by Jeff Bunch
Spokane Velocity FC professional men’s soccer team held tryouts in its new home, ONE Spokane Stadium, on Saturday, December 9th – a day that was even more momentous for Spokane and eastern Washington.
In the heart of the city, nearly 100 eager participants showed up strong in the second weekend of tryouts (the first held in Seattle the previous weekend). Their courageousness also brought together local amateur, youth, and collegiate soccer organizations in an inspiring way for the beautiful game.
The players, who arrived from near and far, were taking a shot at their professional soccer dreams. The group, a collage of current amateur and pro players, said they were impressed with the experience, the unmatched facilities, and the USL Spokane staff who organized the opportunity. One of those players was experienced international pro player Alex Sotelo.
“I grew up a hometown kid in Tri-Cities, so I came up here a lot playing club ball growing up against the Shadow and the Sounders,” said Sotelo. “I saw a few familiar faces. It was really good to see everybody that I haven’t seen in a while and get touches on the ball with quality players. Being around the coaching staff and being able to hear what they have to say is good. The environment’s good, the stadium’s beautiful, so can’t really complain about much.”
The experience was mutually satisfying for the Spokane Velocity FC coaching staff, which also held tryouts the weekend before in western Washington. They were especially appreciative of the area coaches and technical staff who assisted.
“The whole process in itself, the organization of the event, everything, has been fantastic,” said Head Coach Leigh Veidman. “There are some nuances out there, so you’ve got to be adaptable. That’s where the coaches who are helping us have been fantastic. The guys out there training are working extremely hard and we’ve had some good quality out there too.”
That sentiment was echoed by another eastern Washington USL player who was representing his hometown of Walla Walla.
“What’s exciting is that the 509 gets to bring in talent as well,” said Allen Escalante. “You get to see the talent around the area, which is a lot, and the facility is crazy. The stadium is going to be one of the best ones in the USL League One.”
A Spokane resident brought home the worldwide aspect of what was unfolding across the turf, where teams engaged in warmups, drills, and scrimmages under the watchful eyes of the experienced soccer coaches and technical staff.
“I’ll say soccer has been my thing since I was a little kid and coming all the way from West Africa (to Spokane) is something I’m truly interested in,” said Taofeek Lawal. “A few months ago, I saw the tryout news and I was like, I’ll give it a try and push forward on my dream soccer if anything happens moving forward. If not, I keep pushing. It’s great being out here because it’s something we need not just for me, but for the future kids growing up here. We have basketball and football, so this is a big step for the community out here.”
The same impression was made on “Jersey boy” Lucas Espada, who saved his money for the plane ride to Spokane to keep living his soccer dream by attending West Coast soccer tryouts. His story was typical of many aiming to stand out. He played collegiate soccer at Division I, played overseas, and is excited about the new franchises in the USL.
“I didn’t know Spokane had such a rich soccer culture and this stadium is the nicest USL stadium that I’ve seen, so it’s amazing to see. The town seems buzzing with life and I’m really grateful to be here,” said Espada, a goalkeeper prospect. “Coach Vito (Higgins) is great, really positive, and I think that’s something that’s missing a lot from the game. I’d love to play for him.”
Vito Higgins, a former Gonzaga University player and coach, pro player and coach, and area youth coach assisted the USL technical staff at tryouts, specifically working with goalkeepers.
“I’m super thankful and grateful to be able to give back to the soccer community at these tryouts because the community has given me so much.” Higgins said with a broad smile between sessions. “I look forward to more opportunities with USL Spokane.”
The selection process was a group effort, from the Velocity coaching and technical staff to the area coaches attending. It was orchestrated by the experienced Spokane USL front-office staff in a seamless manner.
“I will tell you, there’s a lot that goes behind the scenes and I think Spokane’s going to be proud of what we’re doing. And this is not just about Spokane, but it also makes us worldwide. We have players from all parts of the world here today that come into Spokane that are just getting involved in the environment and the community. That’s what this brings to this area,” said Dustin Cleaver, Senior Director of Soccer Operations, who should know. He has held hundreds of similar pro tryouts (including L.A. Galaxy tryouts that attracted 1,500 attendees and a guy named Beckham).
