Former Eddies Winger Azriel Gonzalez Lands With Las Vegas Lights

Former FC Edmonton midfielder Azriel Gonzalez – who spent the last season on loan from York United – has been announced as the newest signing of his hometown side Las Vegas Lights.

The USL Championship side confirmed his arrival last night, though his free transfer remains pending league and federation approval.

Gonzalez, 21, had made forty appearances for FC Edmonton across the last two years, 17 of which came whilst on loan from the Tacoma Defiance and 23 last year on loan from York United. His time in the CPL saw him tally eight goals and five assists, with the young winger featuring mostly on the left flank.

He had previously played for the Seattle Sounders’ UFL affiliate, the Tacoma Defiance (now known as Seattle Sounders FC 2), for whom he made 69 appearances across all competitions, contributing ten goals and ten assists – with one goal coming against the Lights in 2020.

With FC Edmonton now defunct, a large swath of the team has now landed elsewhere for their next professional steps. Terique Mohammed has signed with Lexington SC, while players like Shamit Shome, Cale Loughrey, and Marcus Simmons (among others) have all made intra-league moves within the CPL. Kairo Coore has joined former head coach Alan Koch in New Zealand, and we suspect more Eddies are en route there.

The Las Vegas Lights finished ninth last year, just one point outside of a playoff spot.