RICHMOND, VA — Spokane Velocity FC earned their second road victory of a three-week road stretch, securing a 2-0 win over Richmond Kickers on Saturday, July 18, in Richmond, Virginia.
Head coach Leigh Veidman shares his thoughts on Saturday night’s victory.
“So proud and happy for the players and staff,” Veidman shared. “Back-to-back wins after a tough stretch of results and a clean sheet away, on top of the longest away trips in the league for Spokane, so full credit to the players and staff.”
Velocity FC wasted no time opening the scoring for this match. Marky Hernández raced down the right side and fired a cross into the box, forcing a Kickers own goal in the 10th minute to give Spokane an early 1-0 lead.
Looking to create a scoring chance of their own, Kickers’ Tarik Pannholzer fired a shot that sailed high and wide of the net in the 14th minute. On the ensuing transition, Velocity FC’s Luis Gil answered with a right-footed shot that missed just wide of the right post.
A defensive block by Axel Aldana Gallegos led to a Velocity FC corner kick. Midfielder Nil Vinyals sent the ball into the box, where Camron Miller found Ibrahim Covi for a one-touch finish into the back of the net in the 30th minute, making the score 2-0.
Covi’s goal is his first of the 2026 USL League One season and his first as a Velocity FC player.
“It felt amazing to score my first goal for the team and it was even better to contribute to tonight’s win,” Covi shared.
Kickers’ goalkeeper James Sneddon made two big time saves, using his whole body to block Velocity FC shots, in the 35th minute to keep his team alive in the first half.
The first yellow card of the match was shown to former Kickers player Nil Vinyals in the 42nd minute, giving the Kickers a free kick just outside the 18-yard box.
Velocity FC finished their first half with eight total shots, five of those on goal, while the Kickers finished with two shots total and one shot on goal. Velocity FC entered halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Midfielder Nil Vinyals shared his thoughts about his offensive contribution to the team in the first half.
“I think my ability to help the team create chances was a reflection of how dominate we were in possession,” Vinyals explained. “We knew it was important to get the first goal and control the game from there.”
After a slow start to the second half, a slip-in pass sent Kickers’ striker Zahir Vasquez in alone on goal, but Velocity FC goalkeeper Sean Lewis made a massive one-on-one save to preserve Spokane’s lead in the 51st minute.
Richmond continued to apply pressure as a cross into the box found Andrew Richman, whose header from the center of the box forced Velocity FC goalkeeper Sean Lewis into a diving save to push the ball wide in the 65th minute.
Almost ten minutes later in the 74th minute, Kickers’ Hayden Anderson fired a right-footed shot from outside the box, but the attempt was blocked before reaching goal.
After absorbing pressure and doing more defending than they would have liked in the second half, Velocity FC gained momentum in the 78th minute as Anuar Peláez fired a right-footed shot from the right side of the box that sailed high and wide.
The remaining 10 minutes of the match featured back-and-forth play between the two sides, with both teams looking to maintain control and create a late opportunity.
A Velocity FC corner taken by Nil Vinyals in the 81st minute created a promising opportunity, but Richmond goalkeeper Sneddon collected the delivery and quickly distributed it to start the counterattack.
With the final minutes of the game looming ahead, both teams continued to battle for possession as they looked to create one final opportunity.
“Credit to the whole team for the work out of possession to make sure that we kept a clean sheet,” Vinyals stated.
The final whistle blew with Velocity FC securing a 2-0 victory over Richmond Kickers. Velocity FC delivered a strong defensive performance while capitalizing on key offensive opportunities to earn all three points.
“Most important thing now is Charlotte on Wednesday,” head coach Veidman stated. “We are excited to be back with our fans.”
Velocity FC returns home to One Spokane stadium on July 22 to face Charlotte Independence in an exciting League One matchup. Spokane currently holds a playoff position and will look to strengthen its standing with another home victory. Don’t miss the action, get your tickets now at Velocity FC Tickets and cheer on the Lads as they continue their third season in League One!
