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USL1 Spokane Velocity FC

Spokane Ends Regular Season with Chippy 0-0 Outing Against One Knoxville SC

October 27, 2024 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release


Spokane Velocity FC capped off its inaugural regular season with a scoreless draw against One Knoxville SC on Saturday. The club now heads into its first-ever postseason contest, which will come against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Nov. 2.

Velocity had its foot on the gas pedal all game long, holding on to 61% of the possession and taking three times as many shots as Knoxville. The visiting Knoxville has withstood pressure on the defensive end all season long, allowing just 16 goals in 22 regular season affairs.

"We got a lot of chances," said Velocity captain Luis Gil. "We can feel the momentum changing a bit more which is what we wanted, it's a big opportunity to take momentum to the playoffs."

In the 22nd minute of the contest, Velocity came within inches of making the first strike off a free kick from Gil. One of Velocity's top scoring options off of set pieces, Camron Miller, met the ball by the far post and sent it directly toward the goal. The ball sailed just a couple of inches above the crossbar after getting deflected.

The ensuing corner kick for Velocity led to a scuffle between a cornucopia of players on both teams, and Spokane's Marcelo Lage and Knoxville's Jalen Crisler were awarded with yellow cards afterwards.

This was just the beginning of a chippy first half for both teams, and a total of four yellow cards were handed out before 35 minutes had elapsed.

Another close chance in extra time of the first half saw the ball roll just feet from the goal with Knoxville keeper Johan Garibay off his line. Javier Martín Gil managed a touch that moved the ball laterally, but was unable to find a window to get the ball moving forward and in between the posts. The official's whistle for halftime came seconds after the shot.

The script stayed the same in the second half as Velocity continued to pour shots at the goal, but were denied on each attempt. Anuar Peláez was the first in the second half to get his shot snatched just before the goal.

After receiving the ball right on the penalty spot in the box, Peláez sent the ball to the right of the net just before two Knoxville defenders sandwiched the striker. In a diving effort to keep the match scoreless, Garibay made one of his five saves on the night.

Out of the 16 shots that Velocity took, one of their best chances came off a play that didn't result in a shot. The chance was created by Collin Fernandez, who poached the ball from a Knoxville defender. Gil was the first to corral the loose ball, and sent a rolling cross to Josh Dolling, who had great position in the box to get a shot at an open net, but missed the shot.

Fernandez's chance-creation wasn't done there though. Near the conclusion of added time, the midfielder found himself alone just outside the penalty arc when a loose ball fell his way. Despite having just five total shots on the season, Fernandez's look had the stadium inches away from exploding into a frenzy, as the power shot dinged off the crossbar.

The sound of the crossbar collision was the last of the night before the official made the decision to call the match final.

Fans throughout the game remained active and excited, with the 509 Syndicate keeping energy high, which according to Waldeck, has been something that has been consistent in the inaugural campaign.

"The fans have been amazing all year long, continuing to pack ONE Spokane Stadium week in and week out, it's been incredible," Waldeck said. "They've been with us through the highs, they've been with us through the lows and everything in between. We really couldn't ask more from the fans."

Head coach Leigh Veidman remarked on the fan support, reiterating the difference it made for his season.

"From day one, our first day here versus Richmond you saw what we were about. We were winning the match, we were tired, we were exhausted, we had a lot of pressure on us, and the fans pulled us through that game," Veidman said. "[It was] no different tonight. The fans were still there, pushing us forward and egging us on to get a goal."

The scoreless contest didn't change anything for Velocity's playoff seeding thanks to a Richmond Kickers loss earlier in the day, clinching Spokane's spot at No. 7. What did change was much of the playoff picture. Thanks to a one-point draw, Knoxville ended up just a single point ahead of Charlotte Independence, and two points beneath Greenville Triumph.

Velocity's future opponent changed during the day as well after Northern Colorado defeated Forward Madison FC to claim the second seed in the playoffs. Velocity will return to Windsor, Colorado, exactly two weeks after a tightly-contested 1-0 loss to Hailstorm.

"They are incredible on the counter-attack, so shutting that down is a big component," Veidman said regarding Hailstorm. "We just had a great performance against them last week, we had just one goal put against us, which was on us more than it was about them. They're an incredible team."

While Velocity has become the third team to make the League One postseason in their inaugural season, the opportunity to become the first-ever expansion team to win the league title remains possible.

"We've got to be on our top performance, and we can't have anything less," Veidman said.

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