SPOKANE, WA — In a meeting between the league’s first and second place teams, Spokane Velocity FC fell to Chattanooga Red Wolves on Sunday, September 21 by a score of 2-1.
Velocity Midfielder Luis Gil began the action with a shot on goal in the 4th minute, setting the tone for an active match. Chattanooga responded with a corner kick by Midfielder Wynand Wessels in the 15th minute, followed by a shot attempt by Forward Neco Brett for Spokane in the 16th. Brett remained an active presence for Velocity FC, taking another shot in the 23rd minute.
Spokane Midfielder Nil Vinyals delivered back-to-back corner kicks in the 24th minute and nearly turned a free kick from just outside the penalty area into a goal in the 28th. Defender Dereck Waldeck also tested Chattanooga’s defense with corners in the 31st, 42nd, and 44th minutes.
A late counterattack in the 45th minute was halted by goalkeeper Carlos Merancio, who cleared the ball out of bounds, preserving the tie into halftime. In the first half of play, Spokane had attempted six shots with one on goal, while controlling 75.7% of possession. Velocity FC Head Coach Leigh Veidman reflected on the first half, saying, “We knew they were going to let the opposition have the ball. They’re very direct, and rely heavily on set pieces.”
Spokane came out of the break looking to capitalize on their strong first-half possession, generating early chances. In the 53rd minute, Derek Waldeck narrowly missed a corner kick, followed by a shot attempt from Nil Vinyals in the 60th minute that went just wide of the goal.
Spokane’s aggressiveness paid off in the 62nd minute when Neco Brett found the back of the net, sneaking a shot into the bottom left corner to put Velocity FC ahead 1-0. Brett reflected on his goal, saying, “It was a really good pass. I was really expecting to get one more chance, as you can see in the first half, I missed one. I just kept telling myself that the next chance has to be a goal, so I was trying to stay alert. I did that, got the opportunity, and made use of it.”
Chattanooga responded quickly as Forward Matthew Acosta unleashed a powerful strike from range in the 67th minute to level the match at 1-1. Chattanooga took the lead late in the contest when Forward Pedro Hernandez scored in the 88th minute. “Most of the night, we did a fantastic job of dealing with them, but on the one where we didn’t get first contact, they punished us in the 88th minute,” said Coach Veidman. “That’s their identity, and it works.”
Velocity FC pressed in the final minutes, with Luis Gil earning two free-kick opportunities in stoppage time, but could not find an equalizer as Spokane was handed a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Defender Derek Waldeck expressed optimism following the loss. “I think we played really well. We know their strategy and did well in moving the ball and created some good looks,” Waldeck said. “We’ll take this one on the chin, as we don’t have a lot of time to dwell, and have to look forward to Greenville.”
Coach Veidman echoed this sentiment, saying, “There’s still a lot of points to play for and, within those points on the table, anything can happen. We know there’s still a long way to go.”
Following Sunday’s loss, Spokane Velocity FC will host Greenville Triumph SC at ONE Spokane Stadium on Saturday, September 27. The match is set to kickoff at 6 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets to Velocity’s next home match, visit https://www.uslspokane.com/velocity-fc-tickets/.
