Professional soccer is coming to Spokane this spring when the SPOKANE VELOCITY takes the pitch for the first time at One Spokane Stadium. The home opener on Saturday, March 16, against the Richmond Kickers — one of the more storied professional clubs in American soccer — will be the first of at least 15 home games this season.
Competing in USL League One, Spokane Velocity will play on the third-tier of the U.S. soccer pyramid, below both Major League Soccer and the USL Championship. While that makes them a "minor league" team in some sense, the Velocity are a fully independent and wholly professional organization. That is in contrast to Minor League Baseball teams, which are affiliated with big league clubs and act as a farm system for prospects.
In fact, the Velocity will have the opportunity to compete against the big boys above them on the pyramid in the annual U.S. Open Cup competition. The way head coach Leigh Veidman has been filling out his inaugural roster should put the team in a good position to do so in year one.
"A lot of coaches would bite your hand off to get this opportunity," the 35-year-old Veidman said of his ability to help build the club from the ground up.
The roster so far includes multiple MLS veterans including some big names in defender Romain Métanire and midfielder Luis Gil, the latter of whom is a former U.S. Men's National Team player.
Regular season tickets start at $20. Find schedule and ticket information at spokanevelocityfc.com.
