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Carlos Alvarez has been here before.
Las Vegas Lights FC is a club that was formed in 2017 and began with a blank sheet of paper.
In just over 6 months, it has become a real thing in every way, with the team and coaching staff now in the final preparation stages ahead of its inaugural United Soccer League regular season.
A young veteran, the 27-year-old Alvarez has plenty of relevant experience for his teammates to draw from.
To start, as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by Chivas USA, his first head coach at the professional level was current Lights FC head coach Chelís.
Three years later, he was the first player ever signed by another start-up USL club – San Antonio FC.
Just a few weeks into his time now with Lights FC, Alvarez has earned a prominent role, starting all three of the club’s Soccer Spring Training matches against visiting MLS clubs. Alvarez took a few minutes to discuss his experience to this point in Las Vegas, and what he sees lying ahead for the club as it embarks on its first year as a USL member.
Q: You’ve been here for about a month to this point. What have you really enjoyed the most so far about your experience with Lights FC?
A: “I’ve really been here just over three weeks, not even a month, and just the way that the team is, it’s like a brotherhood, a family. They all just open their arms for you and welcome you. Very humble guys, very hard-working guys, very determined with what they want to do.”
Q: There’s a very interesting mix of guys here, with players who have seen time at the higher levels, and some guys just beginning their pro journeys. Within that mix, what do you think you bring to the table?
A: “First of all, Chelí was the man who gave me an opportunity to become a professional, he drafted me in 2013, so just playing under him again is something I really appreciate. He gave me another opportunity to come be with his team. With the younger guys here, everyone has to start somewhere. Now playing with the older guys who have played at high levels, I’m still just learning, being a sponge as much as I can, and trying to guide the young guys in terms of our direction.”
Q: What did you learn playing under Chelís the first time with Chivas USA?
A: “I just loved the intensity. He wants the kind of soccer that he wants, which has worked and can work again. The team just has to buy into it. Three months ago, there was no team here. Now, there’s a team that’s coming together quickly. We played some MLS teams, got better and better and better, but we need to learn from our mistakes we made and just keep growing.”
Q: Chelís showed his signature passion and fire in the three MLS preseason matches, too. What kind of message do you think he sent to the guys?
A: “All the guys did, I thought. At the end of the day, you’re playing for a spot. You’re not guaranteed anything. You come in to show you’re a professional. We had mistakes here and there, but it happens. We’re new as a team. All of the guys went to battle, to fight, to represent our head coach.”
Q: For fans of the club who may not be familiar with you as a player, how do you describe your style of play and what you bring to the table in Las Vegas?
A: “My best attribute is scoring goals and assisting on them. But I always bring hunger to the game at the end of the day. Every play is treated like my last. However I can help the team, if I have to sacrifice my body, I will do that. That’s what this team is about as a whole, too.”
Q: You guys played in front of another great crowd on Saturday night vs. D.C. United. What has the feeling on the pitch been like so far at Cashman Field?
A: “You can’t ask for a better atmosphere. The first game sold out, the second game got pretty packed and the third game got even more of a crowd than the second. At the end of the day, the fans are coming in, and it’s up to us to show them a good level of soccer and help them enjoy it all season long.”
Q: How much do you enjoy being a part of a brand new team heading into Year One?
A: “It was like this in San Antonio, it was a brand new team, and I was the first signing. I know what it takes, I’ve been through it with another club and that’s something I can bring to this team. I have been through it and can show these guys the ropes in this league. It’s going to take some time, but at the end of the day, if you have the right guys and bring it together, you’ll be fine. And we’ll be fine.”
Q: Given what you’ve seen from the group that’s here on the field, what do you think the fans in Las Vegas will enjoy the most about this team?
A: “Just the way we work. This is a city that is non-stop, always working. You’re going to see the same with us. We’ll never give up on a play, always be running, always be hustling. They’re going to show it on the field, and this will be the most loyal group of players you could ask for, because all of these guys have great hearts.”