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Wynalda Set for Second Season with Lights FC

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 11/14/19, 2:04PM EST

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Las Vegas Head Coach sets sights on first postseason berth, title contention in 2020


Las Vegas Lights FC Head Coach Eric Wynalda is aiming to lead his side to its first postseason berth as he returns for the 2020 USL Championship season with the club. | Photo courtesy Las Vegas Lights FC

LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Lights FC announced on Thursday it had signed United States soccer legend Eric Wynalda to a new contract to remain as the team's Manager for the 2020 USL Championship season. Lights FC showed across the board improvement in Wynalda’s first season in charge, recording 10 more points and remaining in the race for the postseason into the final week of the regular season.

"I have unfinished business here," said Wynalda. "I want to win, and I want to win in Las Vegas, it’s an honor to be back with the club. We’re very optimistic about not just making the playoffs but being a challenger for the title next year."

Under Wynalda's leadership, Las Vegas became one of the best home teams in the Western Conference, winning nine games at Cashman Field in 2019. Defensively, Lights FC ranked ninth-best in the West and posted nine shutouts after being the fourth worst (out of 33 teams) in the Championship during the team's inaugural season.

“Eric embodies what our club stands for -- and what we strive to become. His demeanor, his mindset and his desire to dominate remains a great fit for Lights FC,” said Lights FC Owner & C.E.O. Brett Lashbrook. “Our expectations both in the short and long-term remain enormously high. I’m proud to have Eric back in 2020.”

Wynalda's Major League Soccer connections allowed Lights FC to bring high-caliber players with National Team pedigree to play in Las Vegas during the 2019 season, including Dejan Jakovic (Canada) and Rodolfo Zelaya (El Salvador) of LAFC, and Cristian Martinez (Panama) of the Chicago Fire.

Prior to his time with Lights FC, Wynalda’s coaching career began in 2012 with Cal FC, an amateur club that achieved unprecedented success in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Wynalda led his team to the best-ever finish by an amateur team in the tournament's history when it won multiple qualifying rounds before advancing to the fourth round where he beat MLS-side Portland Timbers FC. Following this success, Wynalda was named Technical Director and Head Coach for the Atlanta Silverbacks where he won the league’s 2013 Spring Championship.

In the upcoming weeks, Eric Wynalda will make roster and coaching staff decisions ahead of the 2020 USL Championship season.

“We were always about two or three players away from being a team that could compete on a consistent basis and next year that will be the case,” said Wynalda. “This will be a more powerful roster with more strength and experience. That’ll be the reason why we’ll have more success in 2020 than we did this year.”

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