 | ||||
| Founded | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | One Spokane Stadium Spokane,Washington | |||
| Capacity | 5,000 | |||
| Owner | Aequus Sports, LLC (Ryan and Katie Harnetiaux Jordan and Whitney Tampien Osvaldo Alonso) | |||
| Head coach | Leigh Veidman | |||
| League | USL League One | |||
| 2024 | Regular season: 7th Playoffs: Runner-up | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
Spokane Velocity FC is an American professionalsoccer club based inSpokane, Washington. The Velocity compete inUSL League One, the third tier of theU.S. soccer pyramid, and play home matches atOne Spokane Stadium. The team was founded in 2022 and began play in the2024 season, where they finished as runners-up in the playoffs. The Velocity shares its ownership and stadium withSpokane Zephyr FC, a women's team in the first-divisionUSL Super League.
The club's current head coach isLeigh Veidman.[1]
In March 2021,United Soccer League announced a proposal to build a 5,000-seat stadium in downtown Spokane to serve as home to a newUSL League One club.[2] In May 2021, the Spokane Public School Board voted to approve the $31 million stadium project.[3][4] In December 2021, the Spokane Public Facilities District met with USL andMLS Next Pro officials over which league would place a team at the city-run stadium.[5]
On October 7, 2022, the club announced their new ownership group, Aequus Sports, LLC (led by Ryan and Katie Harnetiaux) as well as that their men's team would start play in USL League One in 2024.[6][7] The club announced a partnership withCapelli Sport on June 21, 2023, making them their exclusive uniform, equipment, and training apparel provider.[8] The official team name, Spokane Velocity FC, and crest were announced at a launch event on July 21, 2023.[9] On November 15, 2023,Charleston Battery assistant coachLeigh Veidman was named Spokane Velocity's first-ever head coach.[10]
On December 20, 2023, Spokane Velocity signed its first two players, midfielderMorgan Hackworth and defenderDerek Waldeck.[11] The club signed veteran midfielderLuis Gil, a former MLS andUnited States national team player, on January 22, 2024.[12]
The club's inaugural match was a 3–1 loss toGreenville Triumph SC played on March 9, 2024, atPaladin Stadium in South Carolina.Josh Dolling scored the first goal in Velocity FC history—apenalty kick taken in the 13th minute.[13] The Velocity's first-ever home match atOne Spokane Stadium on March 16 was a 2–1 victory against theRichmond Kickers in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,086.[14] The club entered the2024 U.S. Open Cup and won their first cup match againstBallard FC, the defendingUSL League Two champions, on March 20 atMemorial Stadium in Seattle.[15]
Spokane were the third expansion team in USL League One history to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season, doing so on October 12, 2024.[16] The team won 3-0 in its first-ever playoff match againstNorthern Colorado Hailstorm FC on November 2.[17] The Velocity then defeatedForward Madison FC in a penalty shootout to decide the semifinals and clinch their place in the USL League One championship match. They were the lowest seed to qualify for the title match and the second expansion team to do so in their inaugural season.[18] The team lost 3–0 toUnion Omaha and finished as runners-up in the playoffs.[19]
Spokane Velocity play its home matches atONE Spokane Stadium, located in downtown Spokane next toThe Podium and theSpokane Arena. It has a capacity of 5,000 and can expand to 12,000 with on-field seating.
The venue was competed in September 2023 and plays host to Velocity-affiliated clubSpokane Zephyr, along withSpokane Public Schools high-school football games and events including concerts and comedy shows. The capacity was reached during Spokane Velocity's home opener in March 2024.[20]
The team's name and crest were unveiled on July 21, 2023. Both reference theSpokane River, which runs throughDowntown Spokane and passes nearOne Spokane Stadium. The crest features four vertical blue bars that represent the river's waterfalls, while the "Velocity" wordmark above is shaped similar to a simplified version of theMonroe Street Bridge.[9][21] The Velocity's official colors are named basalt, impact blue, and river rapid white.[22]
| Seasons | Shirt manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–present[23] |  Capelli Sport | Front:QR Code rotating sponsor Back: Brick West Brewing Company Sleeve:Gallagher |
The team's largest supporters' group is the 509 Syndicate, which organizes a march to the match throughRiverfront Park to One Spokane Stadium.[24][25] The 509 Syndicate takes part in drumming and chanting during each match, and stand behind the goal at the south end of the stadium. Their mascot is the "Goats", a reference to theGarbage Goat sculpture in Riverfront Park.[26]
Local Spokane television stationsKHQ/SWX broadcast a selection of Velocity matches throughout the season. Similarly,KREM 2/KSKN 22 cover some home matches. The club's matches have also been televised onCBS Sports Network as part of a national contract with USL League One.[27] With a couple of exceptions, all USL League One matches are streamed onESPN+.[28]
In June 2021, Spokane was named as one of the founding cities of theUSL W League, a women's league that began play in 2022.[29] The team is set to join W League for the 2024 season, along with the completion ofOne Spokane Stadium.[30]
Spokane's ownership announced in October 2022 that they wanted to bring professional women's soccer to the city.[30] A women's team representing Spokane in theUSL Super League was announced in May 2023. It will be owned by the USL Spokane ownership group and begin play in August 2024, sharing their home stadium with the men's team and W League team.[31] The team name was announced in November 2023, asSpokane Zephyr FC.[32] The club held their first match, which ended in a 1–1 withFort Lauderdale United FC, at a sold-out One Spokane Stadium on August 17, 2024.[33]
| Technical Staff[34] | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Leigh Veidman |
| Assistant coach | Renato Bustamante[35] |
| Goalkeeping coach | Vito Higgins |
| Front Office Staff[36] | |
| President, USL Spokane | Katie Harnetiaux[37] |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Season | USL League One | Playoffs | USOC | Top Scorer1 | G | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pos | |||||
| 2024 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 26 | 35 | 27 | 7th | Finals | Third Round | Luis Gil | 8 |
^ 1.Top Scorer includes all goals scored in regular season, league playoffs,U.S. Open Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
| Season | Qualified | Round Entered | Round Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Yes | Quarterfinals | 2nd Place |
| Season | USL Cup | Play-offs | Top Scorer | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pos | Player | G | ||
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 4th, West | Did not qualify | Luis Gil | 4 |
| Season | U.S. Open Cup | Top Scorer | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Entered | Exited | Player | G | |
| 2024 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | First round | Third round |  Andre Lewis | 2 |
Includes USL Regular Season, USL Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, and USL Jagermeister Cup. Excludes friendlies.[39]
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh Veidman[40] |  England | November 15, 2023 | present | 36 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 0.33 |
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| Miscellaneous | ||
