By: Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ‘25
As the final moments of stoppage time dwindled, Romain Métanire waited with the ball on the right wing as his teammates tried to get open near the goal. He paused before delivering a cross to Javier Martín Gil, who scored in mid-air with a diving volley.
The go-ahead goal propelled Spokane Velocity FC to a 3-2 victory over Union Omaha on Saturday in the second match of group play in the USL Jägermeister Cup at ONE Spokane Stadium.
“When I saw Romain with the ball, … I was in the perfect space to attack the ball,” Martín Gil, said of his scoring sequence. “He gave me a good ball and I tried to hit the ball as [best] I could and it went inside.”
The win gives Velocity three points in the Jägermeister Cup, and with their point from the first Cup match, moves them up to second place in the West Region behind first-place Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. Union Omaha falls to fourth place, with Central Valley Fuego FC sitting in third.
Velocity controlled most of the possession early on, but it was Omaha striking first on a goal from Missael Rodriguez, who netted his third score in two Jägermeister Cup matches. Rodriguez found the back of the net in the 11th minute after receiving a long pass down the right sideline from Lagos Kunga.
Five minutes later, Velocity responded when Andre Lewis stole the ball from a defender before burying a shot in the top left corner to even the score at 1-1.
The rest of the first half saw both teams set up scoring chances, but none were successful. One of Velocity’s missed opportunities came during stoppage time when Ariel Mbumba delivered a cross from the left wing that Kimarni Smith couldn’t finish from close range.
Omaha opened the second half by aggressively attacking Velocity’s back line, and the pressure eventually led to Rodríguez drawing a foul inside the penalty area in the 49th minute. Pedro Dolabella converted the penalty with a shot to the bottom right corner to put Omaha in front 2-1.
Velocity didn’t waste time evening up the score, with Luis Gil drilling a shot from outside the 18-yard box in the 56th minute. Gil, who played for Union Omaha in 2022-23, said he felt energized competing against his former teammates.
“It’s fun playing against old teammates,” Gil said. “It’s good to see them, it’s been a while, but once you step on the field, they’re the rivals.”
As regulation was winding down and both teams made desperate attempts to break the tie, it seemed like the match was headed for a penalty shootout. However, Velocity was saved from that scenario by Martín Gil, who’s stoppage time goal sent the crowd of 4,523 fans into a frenzy.
“When Javy comes on, he gives everything and that’s what he’s about,” said Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman on Martín Gil. “Even though he steps in as a winger most of the time, he turns his attacking mind on and he goes after it.”
Next up for Velocity is a USL League One match against Forward Madison FC next Sunday, May 19 at ONE Spokane Stadium. This match will be a celebration of Expo 50 where fans are encouraged to dress like it is 1974 and the first 500 in the gate will receive a free commemorative T-shirt.
Veidman’s club will remain at home to face Greenville Triumph SC in a Jägermeister Cup match on May 25, before welcoming Chivas De Guadalajara U23 in town for an international friendly on June 2.
Velocity will hit the road again on June 13 for a rematch against Union Omaha in the Jägermeister Cup.
Celebrate Expo 50 with Velocity FC! Get your tickets here!
