The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that Las Vegas Legends FC (Las Vegas, NV) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will begin competition in the West Region’s Southwest Conference in 2020.
“We are very excited to bring the NPSL to Las Vegas,” NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “It is wonderful to see the Southwest Conference continue to grow and we are looking forward to having a strong presence in Nevada.”
The Legends debuted on October 18, 2012 in front of thousands of fans at the Orleans Arena. From 2012-2016, the Legends set an impressive record of 68 wins and only 26 losses. During their Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) period, the Legends made the playoffs in all four years and went on to win four consecutive divisional championships. With a strong ownership group and an experienced staff, the Legends are confident that they can bring similar success to the NPSL.
The Legends are led by club founder and president Meir Cohen.
“With the recent success of the MLS nationwide, the excitement of soccer in general is spreading,” Cohen said. “The Las Vegas area is seeing major growth in youth soccer participation. Southern Nevada is home to over one million people, and we have a diverse population with Latino, European, South American, and other soccer-friendly residents that have the love of soccer.”
Cohen was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was a member of the Junior National Soccer Team of Israel prior to joining the Israeli Army. Cohen moved to the United States in his mid-20s after attending college for business and law. In 1997, Cohen was introduced to indoor soccer while working part-time in a managerial position at the Santa Clarita Soccer Center in California. It was then that he realized that he could have a career that combined his business skills and his passion for soccer.
In 2000, Cohen moved to Las Vegas and opened the Las Vegas Indoor Soccer Park. In 2006, Cohen founded the Las Vegas Knights, who become a power team in the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) after winning three national championships. In 2012, the Las Vegas Legends were born and seven years later the Legends are now ready for the outdoor game.
“We are excited to bring the Legends back,” Cohen added. “The Legends were well before their time, one of the first pro sports teams in Las Vegas. But now, Las Vegas Legends FC will be a part of the booming sports culture in our city joining the Las Vegas Raiders, Golden Knights, Aces, and hopefully a future MLS team. We are confident that we will build a successful team that our community will be proud to watch and support.”
More information about the club can be found at www.lasvegaslegends.com or by following the club on Facebook (@LVLegends), Instagram (@las_vegas_legends), and Twitter (@LasVegasLegends).
“The NPSL is excited to expand the Southwest Conference into the Las Vegas market, providing continued stability and growth to the NPSL and the West Region,” NPSL Director of Membership Development Dina Case concluded. “The Las Vegas Legends are well-known and established in their community and we expect this will allow them to be a successful organization right out of the gate.”
More information about expansion opportunities in the NPSL can be found at http://www.npsl.com/expansion-application.
