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USL1 Spokane Velocity FC

Spokane Visits Richmond in Final Match of Jägermeister Cup Group Play

August 29, 2024 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release


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.

Aequus Sports LLC/USL Spokane has launched two professional soccer teams in Spokane, Wash. 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, with a home opener August 17 at ONE Spokane Stadium. The men's team, Spokane Velocity FC, is a Division III team in USL League One currently competing in their first season.

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