Las Vegas midfielder opts to leave Lights FC

Las Vegas native Julian Portugal decided to leave the Lights FC on Monday.

The midfielder, who was one of the Lights’ first five signings, was recently promoted to soccer director at Phase 1 Sports, an athlete training center in Las Vegas. He is also weighing other options away from the pitch.

The former Palo Verde and

UNLV player appeared in 13 games for the Lights, making five starts.

Portugal is the third player to leave the Lights in the last 10 days, along with attacking midfielder Zach Mathers and defender Zak Drake.

NFL: The Carolina Panthers announced that the sale of the franchise to David Tepper has formally closed.

Tepper becomes only the second owner in team history.

The founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, L.P., bought the team from founder Jerry Richardson for $2.2 billion — the most ever paid for an NFL franchise.

Richardson put the team up for sale in December after reports of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace, which the league later confirmed.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys cornerback Marquez White has been indicted on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in what he described as a road-rage incident in suburban Dallas.

College football: Former Southern California coach Steve Sarkisian has lost a $30 million lawsuit that claimed he was improperly fired by the school instead of being allowed to seek treatment for alcoholism.

An arbitrator last week ruled in favor of the USC, saying Sarkisian concealed his condition from the school.

Sarkisian went into alcohol rehabilitation treatment after he was fired. He currently is the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.

NHL: The New York Islanders agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with forward Jan Kovar.

The 28-year-old played the past five seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League with Magnitogorsk Metallurg, amassing 286 points (97 goals and 189 assists) in 285 games.

Obituary: Hans Guenther Winkler, a German equestrian great who won five Olympic gold medals, has died. He was 91.