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Spokane Velocity return to League One competition against Lexington at home

Spokane Velocity’s Andre Lewis (77) celebrates with teammates Kimarni Smith, left, and Luis Gil, right, after scoring a first-half goal against the Union Omaha team Saturday, May 11, 2024 at One Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Washington. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Ethan Myers The Spokesman-Review

After two in-season tournament matches and an international friendly, the Spokane Velocity will return to regular-season play Sunday with a rematch against Lexington Sporting Club.

More than two months since Spokane and Lexington finished in a 2-2 draw at Toyota Stadium in Kentucky on April 14, the Velocity will host this weekend at ONE Spokane Stadium. The club is looking to bounce back after last week’s 4-1 loss at Union Omaha.

“Another tough game against a team who has recently beaten the top team in the league,” Velocity coach Leigh Veidman said. “This is a game we are not taking lightly and we need to be on our best game.”

The clubs’ last matchup featured a busy first 45 minutes that saw both teams racking up two goals within a 18-minute period before a shutout in the second half.

Spokane (3-3-1) sits at seventh in the league standings, while Lexington (1-4-2) is 11th of 12 clubs.

Veidman has emphasized several times this season that his club will not underestimate the underperforming teams in the league.

Lexington sits at the bottom of the league in shots and goals, although Spokane is not much higher in either category.

After the two teams played in April, Lexington went on an impressive three-game stretch, including wins over Forward Madison and the Chattanooga Red Wolves. Since then, Lexington has been outscored 6-1 in two losses to Madison and One Knoxville.

The Velocity are coming off the loss to the Union Omaha, the USL League One defending champs, in Nebraska on June 13. The club’s last win against a League One team came May 11 against Omaha.

Last week’s loss pushed Spokane to third of four teams in Group 3 of the Jagermeister Cup. The Velocity have four group stage games remaining, including next week against the Northern Colorado Hailstorm in Windsor, Colorado, before the cup advances into the knockout rounds.

Sunday’s match, kicking off at 6 p.m., will also be the organization’s Pride Night. The game will be broadcast on SWX and streamed on ESPN+.