Las Vegas Light FC’s Joel Huiqui during a team practice at Kellogg Zaher Soccer Complex in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco
Morelias Gerardo Lugo celebrates after scoring during a Mexican soccer league match against Santos in Morelia, Mexico, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (Christian Palma/AP)
Las Vegas Light FC’s Joel Huiqui during a team practice at Kellogg Zaher Soccer Complex in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco
Las Vegas Light FC’s Joel Huiqui during a team practice at Kellogg Zaher Soccer Complex in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco
Morelia’s Joel Huiqui, center, heads the ball against Independiente’s Jose De la Cuesta, right, during a Libertadores Cup match in Morelia, Mexico, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. (Christian Palma/AP)
Gerardo Lugo, left, of Mexico’s Tigres fights for the ball with Oscar Bagui of Ecuador’s Emelec during a Copa Libertadores quarter finals soccer match in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Tigres won the match 2-0 and advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. (Alfredo Lopez/AP)
Joel Huiqui of Mexico’s Monarcas, right, fights for the ball with Jefferson Cuero of Colombia’s Independiente Santa Fe, second right, during a Copa Libertadores soccer match in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014. (Fernando Vergara/AP)
Cruz Azul’s Joao Rojas, right, fights for the ball with Morelia’s Joel Huiqui during a Mexican soccer league match in Mexico City, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (Christian Palma/AP)
Cruz Azuls Gerardo Lugo, and Atlantes Jose Martinez eye the ball during a Mexican soccer league match in Mexico City, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012. (Christian Palma/AP)
Santos Daniel Luduena, right, dribbles past Morelias Gerardo Lugo during a Mexican soccer league match in Morelia, Mexico, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (Christian Palma/AP)
The Las Vegas Lights FC are bolstering their inaugural training camp roster with a pair of former Mexican national team members.
The United Soccer League club announced the signings of center back Joel Huiqui, 34, and attacking midfielder Gerardo Lugo, 33, to a group that totaled 27 players at Friday’s practice. The club has confirmed the signings of 14 of those players, while former American soccer prodigy Freddy Adu is known to be on trial with the team.
“(Huiqui and Lugo) have a lot of experience and this team needs people that have experience,” Lights coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola said.
In addition to his four games with the Mexican national team, Lugo played for Sola with the Liga MX club Puebla FC from 2010-11. He scored five goals in 33 appearances with Puebla. He had been with Liga MX club Tigres UANL since 2013 but was on loan with a different club in the league, Queretaro FC, last season and scored one goal in eight appearances.
”As a player I like to have the ball,” Lugo said through a translator. “I like to control the timing of the team and I like to make the important passes and go forward.”
Huiqui has 14 career caps with the Mexican national team and scored one goal against Germany in a 2015 friendly match. He has extensive Liga MX experience, making 334 appearances from 2002-2015, and played with Lugo for Monarcas Morelia in 2011-12. Huiqui spent most of the last three seasons in Mexico’s second division though, making four appearances for the second-division club Potros UAEM in 2017 and scoring one goal.
“As a center back, I like to be physical, I like to be intense,” Huiqui said through a translator. “I would describe myself as a warrior because I like to go for the high balls and fight for every inch of the field.”
