By: Cameron McCann Gonzaga ‘25
Spokane Velocity FC shot up to No. 6 in the USL League One standings after a 2-1 victory against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Saturday.
Before the match began, Velocity (4-3-2) was positioned just outside the playoff picture in ninth place, but the victory propelled the club back into contention. Chattanooga (3-5-1) remains in 10th place, ahead of only Lexington SC and Central Valley Fuego FC.
Captain Luis Gil and recent signee Masango Akale spearheaded Velocity’s attack, notching a goal each with Gil assisting on Akale’s goal as well. The duo were not alone on the pitch however, as numerous other Velocity players made an impact on the outcome of the match, including goalkeeper Brooks Thompson, who made his second USL League One start.
“Sometimes a change in goalkeeper at a different place at the back, it just livens things up a little bit,” said head coach Leigh Veidman on inserting Thompson into the starting 11.
The first half of the contest between the two clubs saw a flurry of attacks, but Spokane watched their team put up the match’s initial score. Masango Akale found himself in the perfect spot to receive an arcing cross from Luis Gil right in front of the left post, and was able to just barely squeeze the ball past the line of the goal before Chattanooga goalkeeper TJ Bush knocked the ball away in the 18th minute of play. After a brief moment of deliberation, the official awarded Akale his first goal in a Velocity uniform, making Gil tied for second in USL League One with three assists on the season.
“I saw Luis out wide and I know he has the quality to find me wherever I am on the field, I saw some space near the back post and I was there,” said Akale. “I didn’t get the best connection with the ball, but it slipped in, so it’s just a great feeling to help the team.”
Another close chance came shortly after in the 22nd minute, as Akale set up Gil thanks to some beautiful counterplay, but Josh Dolling found himself in the path between Gil and the back of the net, and the ball bounced off him and out of bounds.
Later in the 32nd minute, Chattanooga evened up the score, as Stefan Lukic boomed a soaring kick over the back line of Velocity defenders to a streaking Mayele Malango, who put the ball just past the outstretched leg of Brooks Thompson. This play put Lukic atop the USL League One assists leaderboard, and moved Mayele Malango into a tie for third in the league leaderboard with five goals.
Soon after in the 38th minute, Velocity’s captain received a similar booming kick behind the line of the Red Wolves defense from Ahmed Longmire, and hit a first-touch shot to the top left of the goal, propelling the ball into the back of the net in breathtaking fashion to put Velocity back on top, igniting the crowd.
Both teams came out swinging in the second half exchanging shots early on, including a Camron Miller header from close range that couldn’t sneak its way past the defense of Chattanooga.
As the second half wore on, Velocity’s offense slowed, and the offensive balance of the match changed from its frenetically-paced first 45 minutes.
“It was essentially a game of chess,” Veidman said about the defensive adjustments made by the Red Wolves in the second half. “They started to cause us more problems and forced us back a little bit deeper, which caused us to adjust, it was a little bit of back and forth.”
Thompson recorded two huge saves in his second USL League One start for Velocity FC, with a massive save coming in the fourth minute of added time in the second half, batting a far-right shot away from what looked like a match-tying shot. Thompson quickly pounced on the ball and was able to keep possession.
“[I] just react, trust my position, I trusted it, didn’t guess and go early.” said Thompson on the final save. “[I] just got to be quick on the rebound too with people coming in.”
Velocity has roughly a two-week break in between matches before traveling to Fresno, California, for a USL Jägermeister Cup match against Central Valley Fuego FC on July 19.
Veidman and his club return home on July 27 to face the Charlotte Independence in USL League One action. The match will also celebrate Christmas in July Night at ONE Spokane Stadium.
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