April 26, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release
Spokane Velocity FC’s U.S. Open Cup run may be over, but a new chapter begins in its tournament history with the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup.
After returning from a three-game road trip, Velocity will welcome Central Valley Fuego FC to ONE Spokane Stadium at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 for the opener of the USL Jägermeister Cup’s group stage.
While the results won’t count in the league standings, Velocity is looking to make another tournament run after reaching the third round of its first-ever U.S. Open Cup. The club was eliminated in a 2-1 overtime loss against Las Vegas Lights FC of the USL Championship.
“The Jägermeister Cup brings a tournament format that encourages all-out attack and rewards teams with extra points for doing so,” said head coach Leigh Veidman. “It allows teams to play with a little more risk which in turn brings a lot of excitement for our fans.”
Velocity sits in second place in USL League One action with a 3-2-1 record, including its recent 2-0 victory over the Richmond Kickers last Saturday.
Central Valley, which lost in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, has dropped three matches in a row against USL League One opponents. The club is second-to-last in the league standings with a 1-4 record this season.
With the USL Jägermeister Cup constructed to build regional rivalries, Velocity and Fuego were placed in the West Region, along with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC and Union Omaha. Each club will play twice against the other clubs in the group plus two matches against clubs from another group, based on geographic proximity, to complete the eight-game group slate. Find all of the tournament matches on the “Cup” tab of Velocity’s schedule web page.
The tournament operates on a point system with three points to match winners. The winners of the West, East and Central groups will advance to the knockout rounds, with the fourth playoff spot awarded to the non-group winner with the most goals scored in group play. The emphasis on scoring is by design, with goals being first tiebreaker in group standings.
Another feature of the USL Jägermeister Cup is that matches tied at the end of regulation time will go directly to a penalty-kick shootout. The shootout winners will earn an extra point, while the losers receive one point for the draw in regulation time. The winner of the Cup – in addition to major bragging rights – will win a trophy for the case and…