Updated as of November 4 following the conclusion of Round One
Las Vegas Lights FC have made history during the 2024 regular season. Most points in club history? Check, with 50 points. Most wins in club history? Check, with 13 wins. First-ever playoff match? Check, and at home, no less.
And after last Friday’s Conference Quarterfinal victory, a first-ever playoff victory, too.
With all of that history in the rearview mirror, the attention is now fully centered on writing more history with a continued playoff run to the USL Championship Final.
“Next week is a new season,” said Head Coach Dennis Sanchez ahead of that first round playoff match. “…nobody picked us to be in the place that we’re in. We have already achieved a lot this year. But, I know this group and I know myself, and we’re going to continue to be hungry for more.”
So, for the team to lift the trophy at the end of the road, what is their path through the rest of the playoffs? The team already accomplished step one, taking down Sacramento Republic FC in a dramatic penalty shootout at Cashman Field.
What’s the next step? Read on for a full breakdown on the playoff system and the Lights’ road to a championship.
Format
The USL Championship Playoffs is a straightforward, no-nonsense system.
The top eight teams from each conference (Western and Eastern) qualify. With a clean field of 16 teams, there are four rounds in a single-elimination bracket – one on each successive weekend of November. Win four matches in a row, and you’re champions. Simple!
The higher seed will always have hosting privileges. Both conferences will crown a champion on their respective sides of the bracket, and then those two conference winners will face off in the USL Championship Final.
All matches (obviously) must have a winner. If two teams are tied at the end of regulation, they will play two 15-minute overtime periods (no golden goal). If still tied, they will head to a traditional penalty shootout to determine a winner.
The First Step
As the fourth seed in the Western Conference, Las Vegas is the final team with home field advantage in the first round (Conference Quarterfinal). The team faced Sacramento Republic FC, who fell to fifth place on the final day.
The Lights downed Sacramento in a dramatic penalty shootout in front of an excited crowd at Cashman Field. After 120 minutes of scoreless soccer through overtime, goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena made three saves in a row to set up Valentin Noel to fire home the match-winner and move the Lights on to the next round.
The Path Beyond
After New Mexico United took down Phoenix Rising on Sunday night, the Lights finally knew their second round (Conference Semifinal) playoff date and opponent: Saturday, November 9 away at number one seed New Mexico.
For the third round (Western Conference Final), it is a wait-and-see on who will emerge from the other semifinal between Colorado Switchbacks and Orange County. Should Orange County pull off the upset, then the Lights would host in that potential Conference Final.
And finally, the USL Championship Final. Louisville City FC and Charleston Battery are the clear favorites as the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference, and they both won their opening matches by one-goal margins. However, if this league has shown anything, it’s a propensity for insanity and crazy upsets in the playoffs, so anything is on the table.
