Spokane Opens Two-Match Road Trip against South Georgia

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Spokane Velocity FC

Spokane Opens Two-Match Road Trip against South Georgia

August 2, 2024 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release


Spokane Velocity FC has faced nearly every team in USL League One during its inaugural season and will check off the second-to-last opponent in Saturday's match against South Georgia Tormenta FC.

Seventh-place Tormenta (4-7-3) will host ninth-place Velocity (4-4-2) at 4:30 p.m. PST.

Both clubs are looking to bounce back from losses last week, with South Georgia falling 3-2 to Central Valley Fuego FC, and Velocity dropping a match against the Charlotte Independence, 4-2.

"The big thing for us right now is just really taking this one on the chin," said Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman after last Saturday's match. "You learn from it, we get better and then we go on this away trip, knowing that we're going to a tough place against a tough team who's doing well right now."

Velocity has hovered around the middle of the table this season, despite leading the league with 415.1 accurate passes per match, 10.0 interceptions per match and 12.4 successful tackles per match.

Some of Spokane's newest additions have made a big impact, most notably forward Masango Akale. The 22-year-old has contributed two goals and two assists in just four league matches.

In Velocity's match against the Independence, Akale delivered a short cross that led to a goal from striker Josh Dolling in the 31st minute. Akale later scored himself in the 60th minute on a shot from outside the 18-yard box.

"We knew he was a great player when he came in," said Dolling of Akale. "And it's just easy for us to link up together because he's a dynamic winger who likes to run at players, beat them, and I'm gonna wait for him to do that because I trust he's able to do that."

Akale and the rest of Spokane's front line will look to keep pace with Tormenta's attacking unit, which is tied for first in USL League One with 31 big chances created. The club is also second in the league with 300 touches in the opposing team's 18-yard box.

South Georgia is led in scoring by 27-year-old forward Sebastián Vivas, who is third in the league with seven goals this season. Vivas was recently named to the league's Team of the Week for week 15 after scoring in the 44th minute against Fuego last Saturday.

Striker Pedro Fonseca also represented Tormenta on the weekly list for putting his team on the board in the sixth minute of the same match. Fonseca has four goals this season.

Velocity's stop in South Georgia Saturday marks the beginning of a two-match road trip, which concludes on Wednesday, Aug. 7 against sixth-place Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. Both matches are part of league play, providing Spokane with a chance to get back into the eight-team playoff picture.

Veidman and his club will return home for a rare Tuesday night match on Aug. 13 against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in the Jägermeister Cup. The club will celebrate Hometown Heroes with a police helicopter flyover and a police vehicle for fans to explore.

USL Spokane has launched two professional soccer teams and will also field one pre-professional team in Spokane. Spokane Zephyr FC, a women's professional team, plays in the USL Super League that is sanctioned as Division One by the U.S. Soccer Federation, starting in August 2024. The men's team, Spokane Velocity FC, plays as a Division III team in USL League One. A pre-professional women's team made up of elite college players will play in the USL W League in 2025.

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