Dignitaries to make announcement about Las Vegas soccer team

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Councilman Ricki Barlow joke with a soccer ball during a meeting of the Las Vegas City Council Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

Las Vegas Soccer LLC founder Brett Lashbrook speaks with a reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday, July 17, 2017. Bridget Bennett Las Vegas Review-Journal @bridgetkbennett

Gov. Brian Sandoval, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Councilman Ricki Barlow and United Soccer League officials will fete the city’s new professional soccer squad Friday in downtown Las Vegas.

Friday’s ceremony is open to the public, and will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Zappos Corporate Office Theater, 400 Stewart Ave.

The new Las Vegas team will play at Cashman Center and share space with the Las Vegas 51s, under a stadium lease agreement with the city.

Brett Lashbrook, founder of Las Vegas Soccer LLC, is behind the new team. Goodman has for years been pushing for professional soccer in downtown Las Vegas. The city’s tries for a Major League Soccer expansion team weren’t successful, but the City Council made it official last month with a new team in the Division II USL.

The unnamed team is expected to start play in the 2018 season, and fans can submit team name ideas at vegasprosoccer.com.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.