New Rivalry: the First Matchup Between Velocity FC and AC Boise Results in a 1-1 Draw
USL1 Spokane Velocity FC

New Rivalry: the First Matchup Between Velocity FC and AC Boise Results in a 1-1 Draw

Published on April 4, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release


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.

Check out the Spokane Velocity FC Statistics

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United Soccer League One Stories from April 4, 2026


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