August 29, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release
Spokane Velocity FC capped off their first year in the inaugural Jägermeister Cup with a loss to the Richmond Kickers in riveting 3-2 fashion.
The match witnessed Richmond jump out of the gate with a goal in the sixth minute, and adding another later in the first half to put Velocity in a multi-goal deficit. Velocity would climb back to equalize before a heartbreaking last-second goal gave Richmond its second win in Jägermeister Cup group play.
Velocity FC’s lineup offered Collin Fernandez’s first look with the captain armband, and his play in the midfield was crucial for Velocity’s pace, as they began to control the tempo as the game wore on.
The first half’s initial score came off a corner kick after a Carlos Merancio save. João Gomiero arced the ball into the domain of Chandler O’Dwyer, who sent the ball on a line for the goal, and even though Merancio got a hand on it, the score was inevitable.
As the first half continued, Velocity struggled to break through the four-man backline of the Kickers, registering their first shot in the 28th minute. The attempt came from Azriel Gonzalez, who launched a shot on target from the left side of the box.
Chandler O’Dwyer found himself scoring off another corner kick in the 34th minute. This time the score came through a sea of players after the kick went long, causing fellow Kicker Ryan Sierakowski to send a backpass header to the middle of the box, where O’Dwyer scored Richmond’s ninth goal of the cup.
The second half began with a first-minute score from Gonzalez, who sent the ball to Masango Akale on the right side of the pitch before streaking down the Kickers’ defensive third of the field. Akale placed the ball perfectly in front of Gonzalez, who dove headfirst to score his team’s first goal of the match and his first in Jägermeister play.
“Once I played ‘Sango,’ I saw the space and knew exactly where I wanted it,” Gonzalez said. “Sango played me a great ball and made it easy for me to put it away and get us back in the game.”
This score – along with head coach Leigh Veidman’s change in his squad’s second half tactical approach – allowed Velocity to apply defensive pressure higher up in the field and keep the ball out of their defensive third. This forced the Kickers out of the sets they worked through in the first half, and their offensive pace slowed to a crawl, failing to register a shot until the 72nd minute of the match.
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