USL Championship to allow full-team training Wednesday

By Ben Gotz

Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 years ago

Las Vegas Lights FC forward Irvin Parra (11, center) is taken down by Portland Timbers 2 forwar ... — Las Vegas Lights FC forward Irvin Parra (11, center) is taken down by Portland Timbers 2 forward Ryan Sierakowski (29, left) as his teammate defender Caleb Kiner (88, right) moves in during their match on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The United Soccer League Championship will allow full-team contact training beginning Wednesday, but the Lights FC is uncertain whether it will dive in right away.

The Lights are still in the process of testing their players for COVID-19 and awaiting the results, owner Brett Lashbrook said Monday. The team will start running full practices once players are medically cleared.

USL Championship teams are currently allowed to hold voluntary noncontact practices in groups of up to 10, with no more than one trainer and one member of the technical staff present. The league hopes to resume play July 11, and it agreed to a return-to-play plan with the players association Friday. Details of the deal have yet to be released.

The Lights are still searching for a coach before the restart. Eric Wynalda was fired Wednesday for violating rules related to the USL’s return-to-play guidelines, Lashbrook said.

Assistant coach Stephen Campos is running workouts in the interim. He and two other assistants under Wynalda — assistant coach Kell Phillips and goalkeeping coach Abdel Rodriguez — are still on the staff. Lashbrook said assistant coach Rudy Ybarra resigned Saturday.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.