SPOKANE, WA — Spokane Velocity FC controlled the tempo against Greenville on Saturday, defeating the visitors 2-1 to gain three points and rise to fifth place in League One standings.
Velocity FC’s Head Coach Leigh Veidman reflected on Saturday’s match and what went well against Greenville.
“We should have won the game a bit more comfortably, we shouldn’t have been in a battle as long as we were,” said Veidman. “We had to bunker in a little bit there at the end and deal with the pressure they were putting on us, but the guys overall did a good job.”
Spokane forward Shavon John-Brown nearly scored in the opening minutes, taking a left-footed shot in the center of the box that was deflected one-handedly by Triumph SC goalkeeper Amal Knight.
Greenville also made an early push, earning two corners in the first six minutes of the match, both of which were defended well by Spokane.
Triumph SC’s best chance came in the 17th minute, when Muba Nour and Azaad Liadi both had attempts inside the box. Nour took a shot from the left side of the box that was deflected by Spokane goalkeeper Sean Lewis, with Liadi rebounding the deflection and sending an attempt wide right of the net.
It was Velocity FC that took advantage of its opportunities, with the Lads scoring off of a Greenville own goal in the 27th minute. Jack Denton put pressure on the backline, sending a cross from the six yard box that deflected off of Zane Bubb into the net, giving Spokane a 1-0 lead.
Velocity FC did not stop there, scoring another goal three minutes later from a Lucky Opara header to lift their lead to 2-0. The play started with a corner kick by Derek Waldeck, which Opara connected on to score his first goal of the season.
Opara spoke on the challenges the team faced coming into Saturday’s match against Triumph SC.“Some of our previous games got cancelled, which was really tough for the team,” said Opara. “We’ll keep doing the right thing, coming out everyday and pushing each other.”
Spokane ended the first half with nine shots to Greenville’s four, with Velocity FC getting five of those attempts on target.
Triumph SC scored in the 55th minute to come within a goal of Spokane, with defender Anthony Patti scoring near the six yard box. Patrick Seagrist sent in a corner, with Patti getting the ball down before firing a shot past Lewis’s left hand to bring the score to 2-1 in favor of Spokane.
Velocity FC defender Camron Miller almost returned the favor two minutes later, barely missing a leaping attempt inside the box that was set up by a perfect cross by Neco Brett.
Trying to find an equalizer for Greenville, Seagrist almost had a wide open attempt from the left side of the box in the 80th minute that was blocked by Opara. Lucky made a sprinting effort to cover Seagrist before he could get a shot off with only Lewis in front of him.
Velocity FC prevented Greenville from leveling the match, earning them their 11th regular-season win and second against Triumph SC all-time.
Spokane midfielder Jack Denton reflected on the team’s performance.
“Sometimes when you get the first goal, it can go one of two ways. You can try to protect that and drop a little bit defensively, which sometimes we have a habit of doing,” said Denton. “We were able to get that second goal, which gave us enough of a cushion to see the game out.”
With a three-match road trip on the horizon, Coach Veidman spoke on what will be needed to close the season strong.
“The guys are very much aware of what’s coming ahead, with the schedule and the amount of games left,” said Veidman. “What you saw tonight, that mentality at the end of the game, is what we’re going to need on the road.”
Next up, Velocity FC will travel to the east coast for a contest against Westchester SC on August 29. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 PM PT with streaming available on ESPN+.
The Lads’ next home match will be on September 20th against Athletic Club Boise. It will be a can’t-miss match between the budding rivals with only three more opportunities to see them so get your tickets now and support the Lads as they continue their third season in League One!
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