Spokane, WA — Spokane Velocity FC earned a crucial 2-1 home victory over FC Naples on Sunday night at ONE Spokane Stadium, moving into a tie for first place in the league table.
Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman reflected on the physical nature of the match and the importance of the squad’s depth in securing the win.
“We were not on our best defensive game today and also we were not that great on the ball to be honest, which resulted in us being a little bit more defensive than we wanted to,” Veidman said. “But having the ability to bring guys into the game who have got the ability to step in and defend… Everyone helps in these moments.”
Velocity FC generated pressure early, beginning with a corner kick in the fourth minute that narrowly missed connecting with defender Cameron Miller inside the box. Midfielder Luis Gil followed with an opportunity in the sixth minute, getting on the end of a long cross but sending the attempt over the crossbar.
Spokane broke through in the eighth minute when forward Medgy Alexandre faked out a defender and buried a strike into the back-right corner of the net to give Velocity FC a 1-0 lead.
Alexandre spoke on the importance of scoring early against a top opponent.
“I think it sets up momentum a little bit, helps us go into the rest of the game with more confidence,” Alexandre said. “We’ve been working hard during the week because we knew we were going to be playing a really great team.”
The home side continued creating chances immediately after the opener. Andre Lewis sent a shot just wide of the post in the ninth minute before Anuar Peláez followed with a long-range attempt that sailed just over the crossbar.
FC Naples controlled possession throughout much of the opening half, holding 63 percent possession before halftime, but Spokane consistently generated the more dangerous attacking opportunities. Velocity FC finished the first half with 10 shot attempts while limiting Naples to few clear scoring chances.
Naples nearly created a breakthrough opportunity in the 40th minute, but goalkeeper Sean Lewis corralled a deflected ball inside the box to preserve Spokane’s advantage heading into halftime. Sunday’s match marked Lewis’ first start of the season for Velocity FC.
Spokane continued to apply pressure early in the second half with consecutive corner kicks in the 48th and 50th minutes, forcing Naples goalkeeper Edward Delgado into action.
Velocity FC extended its lead in the 54th minute after being awarded a penalty kick. Peláez stepped up and sent Delgado diving right before placing the ball into the left side of the net for Spokane’s second goal of the night.
Lewis recorded his first save of the season in the 65th minute, keeping Naples off the scoreboard as the visitors attempted to push for a comeback late in the match.
Following the win, Lewis reflected on his first start of the season.
“First game here at home in the regular season, it’s great to get a win and the guys were fantastic today,” Lewis said. “Really stuck together throughout the whole 90 minutes and it was great to get a result.”
Lewis also emphasized the continued growth of the squad as the season progresses.
“We’re still actually a bit of a new squad… we didn’t really get a preseason with everyone so we’re still developing and still growing, so it’s a good sign we are getting results,” Lewis said.
Lewis continued to make his presence felt with a catch off a corner kick in the 90th minute to help preserve Spokane’s lead. Moments later, Naples created one final opportunity in stoppage time when Luca Mastrantonio curled a shot into the top-left corner to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the goal came too late to complete the comeback.
Veidman said the focus now shifts toward continuing to improve ahead of next weekend’s USL Cup matchup against Las Vegas Lights FC.
“The main thing we are going to be focusing on is ourselves,” Veidman said. “We’ve still got to be better on the ball than we are. We lack a bit of composure on the ball, as we saw today.”
With the win, Velocity FC moves to 17 points on the season, tying One Knoxville SC for the top spot in the table as the club continues its strong run of form at home.Following Sunday’s win, the team will continue their home stand at ONE Spokane Stadium with a USL Cup match against Las Vegas Lights FC on May 17. The game is set to kickoff at 4:00 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets, please visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.
