By Cam McCann, Gonzaga University ‘25
Windsor, Colorado, is an all-too familiar environment for the members of Spokane Velocity FC, who traveled there to play Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC just 14 days before the squads face off in the first round of the USL League One Playoffs this Saturday.
The previous result? A 1-0 victory for Hailstorm FC that came in a slow-paced affair, seeing just three collective shots on target from both sides.
Despite the recent loss, optimism still runs high in the organization.
“We had a great performance against them last week,” said head coach Leigh Veidman after learning Hailstorm would be his postseason opponent. “I think each time we’ve played them, we’ve progressively improved, we’ve learned how to handle them a little better each time.”
Across their four meetings over all formats, Hailstorm has outscored Velocity 7-3, and have been on the winning end thrice. Two of these came in the Jägermeister Cup, which boasted a tweaked ruleset to encourage scoring. The cup was won by Northern Colorado in a dramatic finish, coming down to Hailstorm’s fifth penalty shot in the championship match against Forward Madison FC. Both clubs split their regular season contests, with Velocity winning their first-ever matchup on March 23 in 1-0 fashion thanks to a Luis Gil penalty shot.
All too much has changed since March however, and Velocity has made several changes to their starting 11. Gil, Andre Lewis, Marcelo Lage and Derek Waldeck are the only members from their 1-0 win in March to have started in their most recent competition.
Thanks to this roster turnover, Spokane’s season has been able to course-correct when they find themselves struggling. Veidman has remarked numerous times during the season about the ups and downs of a professional soccer club, but even in troubling times, this course-correcting has been a key reason why Velocity finds itself fighting for a chance to stand atop USL League One.
The other two clubs in League One history to make the playoffs in their inaugural season have found varying levels of success. Union Omaha made it all the way to the championship contest before Greenville Triumph SC was named champions. This came about due to multiple Omaha players testing positive for COVID-19, canceling the finale. The only other expansion team to make the playoffs, Charlotte Independence, came down from the USL Championship League for the 2022 season. The Independence fell in the quarterfinals round after a 12-12-6 season.
The single-elimination format brings an exciting energy to the sport. Whereas the MLS includes a round of a Best-of-3 Series, the win or go home energy League One offers could introduce a level of chaos to each contest. Northern Colorado has had a better season than Velocity, but now all that matters is what goes on in the 90 minutes of play on Saturday.
To make sure Spokane lives to play another day, they’ll look to make some magic happen in the midfield off the foot of Luis Gil, who boasts the second-most assists in League One regular season play, as well as falling in the top 20 in the league in goals.
Another likely candidate to set up a score is the savvy midfielder Waldeck who is second in the league in total crosses, producing multiple scores off set pieces throughout the season. His latest target has been Camron Miller, who comes up from the defensive line to make explosive plays off corners and close-range free kicks.
The passing attack isn’t just from the midfield though, Velocity as a club is tied for first in passing accuracy and are a close second in total passes to Forward Madison FC. The tactics of Veidman have proved fruitful, and though the possession-based build ups don’t always lead to scores, the team’s ability to create meaningful chances is one of the best in the league.
Veidman and striker Anuar Peláez will need to figure out a way to break through the stingy Hailstorm defense, which has allowed 18 goals in 22 matches. The form of Hailstorm’s backline has especially looked dangerous lately, allowing one single goal in the last five contests.
As for Spokane’s defense, their hands will be full trying to halt Ethan Hoard and Bruno Manuel Rendón, who have put back six goals each, and wreaked havoc during the Jägermeister Cup. They have been aided by midfielder Isidro Martinez, who’s 50 chances created are the top in the league.
The Nov. 2 clash will kick off at 6 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.
