Velocity

By Cameron McCann, Gonzaga ‘25

Spokane Velocity FC (6-4-4) continued their hot run in regular season play with a 2-1 victory over Union Omaha (8-3-4) who sits second on the table. Velocity has only lost one of its past seven regular season matches.

The match was tightly contested throughout, but second-half goals from Luis Gil and Camron Miller gave Union Omaha their second road loss in 2024, both of which came at the hands of Velocity.

CBS’s national broadcast of the match provided a big stage for USL League One, and offered Velocity its first national pedestal, with fans repping Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) rally towels for the match’s “Blue-Out” theme. 

“We’re aware of the occasion, but it’s business as usual for us,” said head coach Leigh Veidman. “We prepared after a long trip; there was probably one more day off than I would have liked to prepare for this game, but the guys came in fresh mentally, physically, and I think you saw their energy defensively tonight.”

Veidman’s squad came out on the front foot, registering the match’s first shot on goal within the first minute, coming from Josh Dolling. Soon after, a good counterattack came from Masango Akale. 

Despite the aggressive start, Union Omaha started to assert themselves defensively as the match progressed. Their uncharacteristic high pressure and ability to read and jump into the passing lanes put Velocity on the back foot for most of the first half. 

“We scouted [Omaha], they have a specific way of playing, and they actually changed how they play to play against us, so we had to adapt within the game,” Veidman said.

The closest chance in the first 45 for either team was inches away from falling behind the goal line off Union Omaha forward Pedro Dollabella’s header. His shot bounced off the crossbar and nearly fell in the net before keeper Brooks Thompson was able to fend off the scoring opportunity. 

The half ended with Velocity’s only shot being their first-minute Dolling strike, while Union Omaha registered eight shots, and missed two big chances. 

Once the second half got underway, Velocity’s offensive prowess that had been suppressed suddenly opened up. 

In the 47th minute, Luis Gil read a poor backpass from Omaha centerback Blake Malone to get an uncontested run at the keeper. Gil dribbled around the final defensive member of his former team to place the ball into the back of the net and register the match’s first score. 

“I was kind of waiting for the right moment,” Gil said. “I saw the build-up for it, I [had] a little bit of a distance from that last defender but I was committed to it.”

Gil has scored in all three matches against his former club this season, and was given “Goat of the Match” honors after the contest’s conclusion. 

After the score, Velocity became more defensive oriented in their tactical approach, and were able to ward off any attacking momentum from Union Omaha due to great defensive play from Thompson and their five-man backline. 

Luis Gil found himself on the attack once again in the 73rd minute, getting a great first touch on a ball that flew down the far right side of the pitch. As his momentum picked up, he strode past Omaha defender Luca Mastrantonio, but was fouled, resulting in Mastrantonio receiving a yellow card and a free kick in great position. 

As Derek Waldeck lobbed the kick into the penalty box, Camron Miller was able to locate the placement of the cross, and headed the ball directly past Omaha keeper Rashid Nuhu. This marks Miller’s second goal in as many contests, and Waldeck’s third assist to a member of the backline off a set piece in their last four matches. 

“As a centerback, you’ve got to try and be different if you want to keep excelling in this sport,” Miller said. “I feel like if I can bring goals to a team, I think that’s pretty important.”

After the crowd erupted and play started up again, Omaha was able to gather themselves in added time and put together a set piece goal. The corner kick came off the foot of Ryen Jiba, whose cross located Pedro Dollabella to give the match its final goal in the final minute of added time. 

The win gives three points to Velocity, who are tied with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC for sixth on the table with 22 points, six points away from falling outside of the playoff picture and three points away from Forward Madison FC, who sit at third. 

Velocity remain with a match in hand over most of the USL League One teams, which puts them in great position for their Saturday slugfest against bottom-ranked Central Valley Fuego FC on Sept. 7th. Velocity will celebrate Hispanic and Latinx/a/o Heritage Night as well as host the Les Schwab-90+ Soccer Gear Donation Drive. Bring your new or used gear and receive a buy-one-get-one free coupon for a future Velocity match. 

Secure your tickets for the next Velocity FC match!

By Cam McCann Gonzaga University ‘25

After the conclusion of USL League One’s Jägermeister Cup group stage, Spokane Velocity FC’s inaugural season comes down to nine more regular season matches. Two of these crucial late-season matches come at home in the first week of September, with the first against Union Omaha Wednesday, Sept. 4, 6 p.m. at ONE Spokane Stadium.

It’s Back to School Night, and fans are called to wear blue for a “Blue-Out” in the stadium as Velocity will sport the new Impact Blue kit. The match will also be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network – one of only two USL League One matches broadcast nationally by CBS this season.

This will be the third time that Velocity faces off against Omaha after splitting their first two matches, which both were Jägermeister Cup contests. The first meeting at ONE Spokane Stadium gave the Owls the only stain on their otherwise perfect away record of 6-1-0, as Velocity’s Javier Martin Gil scored the winning goal in added time. 

The clubs’ second meeting followed an entirely different tune than the first, as the score would go from a 1-1 tie to three unanswered Union Omaha scores, marking the first loss in the Cup for Velocity.

With different rules in play than with Cup play, there will likely be a different dynamic displayed than the two prior Cup matches.

Velocity’s focus on the regular season has helped elevate its position in the postseason picture, while Union Omaha sits near the top of the table, with just the Charlotte Independence holding more points to their name. 

Union Omaha’s strongest offensive weapon, Pedro Dolabella, is tied for fourth in goals scored during regular season play. Velocity has been able to keep Dolabella to just one goal during live play, but the Brazilian also nailed a penalty kick in their first meeting. 

Dolabella has provided more than just scores however, racking up three assists as well, tying him at seventh in League One. Fellow Owl Joe Gallardo has totaled four assists, tying him with Velocity’s Luis Gil, a former Owl, for third. 

Gil’s ability to run the midfield and control the pace of Velocity has brought more than assists and goals as of late. The Velocity offense as a whole has been productive in recent weeks, putting up three goals on South Georgia Tormenta FC, scoring the game’s lone goal against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC and scoring on One Knoxville SC, a club that has allowed just 11 scores in their 14 regular season matches. 

Spokane’s best trait as of late is in their ability to get diverse looks from different athletes, with an array of scoring coming from players at all three levels of the pitch. The most recent example of the club’s plethora of scoring options has come off free kicks. Derek Waldeck has set up two different backline defenders for scores in each of their past two contests. 

With their offense clicking and the defense playing their part, Velocity’s playoff momentum is real. The squad has lost just once in its past six regular season matches, which came at the hands of the top-ranked Independence. This has allowed them to climb into the playoff picture, leapfrogging both the Red Wolves and Tormenta meanwhile steadily creeping up on Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. 

After their Wednesday clash against the Owls, Velocity returns to ONE Spokane Stadium three days later on Saturday, Sept. 7 to face Central Valley Fuego. It’s Hispanic and Latinx/a/o Heritage Night as well as the Les Schwab/90+ Soccer Gear Drive. Please bring new and used gear and you’ll receive a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for future Velocity tickets in gratitude. 

This week’s two matches provide a perfect opportunity for Velocity to rack up more points and further entrench themselves in the playoff picture. 

Spokane Velocity FC capped off their first year in the inaugural Jägermeister Cup with a loss to the Richmond Kickers in riveting 3-2 fashion. 

The match witnessed Richmond jump out of the gate with a goal in the sixth minute, and adding another later in the first half to put Velocity in a multi-goal deficit. Velocity would climb back to equalize before a heartbreaking last-second goal gave Richmond its second win in Jägermeister Cup group play. 

Velocity FC’s lineup offered Collin Fernandez’s first look with the captain armband, and his play in the midfield was crucial for Velocity’s pace, as they began to control the tempo as the game wore on. 

The first half’s initial score came off a corner kick after a Carlos Merancio save. João Gomiero arced the ball into the domain of Chandler O’Dwyer, who sent the ball on a line for the goal, and even though Merancio got a hand on it, the score was inevitable. 

As the first half continued, Velocity struggled to break through the four-man backline of the Kickers, registering their first shot in the 28th minute. The attempt came from Azriel Gonzalez, who launched a shot on target from the left side of the box. 

Chandler O’Dwyer found himself scoring off another corner kick in the 34th minute. This time the score came through a sea of players after the kick went long, causing fellow Kicker Ryan Sierakowski to send a backpass header to the middle of the box, where O’Dwyer scored Richmond’s ninth goal of the cup. 

The second half began with a first-minute score from Gonzalez, who sent the ball to Masango Akale on the right side of the pitch before streaking down the Kickers’ defensive third of the field. Akale placed the ball perfectly in front of Gonzalez, who dove  headfirst to score his team’s first goal of the match and his first in Jägermeister play. 

“Once I played ‘Sango,’ I saw the space and knew exactly where I wanted it,” Gonzalez said. “Sango played me a great ball and made it easy for me to put it away and get us back in the game.”

This score – along with head coach Leigh Veidman’s change in his squad’s second half tactical approach – allowed Velocity to apply defensive pressure higher up in the field and keep the ball out of their defensive third. This forced the Kickers out of the sets they worked through in the first half, and their offensive pace slowed to a crawl, failing to register a shot until the 72nd minute of the match. 

In between that time, the equalizer was set up by a Derek Waldeck free kick, finding the head of Camron Miller, who put back his first goal of the season. 

“Derek, Luis [Gil] and other servers of the ball always put great balls in the box and it’s our job as the big guys to get on the end of it,” Miller said. 

This score marked Waldeck’s second game in a row with an assist off a free kick to a member of the backline, with last match’s score coming off the head of Ahmed Longmire. 

After Velocity’s two second half unanswered goals without a Richmond shot registered, the Kickers finally answered with a score. In the 88th minute, Landon Johnson sent a ball from the right side of the field, just outside of the Velocity penalty box, meeting the foot of Justin Sukow. Sukow placed a shot right between the legs of a Velocity defender and outside the outstretched arm of Merancio to put the match back in favor of the home team. 

After multiple shots on goal in added time were deflected by Kickers’ keeper James Sneddon, the match’s final whistle sounded, ending Spokane Velocity FC’s first season of play in USL League One’s Jägermeister Cup. 

“Every match is a lesson and opportunity to grow,” Veidman said of the result. “We use this as fuel to improve.” 

Even though Velocity’s time playing in the Jägermeister is finished for the year, they remain in League One’s regular season playoff picture. They’ll look to improve their point total against Union Omaha in ONE Spokane Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. on Back to School Night. Fans are called to wear blue for a “Blue-Out” as the team will sport the new Impact Blue kit, and the game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. 

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By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

Spokane Velocity FC has spent most of the month on the road, and the club will finish its trip with a match in Richmond, Virginia, against the Richmond Kickers at 4 p.m. PST Thursday. 

The contest will serve as the final match of group play in the USL Jägermeister Cup, where Velocity needs a goal-scoring onslaught to earn the fourth playoff spot in the knockout round. The fourth playoff spot is given to the non-group winner with the highest scoring output, and Spokane is at least seven goals away from qualifying. 

Despite posting a 5-4-4 record in league play, Velocity is 1-4-2 against Jägermeister Cup opponents and is positioned fourth in the West Group. Richmond, which has a 3-9-4 mark in the regular season, has gone 1-3-3 in cup action and sits third in the East Group.   

Spokane is coming off a 1-1 draw on the road against One Knoxville SC Aug. 23 in a league match. Knoxville took a 1-0 lead in the first half before Ahmed Longmire put Velocity on the board with a header off a free kick from Derek Waldeck in the 59th minute. Both teams went scoreless for the final 31  minutes and earned one point on the table. 

“Really proud of the players and staff,” said Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman. “Knoxville is such a difficult team to break down so it was always going to be a tight contest. The guys stuck with it, kept fighting and showed incredible character and togetherness to get a positive result on the road at a very difficult place to play.”

The Kickers fell 3-0 at Union Omaha in a regular-season match last Saturday, which marked Richmond’s largest margin of defeat this season. After scoring in the fourth minute, Omaha tacked on two more from a penalty and free kick to run away with a victory. 

It’s unclear whether Veidman will treat Richmond as a tune-up opponent before the continuation of league play or a must-win matchup, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he gave extended playing time to a few reserves. 

In the club’s last Jägermeister Cup match on Aug. 13 against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, several Spokane players made their first start in a Velocity uniform. Veidman’s team lost 3-1, but winger Azriel Gonzalez was grateful to play all 90 minutes. 

“On a personal note, I’m happy to get my 90 [minutes] for the club,” Gonzalez said after the match. “I dealt with a little injury before, but I’m happy to be back to full health.”

Velocity returns to Spokane on Wednesday, Sept. 4 to face Union Omaha in regular-season action. Aside from celebrating Back to School Night, the match will be a “Blue-Out” at ONE Spokane Stadium sponsored by Idaho Central Credit Union. Fans will receive rally towels and are encouraged to wear the club’s new Impact blue jerseys. 

Veidman’s club has two additional league matches at home in September, with Central Valley Fuego FC (Sept. 7) and South Georgia Tormenta FC (Sept. 14) arriving in town. 

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By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

Spokane Velocity FC goalkeeper Brooks Thompson held up under heavy pressure and Ahmed Longmire scored the second-half equalizer with a header to help the club secure a 1-1 draw against One Knoxville SC Friday night at the University of Tennessee’s Regal Stadium. 

The match came down to final seconds of stoppage time, when Knoxville’s Callum Johnson sent a corner kick to Jordan Skelton, who attempted a close-range header that was caught by Thompson just before the final whistle. 

“Really proud of the players and staff,” said Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman. “Knoxville is such a difficult team to break down so it was always going to be a tight contest. The guys stuck with it, kept fighting and showed incredible character and togetherness to get a positive result on the road at a very difficult place to play.”

Both teams received one point for the draw, but Knoxville moves up to third on the table while Spokane remains in seventh place. 

While it marked the first-ever meeting between the two clubs, there was still some familiarity for Velocity’s Derek Waldeck, who tallied six assists in 31 matches for Knoxville last season. 

“Any time you get to play against a former club, there’s a little bit of added excitement leading into the game, but once the whistle blows the focus is solely on finding a way to get a result,” Waldeck said. “We were resilient tonight after going down a goal and the response in the second half was excellent.”

The first half saw Knoxville as the aggressor, building up repeated attacks that Thompson and Velocity’s back line had to fend off. 

The breakthrough for Knoxville came in the 28th minute when Kempes Tekiela followed up a series of blocked shots by burying a goal from close range to give his club a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from Tekiela’s goal, Thompson was instrumental in limiting Knoxville’s scoring efficiency in the first half. The 22-year-old handled constant attacks from the home club, which created two big chances and had five shots on target through 45 minutes of play. 

“Thought it was a tough first half and we got frustrated, but we hung in there,” Thompson said. 

Spokane had a few close opportunities late in the first half, but neither a long-range shot by Andre Lewis nor a header from Luis Gil found its way past Knoxville goalkeeper Sean Lewis. 

Velocity continued hunting for quality shots early in the second half, but their pace during build-ups was seemingly stifled by Knoxville’s back line who packed the box with defenders in Spokane’s attacking third. 

During one of many long possessions from Velocity, a prime opportunity arose in the 59th minute when Knoxville’s Stávros Zarokóstas fouled Andre Lewis providing a set piece for Spokane from just outside of the box. 

Waldeck lofted the kick over the top of the defense, where a streaking Longmire was able to finish a header from close range to tie the match at 1-1.

“After we earned the free kick, us bigger guys head into the box to hopefully get something on it to create a shot and possibly a goal,” Longmire said. “I had a feeling we would get something because we were beating them to our spots each time … Derek then raised his hand triggering us to go and he put the ball in a lovely spot right over the defender and Marcelo’s head into the path I was running and I had the easy part of just making sure to get a piece of the ball and redirect it towards goal.”

Despite numerous chances, neither club was able to break the tie before the end of the match. Knoxville outshot Spokane 16-13, though both squads had the same number of big chances with two apiece. 

Velocity continues their two-match road trip against the Richmond Kickers on Thursday in the final match of Jägermeister Cup group play. Spokane will need a waterfall of goals to earn the fourth spot in the knockout round after being eliminated from contention to win the West Group. 

Veidman’s club returns to ONE Spokane Stadium for three straight league matches, facing Union Omaha in a nationally televised match (CBS Sports Network) on Sept. 4, Central Valley Fuego FC on Sept. 7, and South Georgia Tormenta FC on Sept. 14. 

The first match of the homestand against Union Omaha on Wednesday, Sept. 4 is a “Blue-Out” at ONE Spokane Stadium sponsored by Idaho Central Credit Union, encouraging fans to wear their new impact blue jerseys and with a rally towel for every fan. 

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By Cam McCann, Gonzaga ‘25

After going 2-1-2 in its past five league matches, Spokane Velocity FC buckles up for a ride at Regal Stadium against One Knoxville SC, a club that has won three of its last four regular season matches, on Friday at 4 p.m.

One Knoxville will be Velocity’s final first-time matchup during its inaugural season in USL League One. Leigh Veidman’s squad has a record of 4-3-3 when playing a USL club for the first time, and has been able to get surprise victories over high-level teams like Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (March 23, 1-0) and Union Omaha (May 11, 3-2). 

The trouble with Knoxville resides in a stingy defense, in big part due to tremendous play from keeper Sean Lewis and a backline that has two members in League One’s top 10 clearances. Lewis is tied for the most clean sheets in the league and Knoxville as a whole has conceded the fewest number of goals in the league. 

While Knoxville’s defense is one of USL League One’s finest, their offense has kept them from emerging as a top level club. Their 16 goals in 13 matches and 12% conversion rate has forced the team to fight through multiple lone-score matches. This recipe for close contests creates an opportunity for Velocity to steal another initial meeting win against a top club. 

While Knoxville is coming off of a 4-1 win against Chattanooga Red Wolves FC, it has failed to score multiple goals in its previous six regular season matches. On the season, One Knoxville has only scored multiple goals in four matches. 

The four-goal win (the only one in Knoxville’s USL League One history) could have been spurred on by their change of head coach. The club recently parted ways with Mark McKeever, who has been with Knoxville since its inception in 2021. The team is now led by interim head coach Ilja Ilić, who played for the team as a forward less than a year ago in his final season as an athlete.  

Spokane Velocity FC will look to continue its newfound offensive surge against its opponent’s tenacious defense. The surge in part has been due to the uptick in play from striker Josh Dolling, who has three goals and two assists in his past five matches. Dolling’s best match of the season came against South Georgia Tormenta FC, where he contributed to two second-half goals to equalize the score and give Velocity a hard-earned road point. 

He hasn’t been the only one stepping up in Velocity’s attack. The quick-footed midseason pickup Masango Akale, the booming outside-the-box scorer Andre Lewis and the savvy veteran captain Luis Gil have all joined Dolling to take on the scoring load. This group’s output has propelled the team in their recent matches, with three of their last four matches resulting in multi-score efforts. 

Even without a match played between them, the clubs have an air of familiarity to them. Velocity defender Derek Waldeck was a key member of Knoxville’s 2023 unit and among the team leaders in minutes played, interceptions, tackles won and duels won. It remains to be seen how his play will fare against his former team coached by a former teammate, but his play this year has brought a plethora of positive results for the Velocity backline. 

Velocity FC continues to be in the mix of teams around the middle of the League One pack, just one point behind Northern Colorado at sixth while just two points ahead of ninth-ranked Chattanooga, sitting one spot outside of the current playoff picture. 

Velocity’s next match will be a Jägermeister Cup match against the Richmond Kickers at City Stadium on Aug. 29. The next Velocity contest at ONE Spokane Stadium will be Sept. 4 vs. Union Omaha for Back-to-School Night. The match will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

Spokane Velocity FC (1-4-2 in Jägermeister Cup play) falters in a 3-1 loss to Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (5-0-2) in the Jägermeister Cup, who have now won four straight in the tournament.

Velocity FC remains a longshot to make the knockout stage, and are eliminated from winning the West Group of the tournament.

“We’re not a finished product by any means, so it was an opportunity for us to continue to grow and develop,” said head coach Leigh Veidman.

The trio of goals scored by Northern Colorado are not new to the club during cup play, as they have averaged as many per match, scoring 21 goals in their seven contests. Their 21 goals are eight more than the club with the second most, Union Omaha. 

This loss comes off the heels of a spectacular week for Velocity, with Andre Lewis winning USL League One Player of the Week along with four teammates on the Team of the Week. The club also earned a draw and a win on the road. 

The first half of the match saw a scoreless effort for both teams. The two clubs combined for three shots on goal, and one close scoring chance for each. 

Velocity’s first-half scoring chance came off a Derek Waldeck cross to Kimarni Smith, whose clean header was sent above the goal. Hailstorm’s first-half chance came from a much tougher look that resulted in Marky Hernandez drilling a shot from outside of the box off of the right post.

“The message at halftime was just being a bit more patient, finding the right times to attack, not just forcing it and turning the ball over, because they’re very good at counter attacks as well,” Veidman said. 

After a slow paced first 45 minutes, the latter half of the match began with a bang, as two scores came within the first five minutes of second-half play. 

In the 46th minute, the Jägermeister Cup’s leading scorer Bruno Rendon sank his seventh goal of the tournament. The score came off of a cross from outside the top left of the box, where Clarke McCain lofted the ball up just high enough for Rendon to elevate above the rest and send the ball past Velocity keeper Carlos Merancio.

Soon after in the 49th minute, Luis Gil took the ball away from a Hailstorm defender off an errant dribble in Northern Colorado’s third of the field. The successful defensive press led Velocity’s captain into a one-on-one with the keeper before he sent the ball to the far right of the net, evening up the score. 

“I was just looking for a response,” Gil said. “I wanted to get [Velocity] on the front foot, and put some pressure on [Hailstorm].”

Gil has been Velocity’s main offensive producer during the tournament, and is tied for third-most goals in the league with four.

The match remained in a stalemate until the 77th minute when Ethan Hoard, the assist leader in the Jägermeister Cup, set up another goal-scoring opportunity. Off a Hoard cross, midfielder Danny Robles set up Noah Powder with a flick-on that resulted in Northern Colorado taking back the lead. 

A penalty kick from Hoard later in the contest gave Hailstorm FC their third and final score of the night. 

Despite coming up short of a win, Veidman used the match as a chance to give playing time to multiple players who hadn’t started a match this season. 

“We had quite a few guys who haven’t gotten many minutes get an opportunity,” Gil said. “But that doesn’t change anything, we still came out with the same mindset.”

Winger Azriel Gonzalez was among several players who received more playing time than usual, with the 23-year-old making his first start of the season and staying on the field for the entire match.

“On a personal note, I’m happy to get my 90 [minutes] for the club,” Gonzalez said. “It’s unfortunate to lose any home match but all eyes are on the league, which we are in great shape in still.”

Velocity will embark on a two-match road trip, starting with a league match against One Knoxville SC on Friday, Aug. 23 and ending with a Jägermeister Cup battle against the Richmond Kickers on Thursday, Aug. 29. 

The club will return to Spokane for three-straight league matches, with matchups against Union Omaha (Sept. 4), Central Valley Fuego FC (Sept. 7) and South Georgia Tormenta FC (Sept. 14). 

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By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

After earning a 2-2 draw and a 1-0 victory during its latest regular season road trip, Spokane Velocity FC returns home for a Jägermeister Cup match against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside ONE Spokane Stadium. 

Head coach Leigh Veidman and his team hold a 1-3-2 record in group play, placing them in fourth in the West Group standings. Meanwhile, the Hailstorm are unbeaten with a 4-0-2 record and are positioned atop the regional table. 

While Velocity are no longer eligible to win the West Group, the club can still qualify for the knockout round via the Wild Card spot. The fourth playoff bid is awarded to the non-group winner with the most goals scored in group play.

Spokane and Northern Colorado have met twice across all competitions this season, with Velocity taking a 1-0 victory on March 23 and the Hailstorm winning 3-1 on June 29. 

Since the commencement of the Jägermeister Cup in late April, Northern Colorado has emerged as one of USL League One’s most prolific scoring clubs. The Hailstorm lead the cup with 3.0 goals, 8.7 shots on target and 6.3 accurate crosses per match, as well as 25 big chances and 168 touches in the opposition’s box. 

Northern Colorado right back Bruno Rendon leads the competition with six goals scored. The 24-year-old’s most recent Jägermeister goal came in the 21st minute of his club’s last match against Velocity. 

Rendon was named to USL League One’s Team of the Week for week 16 after scoring in the 31st minute of Northern Colorado’s 3-1 regular season victory over the Richmond Kickers on Aug. 3. 

While Rendon has often been the finisher of the Hailstorm’s chances, striker Ethan Hoard has also been a valuable contributor in the attacking unit. Hoard has a league-best four assists in cup action, while also producing four goals and creating five big chances.   

On Velocity’s side, the scoring responsibilities have been more spread out during the Jägermeister Cup. The only player for Spokane with multiple goals in group play is midfielder Luis Gil, who has three. 

The 30-year-old captain has arguably been the club’s most consistent offensive weapon, tallying eight goals and four assists across all competitions this season. 

Gil was one of five Velocity players selected to USL League One’s Team of the Week for week 16, joining teammates Andre Lewis, Josh Dolling, Derek Waldeck and Camron Miller.

Although Velocity have an outside shot at securing a wild card spot in the knockout round, Tuesday night’s match also provides a chance for the club to pull off an upset and continue building momentum before resuming regular season action. 

The match will also celebrate Hometown Heroes with a police helicopter flyover and a police vehicle at the stadium for fans to explore.

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By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25

Spokane Velocity FC has once again bolstered its attacking unit with an in-season signing, adding 31-year-old Anuar Peláez before Tuesday’s Jägermeister Cup home match against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC.

The center forward from Colombia most recently played for Club Deportivo Guastatoya in Guatemala. He scored 15 goals in 47 matches for the club. 

Peláez’s last USL appearance came in 2023 for Oakland Roots SC, where he was second on the team with eight goals and 1.3 shots on target per 90 minutes. He scored three times in the club’s final four matches of the season. 

To open his professional career, Peláez competed for Venezuelan side Atlético Guanare in 2017 and Inter de Barinas from 2018-2022. 

Peláez’s signing marks the second in-season addition to Velocity’s scoring attack, which gained 22-year-old left winger Masango Akale in June. Akale has tallied two goals and two assists in six USL League One matches. 

Spokane is positioned in seventh place in the league standings, despite leading all 12 teams with a 54.5% average possession, 424.8 accurate passes per match, 336 touches in the opposition’s box, 9.6 interceptions per match and 11.6 successful tackles per match.

After securing a 2-2 draw and a 1-0 victory in league play during its latest road trip, Velocity returns home for a rare Tuesday night match against Northern Colorado in the Jägermeister Cup. 

Peláez’s first regular-season outing with his new club will come on the road against One Knoxville SC on Aug. 23. 

See Peláez play live at ONE Spokane Stadium! Secure tickets