By Henry Krueger, Gonzaga University ’25
As the regular season continues and the USL League One playoff race intensifies, Spokane Velocity FC finds itself in a pivotal position with seven matches remaining.
Fresh off consecutive victories, Velocity (7-4-4) now turns its attention to Saturday’s match against South Georgia Tormenta FC (4-7-5) at ONE Spokane Stadium.
The outcome of this contest will have serious implications for the league table, where Velocity currently sits in sixth place and Tormenta is in eighth. The playoffs, which begin on Nov. 2, feature eight of the league’s 12 clubs, with the top four hosting a first-round matchup.
“The P-word is not allowed around me,” said Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman, referring to the playoffs. “We take it game by game. We don’t want to focus too far ahead.”
Velocity recently improved its position in the standings after defeating Union Omaha 2-1 on Sept. 4 and Central Valley Fuego FC 3-2 on Sept. 7. Both league matches were played at home, with Saturday’s contest marking the finale of a three-game homestand.
Unlike his coach, Velocity midfielder Andre Lewis didn’t shy away from discussing the club’s recent surge and increasing playoff chances.
“When you win, you just want to keep winning,” Lewis said after the Central Valley match, where he scored a one-touch goal and assisted on Azriel Gonzalez’s goal. “We need to get a home playoff game, and that’s what we’re aiming for. Whatever comes our way here in Spokane, we have to handle business, and we only hope to win.”
Tormenta has been struggling of late, failing to secure a win in over two months — their last victory was on July 13. Recent results include a 1-1 tie against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC and a 1-0 loss to One Knoxville SC, ending their Jägermeister Cup group play.
Despite these struggles, Tormenta has still managed to perform well in key areas, ranking third in the league for big chances created (37) and clearances per match (19.9).
Spokane, on the other hand, has dominated in several statistical categories, leading the league in accurate passes per match (403.9), touches in the opposition box (383), interceptions per match (9.7) and successful tackles per match (12.1).
In addition, Spokane showed out in last week’s USL League One Honors with Luis Gil recognized as Player of the Week and Coach Veidman as Coach of the Week, joined by Marcelo Lage, Andre Lewis, Camron Miller, and Derek Waldeck on the Team of the Week.
Aside from the match itself, ONE Spokane Stadium will be celebrating “Honor Educators Night” on Saturday with a special Back to School buy-one-get-one free ticket special.After their matchup against Tormenta, Velocity will hit the road for the next three contests, starting with Forward Madison FC on Saturday, Sept. 21. Spokane will then face Union Omaha on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and Central Valley Fuego FC on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
