By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
The Las Vegas Lights FC soccer team was tracking for a sellout for its inaugural regular season home opener at Cashman Field Saturday night, but fell just short at 9,019.
When the Lights-Reno 1868 FC game started, most of Cashman’s seats were filled for the rookie USL team’s historic first home game during the regular season. The team has more than 3,000 season ticket holders and pro soccer is known for its big walk-up crowds. The team’s first-ever preseason game at Cashman in February was a sellout.
The Lights unveiled their new mascot, Cash the Soccer Rocker, while Mayor Carolyn Goodman received the franchise’s first-ever “Pink Scarf” for her work in bringing professional soccer to downtown Las Vegas.
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The Lights offer an affordable sports option in the Las Vegas market, with some colorful characters ranging from Zappos’ llamas to the Laborers 872 special section on the field in front of third base dugout that has room for 100 fans. (Disclosure Note: Laborers 872 is an LVSportsBiz.com advertiser.)
Laborers 872’s presence is also outside Cashman Field, where a firetruck with 872 union and Lights club logos adorn the rig. 872 member Lou DeSalvio drives the firetruck (and the union’s Raiders bus.) He has a special license to drive both the Lights firetruck and Raiders bus.
“This is like driving a house,” DeSalvio said before the game. “It feels like you’re dragging the neighborhood.”
The firetruck is the real deal, equipped with the sirens and other gear.
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The Lights oppose fans chanting “puto” when the opponents strikes the ball for a goal kick. It’s an insulting anti-gay slur and LVSportsBiz.com reported about this issue last month.
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The team chanted, “Viva Lights,” in an effort to drown out the “puto” chant on goal kicks. It had mixed results as the “puto” chant could still be heard despite the “Viva Lights” chant.
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The Lights share Cashman Field with the Triple A Las Vegas 51s ballclub of the Pacific Coast League and roll out turf on the baseball field’s dirt infield and pitcher’s mound.
A worker came out during the second half to adjust the turf on the pitcher’s mound. There has been reports that the turf rolled out on the dirt sections have been soft.
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Chelis at his post-game presser.
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