Spokane Velocity face do-or-die Jagermeister Cup game at Central Valley Fuego

The Spokane Velocity last played 13 days ago, the team’s longest stretch without games in more than two months.

On Friday, Spokane travels to Fresno, California, to face Central Valley Fuego FC in a USL Jägermeister Cup game at 8 p.m

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The teams met for the cup opener on April 27, with the Velocity (1-2-2) losing a shootout to the Fuego (0-1-4) at ONE Spokane Stadium. The game ended 1-1 after the Fuego were awarded a penalty kick in added time.

This will be the sixth of eight group-stage games. Spokane and Central Valley are tied at the bottom of Group 3 with five points. Northern Colorado leads with 12 points and Union Omaha has 10. One team advances from each group and a fourth team will advance based on the most goals scored.

A Velocity loss or Northern Colorado win will guarantee Spokane can’t finish top of the group.

Friday’s game might get chippy. The last time the Velocity played the Fuego, Spokane’s Pierre Reedy scored his first goal for the club in a game in which 28 fouls were called and nine yellow cards were awarded.

Spokane was in position to win but left the door open for the Fuego comeback.

The Velocity have controlled the ball more than any other team in cup play as five players are in the top 10 of completed passes. This strategy ideally prevents teams from scoring as many goals, but Spokane has instead allowed the most goals (10).

Velocity goalkeeper Carlos Merancio has faced more shots than any other keeper and his 25 saves lead the competition.

Merancio was replaced by Brooks Thompson during a 2-1 win over Chattanooga on July 6 and made an impressive diving stop in added time to keep Spokane ahead.

Merancio, though, didn’t have much help in cup play. Spokane has the third-fewest goals (six) in group play.

Spokane’s Luis Gil is tied for fourth with three goals scored, but he is the only Velocity FC player with more than one.

One player who has done a lot to foster offensive success is defender Derek Waldeck, whose 10 chances created are fourth most in the cup. Gil is seventh with seven.

For Fuego FC, midfielders Alfredo Midence Alvarado, Raul Mendiola and Robert Coronado have two goals each.