Spokane Velocity ready to establish identity in inaugural USL season

As the Spokane Velocity get set to kick off the club’s inaugural season, head coach Leigh Veidman is stressing patience while the expansion team develops an identity and solidifies its roster.

The Velocity, the newest member of the United Soccer League’s League One, will play their opening game in South Carolina against the Greenville Triumph on Saturday.

“We’ve got a brand new team, brand new individuals,” Veidman said. “We’re not all just figuring out how we work together as players, but we’re figuring each other out as people. I’m learning about the players as much as they’re learning about me, too.

“These are all big components of developing a team, especially in an expansion franchise.”

The club’s website lists 17 players on its roster – nine midfielders, five defenders, one forward and two goalies. The Velocity have signed athletes with soccer backgrounds ranging from the college level to a wide variety of professional experience, including in the MLS and overseas.

Veidman, originally from Liverpool, England, coached for several other USL clubs before taking on the role with the Velocity.

Veidman said the club’s identity, as well as the formations the team will play, will all be a work in progress as the season goes on.

“In general, we want to be a team that is fun to watch, that is entertaining, with an attacking-style mindset in how we play,” Veidman said. “We want to get numbers forward, create chances, and when we don’t have the ball, we want to get the ball back as quickly as possible so we can go back on the attack.”

Defenders Romain Metanire, a former MLS all-star, and Derek Waldeck are among the players who could find success under Veidman’s style of play. Midfielder Luis Gil, who racked up nine assists last year for the USL League One club Union Omaha, could also be a difference maker.

Throughout training camp and preseason, the Velocity have played in several closed-door scrimmages against higher-level USL clubs, college teams and others. Veidman said he was pleased with the team’s early performance.

“It’s been a real opportunity to poke holes in our armor and see where we’re at, but also an opportunity to sharpen our sword in many ways and get better each day,” he said. “I’m really happy with where we’re at, but again, it’s a process, a developmental process, right now.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do still.”

The home opener in the new ONE Spokane Stadium will take place on March 16 against the Richmond Kickers.

The Velocity’s 2024 schedule includes more than 30 games and an in-season competition. Additional friendlies, tournament and playoff games could be added.

The club will take on the 2023 League One runner-up Charlotte Independence later this month and will host the team in July. Last season’s champion, the North Carolina FC, will move up to the USL Championship league for the year.

Saturday’s kickoff is at 4 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+. Starting with the home opener, KHQ/SWX will broadcast 14 home and away Velocity games. KREM and KSKN will broadcast six other home games.

Thanks to a roster mixed with experience and young talent, some expect that the club could be competitive in its first season. But Veidman is not too focused on win total or achievements in the first year.

“The biggest thing for us is having a clear identity by the end of the season, so you can look at our team and you say, ‘That is a Spokane Velocity team,’ ” Veidman said. “That’s the most realistic way to look at it.

“We all want to win, we all want success, we want playoffs, we want trophies, etc. But you’ve got to balance that success with reality, and having such a new group in year one, it’s going to take a lot of time.”