Velocity

Spokane, WA — Two Velocity FC players made League One’s Team of the Week for week 11/12, with midfielder Collin Fernandez and goalkeeper Sean Lewis both earning a selection.
Fernandez had a standout performance in the midfield last Sunday against Sarasota Paradise, notching an 84.9% passing accuracy off of 73 passes and assisting on Spokane’s game-winning goal by Derek Waldeck in the 72nd minute. Fernandez has started in four of his six appearances this season and has a 86% pass accuracy in 2026. The selection is Fernandez’s fifth of his League One career.
Lewis made his third straight start in goal last Sunday, making four saves against Sarasota en route to his first clean sheet of the regular-season. The reigning Goalkeeper of the Year has made eight saves and has only conceded one goal in 2026, holding an 88.9% save success rate. Lewis has now made a TOTW three times in his career.
Week 11/12 is the first time Velocity FC had multiple players make a TOTW since week six, when Jack Denton, Shavon John-Brown, Moses Mensah, Lucky Opara, Nil Vinyals, and head coach Leigh Veidman all earned a selection after a pair of victories against AV Alta FC and the Richmond Kickers.
Following Fernandez and Lewis’s standout performances, Velocity FC will hit the road for a match against Portland Hearts of Pine Sarasota Paradise on May 30 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Velocity FC’s next home match will be on Saturday, June 6th at 6:00 PM against its regional rival Athletic Club Boise, which sold out its inaugural home opener against Spokane in March. Help Velocity FC defend its home turf by filling out ONE Spokane Stadium on June 6th, welcoming AC Boise to The Edge! You will not want to miss this rivalry match, so buy your tickets now and cheer on the Lads as they continue their third season in USL League One!

Spokane, WA — In the first ever matchup between the two sides, Spokane Velocity FC shut out Sarasota Paradise 1-0 on Sunday to stay undefeated at ONE Spokane Stadium in 2026. With the win, Spokane is now 6-0-0 at home in the regular-season. 

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman spoke on the importance of performing well at home.

“It’s everything, if you want to finish as close to the top of the table as possible, you’ve got to use home advantage,” said Veidman. “It’s about us and the fans working together to help get these results together, and they’ve come up huge at home.”

Velocity FC had a scoring chance early, with forward Medgy Alexandre finding himself open inside the box in the 9th minute, firing a shot towards goal that was punched out by Sarasota goalkeeper Alex Sutton. 

Spokane defender Gagi Margvelashvili came up big in the 20th minute, deflecting a potential shot inside the penalty area by Paradise by forward Garrett McLaughlin. Margvelashvili had a productive first half, notching three clearances and one interception for Velocity FC. 

Sarasota had its best chance in the 26th minute when McLaughlin led a fastbreak opportunity off an interception, crossing it to forward Jonathan Balano’s, who lost his defender and fired a shot towards goal that was saved by Spokane goalkeeper Sean Lewis, who notched his first clean sheet of the regular-season on Sunday. 

Spokane midfielder Collin Fernandez spoke on what worked well on defense to shut out Paradise, who is in the top third of League One in shot attempts this season. 

“We just tried to sit in our midblock and make it difficult to break us down and I think we did a pretty good job of that today,” said Fernandez. 

Velocity FC had three shot attempts in the first half, getting one on target. Spokane midfielder Nil Vinyals had a header attempt sail wide right in the 34th minute, with neither side getting a clear scoring attempt afterwards, leaving the match scoreless going into halftime. 

The second half was filled with scoring opportunities by Spokane. In the 67th minute, Velocity FC midfielder Joe Gallardo got inside the box and had a potential shot deflected by Sarasota’s backline. A rebounded shot by Neco Brett in front of the net sailed wide left. 

Spokane defender Derek Waldeck made the biggest play of the game for Velocity FC, scoring a goal in the 72nd minute to give his side a 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish. The goal was Waldeck’s first of the season. 

Waldeck spoke on what he did to get his go-ahead goal against Sarasota. 

“I got my first touch out of my feet and tried to get it on frame. It wasn’t the cleanest of finishes but I was able to catch the keeper wrong-footed and slid it past him,” said Waldeck. “We’ll take it and we’re really happy with the result.”

With Sunday’s victory, Velocity FC has now won four of its last five regular-season matches and sits in second place in League One standings with 20 points. 

Looking forward, coach Veidman spoke on what will be required of his team when they take on Portland Hearts of Pine on the road next Saturday. 

“We need another big defensive performance, Portland at home are really good,” said Veidman. “They’re well-coached, so we’ve got to be ready for a tough defensive performance and a lot of travel. We rest up now and then get prepared for it.”

Following Sunday’s win, the team will hit the road for a match against Portland Hearts of Pine Sarasota Paradise on May 30 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets to Velocity FC’s next home match on June 6th against AC Boise, please visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.

Spokane, WA — On a rainy day in Spokane, Velocity FC defeated Las Vegas 1-0 to record its first USL Cup win of the season and stay undefeated at home in 2026. 

Spokane’s head coach Leigh Veidman reflected on Sunday’s rainy match. 

“Really happy for the fans who showed up on a wet and cold afternoon.They made the atmosphere really fun for the guys,” said Veidman. “It was a scrappy performance.. Full credit to the guys and fans, they were excellent.”

Las Vegas wasted no time testing Spokane, with forward Nighte Pickering sending a straight shot outside the box towards goalkeeper Sean Lewis, who saved it easily. 

Spokane responded minutes later, with midfielder Nil Vinyals scoring off a free kick outside the penalty area to give his side a 1-0 lead. Vinyals struck the ball low, bouncing it into the back left of the net to score his first goal of the season.

Vinyals spoke on the effort by Spokane tonight to notch its first cup win of the season.

“We have a tough squad, where anyone can come compete and make a difference,” said Vinyals. “Today was a total team performance even though we were missing some guys.”

One of Lights FC’s best attacking moments of the first half came in the 26th minute when defender Blake Pope sent in a dangerous crosser off the strong side into the box that barely missed two Las Vegas players before sailing out of bounds. 

Vinyals tried for another goal in the 31st minute, launching another attempt outside the box that was blocked out by Vega’s goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar. Minutes later, Lights FC forward Manuel Arteaga sent in a free kick off the far side that Lewis had to punch out of bounds. 

Las Vegas came out aggressive in the second half, with Arteaga taking a free kick off the strong side that sailed wide left of the goal. Moments later, Lights FC midfielder Kyle Scott sent an attempt near the top of the penalty area just wide of goal. 

Spokane defender Gagi Margvelashvili spoke on the challenges his team faced on Sunday, including a red card against Medgy Alexandre that left Velocity FC down a man for most of the second half. 

 “It was a hard game against a championship team, but we had a really good plan before the game,” said Margvelashvili. “The second half was difficult because of a red card, playing eleven versus ten.”

Lights FC midfielder Marc Ybarra had a solid opportunity in the 77th minute, dribbling into the box and getting feet away from the net before having a potential shot deflected by Lewis. Las Vegas was unable to find its equalizer throughout the second half, sealing the 1-0 win for Spokane. 

Coach Veidman spoke on the importance of playing talented teams in higher divisions and how it can challenge a group.

“You always want to test yourselves against better teams, whether that’s higher leagues or whatever that may be,” said Veidman. “It’s another experience in our back pocket that I’m sure we’ll need at some point in the season.”

Following Sunday’ cup win, the team will continue their home stand at ONE Spokane Stadium with a regular season match against inaugural side Sarasota Paradise on May 24. The game is set to kickoff at 4:00 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets, please visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane. 

Spokane, WA — Spokane Velocity FC earned a crucial 2-1 home victory over FC Naples on Sunday night at ONE Spokane Stadium, moving into a tie for first place in the league table.

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman reflected on the physical nature of the match and the importance of the squad’s depth in securing the win.

“We were not on our best defensive game today and also we were not that great on the ball to be honest, which resulted in us being a little bit more defensive than we wanted to,” Veidman said. “But having the ability to bring guys into the game who have got the ability to step in and defend… Everyone helps in these moments.”

Velocity FC generated pressure early, beginning with a corner kick in the fourth minute that narrowly missed connecting with defender Cameron Miller inside the box. Midfielder Luis Gil followed with an opportunity in the sixth minute, getting on the end of a long cross but sending the attempt over the crossbar.

Spokane broke through in the eighth minute when forward Medgy Alexandre faked out a defender and buried a strike into the back-right corner of the net to give Velocity FC a 1-0 lead.

Alexandre spoke on the importance of scoring early against a top opponent.

“I think it sets up momentum a little bit, helps us go into the rest of the game with more confidence,” Alexandre said. “We’ve been working hard during the week because we knew we were going to be playing a really great team.”

The home side continued creating chances immediately after the opener. Andre Lewis sent a shot just wide of the post in the ninth minute before Anuar Peláez followed with a long-range attempt that sailed just over the crossbar.

FC Naples controlled possession throughout much of the opening half, holding 63 percent possession before halftime, but Spokane consistently generated the more dangerous attacking opportunities. Velocity FC finished the first half with 10 shot attempts while limiting Naples to few clear scoring chances.

Naples nearly created a breakthrough opportunity in the 40th minute, but goalkeeper Sean Lewis corralled a deflected ball inside the box to preserve Spokane’s advantage heading into halftime. Sunday’s match marked Lewis’ first start of the season for Velocity FC.

Spokane continued to apply pressure early in the second half with consecutive corner kicks in the 48th and 50th minutes, forcing Naples goalkeeper Edward Delgado into action.

Velocity FC extended its lead in the 54th minute after being awarded a penalty kick. Peláez stepped up and sent Delgado diving right before placing the ball into the left side of the net for Spokane’s second goal of the night.

Lewis recorded his first save of the season in the 65th minute, keeping Naples off the scoreboard as the visitors attempted to push for a comeback late in the match. 

Following the win, Lewis reflected on his first start of the season.

“First game here at home in the regular season, it’s great to get a win and the guys were fantastic today,” Lewis said. “Really stuck together throughout the whole 90 minutes and it was great to get a result.”

Lewis also emphasized the continued growth of the squad as the season progresses.

“We’re still actually a bit of a new squad… we didn’t really get a preseason with everyone so we’re still developing and still growing, so it’s a good sign we are getting results,” Lewis said.

Lewis continued to make his presence felt with a catch off a corner kick in the 90th minute to help preserve Spokane’s lead. Moments later, Naples created one final opportunity in stoppage time when Luca Mastrantonio curled a shot into the top-left corner to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the goal came too late to complete the comeback.

Veidman said the focus now shifts toward continuing to improve ahead of next weekend’s USL Cup matchup against Las Vegas Lights FC.

“The main thing we are going to be focusing on is ourselves,” Veidman said. “We’ve still got to be better on the ball than we are. We lack a bit of composure on the ball, as we saw today.”

With the win, Velocity FC moves to 17 points on the season, tying One Knoxville SC for the top spot in the table as the club continues its strong run of form at home.Following Sunday’s win, the team will continue their home stand at ONE Spokane Stadium with a USL Cup match against Las Vegas Lights FC on May 17. The game is set to kickoff at 4:00 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets, please visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.

Corpus Christi, TX — Spokane fought hard in a 0-0 draw against Corpus Christi FC on Saturday night, as both sides battled through a tough match in Corpus Christi’s first home match in club history.

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman reflected on the performance following the result.

“They can be a tough team to play against with their direct and physical style, but we handled it well and kept a clean sheet and allowed no shots on target, which was a good defensive response after the Sacramento game,” Veidman said. “However, we had chances to win the game and should be walking away with the three points and lacked the quality needed in decisive moments.”

Velocity FC entered the match searching for their first road win of the season, while Corpus Christi looked to build momentum after securing its first professional victory on April 25.

Spokane controlled possession for much of the first half but struggled to convert that control into scoring chances. Their first opportunity came in the seventh minute off a turnover, but the attempt sailed wide left.

Corpus Christi generated the more dangerous chances early, forcing Spokane goalkeeper Carlos Merancio into action. A header in the third minute went over the bar, followed by a shot off the crossbar in the 15th minute and another attempt from the top of the box that narrowly missed left.

The home team continued to apply pressure late in the half, earning multiple corner kicks and nearly breaking through in the 45th minute. A deflected ball inside the box led to a close-range shot, but Merancio made a diving effort to keep the match scoreless heading into halftime.

Despite Spokane’s advantage in possession, Corpus Christi finished the first half with more shot attempts and corner kicks, highlighting Spokane’s difficulty in creating clear scoring opportunities.

Spokane looked to increase its attacking presence in the second half, with a shot down the middle in the 50th minute that rolled just wide. Veidman made an attacking substitution in the 62nd minute, bringing on forward Anuar Peláez in place of Nil Vinyals.

The match opened up in the final stages, with both sides pushing for a late win. In the 80th minute, Spokane nearly found a breakthrough when a throw-in led to a bicycle kick attempt from Shavon John-Brown, forcing a save from Corpus Christi goalkeeper Mason McCready, who made his first appearance of the season tonight.

Andre Lewis reflected on the team’s missed opportunities following the match.

“We’ve had our chances today and we were hoping for the three points tonight. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net, but we’ve got a clean sheet, and that’s important away from home,” Lewis said. “Now we recover, go back to training and get to play in front of our incredible fans that are always pushing us until the end and get a win.”

Spokane created one final opportunity in the 88th minute when a long cross was deflected out for a corner kick, but the ensuing header was handled cleanly by McCready.

Corpus Christi had a last chance in stoppage time with a strong strike from the left side, but the attempt curled just wide of the post, sealing the 0-0 result.

Merancio emphasized the team’s defensive performance and mindset moving forward.

“It was a fight, and we knew it would be like that since we came here,” Merancio said. “It’s always important to give credit to the team to put in a good defensive performance, that is the foundation to be a good team. We are disappointed with the result. We came to win, but it’s always important to keep a clean sheet. Now our focus is to keep improving as a team and get ready for Naples.”

Following tonight’s draw, the team will come home to ONE Spokane Stadium for a three-game home stretch, beginning with a match against FC Naples on May 10, who currently sit at the top of the table. The game versus FC Naples is set to kickoff at 3:00 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets, please visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane. 

Sacramento, CA — Spokane Velocity FC traveled to Sacramento to kick off their Prinx Tires USL Cup campaign, but fell 4-0 on the road to the 2025 Cup finalists Sacramento Republic FC.

Postgame, Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman reflected on his team’s performance in the loss.

“We were very poor in transition with too many individual mistakes that hurt us,” Veidman said. “When you make those mistakes against a team like Sacramento, you get punished and that’s exactly what happened tonight.”

Spokane leapt out to a bright start in Sacramento, enjoying a solid run of possession early. With a dangerous cross from the left flank deflecting off the hand of an opposing defender in just the third minute, defender Moses Mensah earned a free kick for Velocity FC just outside the box. Winger Joe Gallardo sent the resulting kick on target, forcing an early save from Sacramento goalkeeper Danny Vitiello.

But just two minutes later, it was Sacramento who opened the scoring with a deadly counterattack, via midfielder Arturo Rodriguez playing a long ball over Spokane’s defensive line to be tucked away by winger Tyler Wolff.

It took Wolff — a former MLS goalscorer for Atlanta United and new signing for Sacramento — just five minutes into his debut to net a first goal for his new club.

Sacramento was forced into an early substitution due to injury, bringing on Mayele Malango for Dominik Wanner in the 39th minute and the forward instantly brought an attacking threat for the hosts.

Malango broke through in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time off another long ball counterattack this time set up by forward Forster Ajago, as the substitute doubled Sacramento’s lead just before the break.

Another cross from Mensah in the 39th minute set up what may have been Spokane’s best chance to score in the first half. The left back found the feet of Spokane forward Shavon John-Brown with a looped cross into Sacramento’s box, but the Grenadian attacker just couldn’t poke the ball around the goalkeeper, firing instead into Vitiello’s chest.

The back-and-forth play continued into the second half, but Malango extended the hosts’ advantage to 3-0 with his second goal of the night in the 56th minute off a second assist of the game for Arturo Rodriguez.

Veidman substituted off defender Lucky Opara for forward Anuar Pelaez in the 62nd minute in an offensive-minded change for the club, aiming to close the gap in the last third of the game. Pelaez was substituted in alongside midfielders Bryce Meredith and Luis Gil, two players making their returns from periods outside of the team.

“It felt really good to be back out competing with the team,” Meredith said. “It was an unfortunate result, but it gives us a lot to learn from going forward.”

It was Meredith’s first appearance of the season after missing the start of the season with an injury, while club captain Gil featured in his first game since March 27 coming off paternity leave.

Shortly after the subs were made, Spokane defender Cameron Miller went close with a header off an Andre Lewis cross, but the ball carried just wide of the far post.

Spokane had their own debut player come into the game in the 79th minute, with defender Ibrahim Janis Covi replacing Gagi Margvelashvili at center back after joining the club in late March.

But shortly after the change, a strike from defender Michelle Benitez made it 4-0 to Sacramento — a scoreline that would see out the rest of the game.

Velocity FC midfielder Collin Fernandez was a bright spot for Spokane against Sacramento, completing all but one of his 32 passes in his first start since the season opener against Union Omaha on March 15.

“Unfortunately, we fell short of our goal, but nonetheless, we continued to battle for 90 minutes and played decent football,” Fernandez said. “We just need to be better in moments throughout the game.”

But across both halves, the score didn’t reflect how dangerous Spokane was, despite playing away from home against a team with cup pedigree from the top tier of USL. Velocity FC mustered 12 shots with four of them on target, forcing some impressive stops from Vitiello and the Sacramento defense. 

“You could see tonight glimpses of who we can be, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Veidman said. “We’ve got to keep things in perspective that we’ve had just eight days of proper training with our full roster.”

Following Velocity FC’s loss to Sacramento, the team will travel to Texas to take on USL League One newcomers Corpus Christi FC on May 2 at Corpus Christi Sports Complex. It will be Spokane’s first league match since their 3-1 win over Richmond Kickers on April 11. The game versus Corpus Christi FC is set to kickoff at 5:30 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets to Velocity FC’s next home match on May 10 against FC Naples, visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.

Spokane, WA — Spokane Velocity FC downed Richmond Kickers 3-1 on Saturday, scoring three goals for its third straight home match and winning its second straight League One match. 

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman spoke on the importance of his team’s winning streak early in the season. 

“It’s huge after the challenging period we’ve had with the travel and a couple of challenging results on the road, so super happy for the guys,” said Veidman. “They’ve worked incredibly hard these past couple of weeks, and to be at home and have a six-point week is huge.”

Spokane blitzed Richmond early, with forward Medgy Alexandre knocking in a one-legged goal in the seventh minute to give Velocity FC a 1-0 lead. Defender Lucky Opara set up the score with a perfect pass across the penalty area to Alexandre, who scored his first goal of the season.

Alexandre, who joined Spokane around the start of the season, spoke on his first goal and the warm welcome he has received since joining the club. 

“I mean, it was an amazing cross and an amazing finish,” said Alexandre. “I’m really grateful for the support of my coaching staff, the team, and the fans. From my first day, I was welcomed here. So it helps to be able to perform and just give everything for the team and the fans.”

Opara reflected on his cross that set up Medgy for his first half score. 

“I was happy to cross that to Medgy and have him get to the end of it, that was huge,” said Opara.

Velocity FC stayed hot, with midfielder Jack Denton scoring a point-blank goal inside the box to raise his side’s lead to 2-0. An initial shot towards goal by Alexandre was deflected by Richmond goalkeeper Yann Fillion, with the deflection bouncing right to Denton who scored his first goal of the campaign. 

The Kickers’ first shot attempt came in the 27th minute when forward Darwin Espinal intercepted a pass and whipped a shot outside the box which Spokane goalkeeper Carlos Merancio saved easily. 

Richmond got on the board off a goal in the penalty area by forward Tarik Pannholzer, who was found open by Espinal inside the box to pull the Kickers to 2-1. The goal was Pannholzer’s first of the season and Richmond’s second as a team in 2026. 

Spokane kept its momentum going to start the second half, with Shavon John-Brown getting open in transition and beating Fillion on a 1v1 at the top of the box to bring Velocity FC’s lead to 3-1. John-Brown’s goal was his second of the season, which leads all Spokane players. 

Forward Andre Lewis nearly gave Velocity FC its fourth goal of the match, finding himself open inside the penalty area but sending a shot attempt wide over the goalpost. Spokane ended the match with a 57% possession lead over Richmond. 

Coach Veidman spoke on his team’s offensive success at home to start the season, with Velocity FC having scored three goals in its last three matches at ONE Spokane Stadium. 

“It’s kind of ironic because we’ve not really trained a lot as a team with the players we’ve got right now. We’ve had one team training session that was tactical based in 2+ weeks,” said Veidman. “So it’s really just on the guys showing up when they need to in the right spaces and executing when they get there, so it’s full credit to them.”

Spokane is now tied in points with top-of-the-table FC Naples at 13 and is second in League One standings with a 4-1-1 record. 

Following Velocity FC’s win over Richmond, the team will travel to California to take on USL Championship club Sacramento Republic FC in a Prinx Tires USL Cup match on April 25 at Heart Health Park. The match is set to kickoff at 7:00 PM PT and can be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets to Velocity FC’s next home match on May 10 against FC Naples, visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.

Spokane, WA — Spokane Velocity FC rode two second-half goals to a 3-1 win over AV Alta FC in its first match at home since March 21. 

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman spoke on what went well for Spokane against AV. 

“I think we had more energy than they did. We have the ability to rotate with quality depth,” said Veidman. “Credit to my team and my boys, they had to step up and get the job done, and they did.”

AV Alta FC struck early, with midfielder Oswaldo Lay connecting on a goal inside the box to give his side a 1-0 lead. Lay was set up nicely off of a crosser outside the penalty area, getting behind Spokane’s backline and scoring his first goal of the season. 

Velocity FC came knocking moments later, with midfielder Andrew Booth taking an initial shot outside the box that deflected right to midfielder Rocky Wells, who rebounded it and attempted a shot inside the box that was saved by AV goalkeeper Denzil Smith. 

Wells, who made his first League One start of his career on Tuesday, reflected on the match. 

“It was fun being out there and being at home. The most important thing was getting that win, and we did, which was amazing,” said Wells. 

Opportunity found Spokane again in the 44th minute when forward Shavon John-Brown led a fastbreak opportunity towards goal, crossing it to midfielder Nil Vinyals, who had a point blank shot deflected by AV’s backline. 

Velocity FC finally found the net in the 45th minute when Booth whacked in a goal inside the box off a corner kick to equalize the match at 1-1 before halftime. Vinyals sent in the set piece, with defender Gagi Margvelashvili making header contact before Booth rebounded the miss and put it in to score his first goal in League One play. 

Spokane found its first lead in the 56th minute, with John-Brown firing a goal inside the box off a perfect pass in transition from midfielder Jack Denton to give Velocity FC a 2-1 lead. The goal was Shavon’s first of the season. 

Denton reflected on the match and how Spokane dug in despite going down one goal early against AV.

“I thought it was a really good sign that we were able to concede a goal and not let it affect us. We just stuck to the principles, got on the ball a little bit, and built confidence,” said Denton. 

Velocity FC was aggressive searching for its third goal, just missing the mark on multiple occasions. Vinyals lost his footing on a shot in the penalty area in the 70th minute, with forward Neco Brett airmailing a shot just outside the box in the 85th minute. 

Vinyals redeemed himself in the 90th minute, scoring a goal of his own in transition to give Spokane a commanding 3-1 lead to end the match. Velocity FC has now scored three goals in its last League One wins, with the last coming against New York Cosmos on March 21st. 

Coach Veidman, whose team is now tied for first in the USL League One standings with 10 points along with FC Naples and One Knoxville SC, gave his final thoughts on Tuesday’s match. 

“They continue to pressure at the right moments. On the ball, they have to show a bit more character and clean things up in that final third,” said Veidman. 

Following Velocity FC’s home dub, the team will play host to Richmond Kickers on Saturday, April 11 at ONE Spokane Stadium. The match is set to kickoff at 6:00 PM PT and tickets to this match can be purchased at Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.

Boise, ID — Spokane Velocity FC played its new regional rival AC Boise to a 1-1 draw on the road, earning one point and rising to fourth in USL League One standings. 

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman spoke on the grit his team showed against Boise, who hosted its first ever home match to a crowd of just over 6,000.

“I’m really proud of the players. They’ve had an incredibly tough week of brutal travel, and to come to Boise and get a point on the road in front of a packed house is an important point,” said Veidman. 

Spokane weathered the storm against an aggressive Boise side that attempted seven shots in the first half, getting two on target. Velocity FC goalkeeper Carlos Merancio corralled both attempts on target, including a header inside the box by Boise midfielder Nick Moon in the 11th minute. 

Merancio reflected on the match and what’s next for Velocity FC.

“Boise is a really good team, and considering our travel and the amount of games that we’ve had lately, the team was very solid defensively,” said Merancio. “Now, our focus is on recovering and preparing for AV Alta at home.”

Velocity FC midfielder Joe Gallardo silenced the sold out crowd in the 21st minute, intercepting a pass from goalkeeper Joseph Andema in the penalty area and sneaking a goal in to give Spokane a 1-0 lead. The goal was Gallardo’s first in League One play this season. 

Boise had chances at an equalizer before half but could not convert. One of its best opportunities came in the 34th minute when midfielder Denys Kostyshyn got a point blank header attempt that he sent high over the net to keep the score at 1-0. 

AC Boise had an ideal start to the second half, earning a penalty kick in the 51st minute off a run into the box by midfielder Tumi Moshobane that drew contact. Merancio deflected the initial PK by Luan Brito before Moon rebounded it into the net to level the match at 1-1. 

The home side nearly scored a go-ahead goal minutes later, with midfielder Blake Bodily firing a one-legged shot inside the box that barely bounced off the right post and out of play. 

Spokane forward Medgy Alexandre shared his thoughts on Saturday’s match. 

“Boise played well today. Our team showed resilience and combativeness to go get an important result away,” said Alexandre. “The focus is now on recovering and getting ready to perform our best against AV at home.”

Clean shots were hard to come by following Bodily’s near score, with neither side finding a go-ahead goal before time expired. Boise ended the match with 14 shots to Spokane’s nine, with Merancio collecting five saves to increase his season total to 11.

Veidman spoke on the possession disparity and what positives could be taken from Saturday’s match. 

“We’ve had one training day to work on us as a team in the last two weeks, so it’s no surprise to me that our possession and performances are not where we want it to be, but we will get there,” said Veidman. “However, you see a team grinding out a result like tonight and a lot of hard work went into that, so I’m happy we could give our traveling support and fans at home something to be proud of.”

Following Velocity FC’s draw, the team will cross the border back to Spokane for a regular season match against AV Alta FC on April 7 at ONE Spokane Stadium. The match is set to kickoff at 6:00 PM PT and tickets to this match can be purchased at Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.

Colorado Springs, CO — Spokane Velocity FC lost to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in penalties 4-2 in a U.S. Open Cup second round match on Wednesday. The team rallied from an 0-1 deficit in the 87th minute to force extra time and penalties. 

Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman reflected on the match and the fight his players showed against USL Championship side Colorado. 

“Always a tough way to lose a game, but the biggest thing we need to take away from this is that it was important we responded in a positive way from the last game,” said Veidman. “Our mentality certainly shone tonight, so I’m proud of the players.”

Spokane handled consistent pressure from Colorado, with Switchbacks FC holding possession for just over 67% of the first half. The home side got its first shot on goal in the 25th minute when midfielder Frank Daroma made a run inside the box, firing a shot towards the net that goalkeeper Sean Lewis blocked out. 

Moments later, Switchbacks FC midfielder Adrien Perez had a set piece just outside the box in the 38th minute, launching a shot that just missed the top left corner of the net. Minutes later, Spokane defender Lucky Opara gave his side its best offensive opportunity of the half, getting two crossers off near the box in the 41st minute that Colorado deflected out. 

Switchbacks FC cashed in a goal in the 45th minute, with defender Talen Maples threading a shot inside the box through multiple players and into the net to give Colorado a 1-0 lead at halftime. 

Spokane had its first shot in the 60th minute when midfielder Nil Vinyals found an opening to attack in Colorado’s box, firing a shot that was deflected by goalkeeper Christian Herrera. 

“Good response from the team. It’s disappointing not to advance, particularly in a game where we put in a lot of effort out of possession,” Vinyals said after the match. 

Colorado had its chances at a commanding second goal but was unable to convert, with Lewis making several saves, including a diving deflection off a shot by defender Patrick Burner in the 78th minute to keep the match at 1-0. 

Lewis reflected on the team’s defense and level of belief in each other while being down one goal. 

“The most important thing for me was the mentality of the group. We had to defend for long spells tonight, and when that happens it’s important that everyone is working for each other,” said Lewis. “Even after going a goal down, nobody panicked, and it felt like there was a collective belief we would get an equalizer.”

Velocity FC’s late match magic from last season came alive in the 87th minute when Joe Gallardo sent a set piece into the box that found freshly signed midfielder Andrew Booth, who headed in the equalizer to force extra time. 

Booth, who just joined the team on a 25-day contract this week, spoke on how important set pieces are. 

“Set pieces are a really important part of the game. I think about ⅓ of goals come from set pieces, so they really make a difference,” said Booth. “Today, we were under a lot of pressure and didn’t have a lot of set piece opportunities, but the service was really good when we had them and we were able to score off one.”

Extra time played similarly to the rest of the match, with Colorado controlling possession and getting nine shots off in the extra 30 minutes. Spokane, led by Lewis’s goalkeeping, was able to keep Switchbacks FC out of the net to force a penalty shootout. 

Colorado was sharp in penalties, knocking in three of its four PKs to advance them to the Open Cup’s round of 32. Midfielder Andre Lewis and forward Marky Hernández scored Spokane’s two PKs. 

Coach Veidman is excited to continue building chemistry with his team, who are still learning how to play together with the multiple new signings that have joined the roster in the past few weeks. 

“It’s always good to test yourself against teams from higher levels, but we’ve had little to no training as a team,” said Veidman. “It’s difficult to gauge where we are at, but we saw a lot of positives tonight.”

Next up, Velocity FC will travel to Idaho for a USL Cup match against expansion side AC Boise on Saturday, April 4. The match is set to kickoff at 6:00 PM PT and can be watched live on ESPN+. For tickets to Velocity FC’s next home match on April 7 against AV Alta FC, visit Velocity FC Tickets – USL Spokane.