he added. “At the same time, we’ve created a really good base for where we are and a good identity and we’re going to continue to play our way.”
