Soccer (or football, as it's called across the world) is one of the most popular sports in the world. It's huge in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Spain. That's what I'm here to cover: my experiences checking out the Las Vegas Lights!
Founded in 2018, the Lights are a USL Championship team that plays in the Western Conference. They play their home games at Cashman Field, which was formerly the home of the Las Vegas 51's. The Lights are owned by Brett Lashbrook, who's also the general manager of the team.
The club has been known for engaging in weird promotions, including rewarding players with casino chips and hosting a $1 Juice Night with... Jose Canseco. The latter was the theme of the night, with the former All-Star staging a home run derby where lucky participants got an autographed softball from him.
The club uses other exciting tactics, including having a llama as their mascot. Oddly enough, the mascot's name is Dolly the Llama (Waka waka)! The club also holds a brief partnership with Los Angeles FC, which started in 2021.
Checking out the stadium was... interesting. Cashman Field is undergoing renovations to become a soccer-specific stadium. That means there are still some remnants of when the 51's were around, including old advertisements and foul poles. There were also plenty of weeds growing, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, saying that it's a part of the process. Besides, Cashman Field is more suited for soccer than other baseball parks because it has right field at an angle. Plus, both sides of foul territory are evened out, making it ideal for soccer.
Still, the atmosphere itself was electric. There was a mascot that looks like Elvis named "Cash the Soccer Rocker" that was super cool, along with a dance crew on the sidelines. There was also a DJ named DJ Ocho, confetti cannons that went off at the start of the halves, and post-match fireworks. There were plenty of reasons to get excited about a soccer match.
Unfortunately, the Lights lost to the El Paso Locomotive, 1-0. Still, it was an electric experience that will have me coming back on a Friday night. With the Lights being only eight minutes from my residence, I'll definitely come back and have a great time at this amazing soccer atmosphere.