By Cameron McCann Gonzaga University ’25
Roughly a week ago, Union Omaha became the first club in USL League One to clinch a spot in this season’s playoffs, cruising to an 11-4-2 record. Despite this dominance over the field, Spokane Velocity FC (7-5-5) has had the Owls’ number, holding a 2-1 head-to-head advantage across all competitions and also winning the only regular-season clash.
While Omaha is guaranteed their spot in the postseason, Spokane remains in the hunt for one of the remaining bids, tied in sixth place with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC with 26 total points. The gap between Velocity and the team below, the Richmond Kickers, is a healthy seven points, while the two clubs directly above them, One Knoxville SC and Greenville Triumph SC, sit at 28 points.
With five matches left and a tight race for spots 4-7 on the table, Velocity FC still has a chance to host a home playoff match in their inaugural season. However, the road ahead won’t be easy, as they face four teams currently sitting in the top half of the league standings.
Velocity FC’s captain Luis Gil has led the charge over Union Omaha, his former club, scoring in all three meetings. In their most recent clash, Gil’s goal in the 47th minute gave Velocity a 1-0 lead in the match – a lead that held for the rest of the contest. The win marked the second time Omaha had lost on the road all season, both coming in ONE Spokane Stadium.
Velocity will be looking to replace Gil’s strong production against his former club and throughout the season as he is out with an injury for this match. In addition, fellow midfielder Masango Akale will be serving a red card suspension Wednesday.
Velocity’s only loss in the series came on the road in a Jägermeister Cup match, where Gil had the lone team goal in a 4-1 defeat.
Omaha’s Pedro Dolabella has been a difficult force for teams to slow down this season, as he is tied for fourth in League One with eight goals in regular-season play. In his last outing against Velocity, Dolabella scored the team’s lone goal in the final minute of added time, and was held to just that single shot on target.
Holding him and the rest of the Omaha attack is a strong Spokane backline that welcomes defender Ahmed Longmire back from his one-match suspension that resulted from a group scuffle in the South Georgia Tormenta match on Sept. 14. He’ll rejoin a backline that has evolved over the course of the season to contribute scoring in recent weeks, including in their match against Omaha on Sept. 4. Derek Waldeck and Camron Miller connected off a free kick, as Miller sent a header past Owl keeper Rashid Nuhu.
Nuhu has played admirably for Omaha, and has remained as one of League One’s best keepers, holding down the fourth spot in the league for saves and tied for third with five clean sheets.
Velocity’s keeper, Brooks Thompson, is coming off a GOAT of the Match performance, where he made eight saves, some of which seemed miraculous. In his last match against Omaha, Thompson recorded just one save, but the Owls only managed two shots on target. His play could be the deciding factor in whether Velocity takes three, one, or zero points from the upcoming match.
After facing Union Omaha, Velocity will take on Central Valley Fuego FC at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9. at Fresno State’s soccer stadium, with the match available on ESPN+. They’ll then return home to play Greenville Triumph SC at ONE Spokane Stadium at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. The match, which honors Indigenous Peoples’ Night, will be broadcast on SWX and ESPN+.
