KNOXVILLE, TN — Velocity FC fell to One Knoxville SC 1-0 on Saturday, with the match tying both clubs at 38 points apiece in USL League One standings.
Velocity FC (11-4-5) and One Knoxville SC (10-3-8) created ample scoring opportunities in the first half, with both clubs combining for 12 shot attempts in the first 45 minutes. Spokane’s best chance came in the 9th minute off a crosser inside the box by Nil Vinyals to Anuar Peláez, with Peláez unable to find the right angle on his shot.
One Knoxville SC scored the match’s only goal in the 24th minute, with forward Gio Calixtro heading a score in off a precise crosser by defender Dani Fernandez to give Knoxville SC a 1-0 lead going into Halftime. Calixtro’s goal was his first since September 2023.
Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman acknowledged his club’s lack of offense in the first half and its improvement in the second.
“We were not close to threatening enough in the first half, but in the second half we put the pressure on and couldn’t find the finish,” said Veidman.
One Knoxville SC kept up a strong defensive effort in the second half to prevent Spokane from scoring an equalizing goal. Velocity FC’s best chance came in stoppage time, with defender Javier Martin getting a header on goal that was punched out by Knoxville SC goalkeeper Sean Lewis.
Spokane defender Jalen Crisler, who made his first start of the season on Saturday, gave credit to One Knoxville SC following the match.
“Credit to Knoxville, they are a good team and are tough to beat at home,” said Crisler. “There are still a lot of positives to take away and we look forward to bouncing back at home.”
Velocity FC defender Derek Waldeck spoke on Saturday’s result with an eye towards the future.
“I thought we looked like the better team in the second half, but were just missing the final pass or shot to find an equalizer,” said Waldeck.
Spokane midfielder Collin Fernandez spoke of the excitement of wrapping up this road trip and returning home.
“We are looking forward to going back home and seeing our fans at One Spokane Stadium,” said Fernandez.
Coach Veidman wrapped his thoughts for the evening saying “We take our lessons and look forward to being home next week versus Westchester.”
Following Saturday’s loss, Spokane Velocity FC will return to home pitch for a match against Westchester SC on Saturday, September 7th. The match is set to kickoff at 4 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets to this match, visit https://www.uslspokane.com/velocity-fc-tickets/.
