By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25
With temperatures eclipsing 100 degrees and the USL League One regular season well underway, Spokane Velocity FC head coach Leigh Veidman knew exactly how to keep his players motivated.
Veidman ended his July 11 film session by showing a scuffle that happened in the 85th minute of the club’s 2-1 victory over Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on July 6, resulting in yellow cards issued against players from both sides.
Instead of condemning his team, Veidman used the clip as a way to highlight the unity that has developed during the expansion franchise’s inaugural season.
“I said, ‘That right there is the most important thing I want to show you today,’” Veidman said. “I don’t condone [violence], but when an opposing team crowds around one of our guys, you go in there together and that was important to see our team do that.”
Halfway through the season, it’s clear Veidman’s methods of fostering team cohesion have paid off, Velocity sports a 4-3-2 record and occupies occupying the No. 7 spot in the USL League One standings, putting Velocity in position to make the league’s eight-team playoff. The club tops the league in several statistical categories, including average possession (53.0%), accurate long balls per match (36.0), interceptions per match (10.0) and successful tackles per match (13.2).
“The tradition shows expansion teams struggle in year one, but we are not settling for that stereotype,” Veidman said. “We’re pushing every day to make sure that we go above and beyond and then we’ll get what we deserve at the end of the season.”
Since taking the job in November, Veidman has embraced the challenge of running a first-year club, building a winning culture with completely new players and staff members.
“It’s really difficult bringing a group of players together who have generally never played together or don’t know each other, same with the staff,” Veidman said. “And it’s really hard, like trying to get them to gel and be friends.”
Veidman’s leadership and coaching styles were highly influential in assembling the club’s initial roster, often prioritizing a player’s fit within the system and personal character over raw talent.
One of Velocity’s most-prized offseason signings was team captain Luis Gil, who joined the club with over a decade of professional experience in Europe, Mexico, MLS, USL Championship and USL League One.
Gil, a 30-year-old midfielder, has been instrumental in helping the club navigate the ups and downs of a regular season that doesn’t end until late October.
“He’s been with teams that have gone on long losing streaks and he’s been with teams that have had amazing highs, so Luis has got that feel of the locker room because of his experience,” Veidman said.
The Garden Grove, California, native plays a pivotal role in Veidman’s system, serving as both a goal-scoring threat and primary playmaker. He leads Velocity with three goals, three assists and a 7.48 FotMob rating.
In the win over Chattanooga, Gil assisted on Spokane’s first goal with a well-placed cross in the 18th minute before scoring later in the first half on a first-touch shot to the top left of the goal.
Gil’s scoring production has seen an uptick this season compared to his 2023 campaign with Union Omaha, where he scored two goals on 50 shots in USL League One play. In Spokane, he’s already surpassed his goal count from last season on the same number of shot attempts per 90 minutes (2.04).
“With our attacking midfielders, depending on the system we play, their job is to produce, whether it’s goals or assists,” Veidman said. “We knew Luis had that quality, we knew he could produce and it was about putting him in the right scenarios to produce and so far he’s done that.”
Gil said he enjoys setting up his teammates, and he’s done that effectively this season with a pass accuracy of 79.8% and a long ball mark of 67.9%. He’s also delivered 11 successful crosses.
“I like putting the ball in the box, I like when guys make those runs,” Gil said after the victory over Chattanooga. “And the only way to score is if you put the ball in the box and get guys in there.”
Other notable contributors for Velocity include Derek Waldeck, a 26-year-old defender who is tied with Gil for the team lead with 15 chances created this season. Additionally, Waldeck is fourth on the team with a 7.20 FotMob rating, a credit to his overall efficiency on the pitch.
Waldeck is one of the anchors of Spokane’s back line, which is also bolstered by Ahmed Longmire and Marcelo Lage, both 24-year-old center backs. Lage leads the club with 4.9 clearances per match, while Longmire tops the team with 2.0 interceptions per match and 0.6 blocks per match.
Velocity has dealt with multiple injuries in recent weeks, prompting Veidman and the technical staff to bring in more talent. One of Spokane’s in-season additions was Brooks Thompson, who joined the club on a loan from USL Championship Hartford Athletic.
Thompson held Chattanooga to one goal in his second start for Velocity, registering two saves and eight recoveries. In Spokane’s July 19 USL Jägermeister Cup match against Central Valley Fuego FC, Thompson made seven saves as the club fell 1-0 in group play.
As Thompson gets more acclimated to Veidman’s system, he says the transition has been fairly smooth.
“There’s a lot of the same principles you can apply,” Thompson said of adjusting to his new club. “I’m very loud on the field and that doesn’t change no matter who is out on the field, so I just try to communicate, let everyone in front of me know what’s going on.”
Thompson and fellow goalkeeper Carlos Merancio have worked together to allow an average of just 1.4 goals per match. Merancio has started seven USL League One matches this season, posting two clean sheets.
Velocity’s early-season success has generated attention across the greater Spokane area, with the franchise posting the third-best home attendance in USL League One with an average of 4,068 fans. The club also leads the league in season ticket sales and sponsorship sales.
“To get that many fans in the stadium so quickly is incredible,” Veidman said. “But it’s also about the team putting in the performance on the field, as well as making the game entertaining for our fans and we want to continue to build on this.”
There have been many marquee moments in this first half of the season. First, at the sold-out home opener, more than 5,000 fans packed the seatspacked in and stoodstanding on the concourse of ONE Spokane Stadium to watchwatched their new team defeat Richmond, the nation’s longest-standing pro soccer club.
Next, Velocity won its first U.S. Open Cup match over Ballard FC, hosted Spokane’s first Cup match (again victorious), before bowing out on the road against Las Vegas of the USL Championship League. The loss didn’t come without a fight as midfielder Andre Lewis delivered a stunning goal from distance as stoppage time was about to expire to send the match to extra time.
Finally, Velocity welcomed the U-23 squad of the renowned Chivas de Guadalajara club for Spokane’s first international friendly competition. Velocity emerged victorious in a competitive match in front of a large crowd not phased by a rainy June evening.
“It’s been an incredible start for this team, and we could not be more proud of the impact being made throughout the Spokane area by our front office, coaching staff and players,” said Ryan Harnetiaux, managing partner of Aequus Sports, LLC, which owns USL Spokane. “League One is very competitive, and seeing our expansion team doing so well in its first season is a testament to the coaching staff and players, but also to the amazing fan support we have received in this inaugural season.”
Velocity returns home for a league match against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, July 27 with an opportunity to improve its playoff run positioning, a remarkable possibility for an expansion club. At the match,where the club will be celebrating Christmas in July with a live DJ spinning holiday classics and a festive photo booth for fans.
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.
