KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Since its founding in 2022, Spokane Velocity FC’s ambition was to be a club that embodied and connected its community around the club. Its name and logo are inspired by local landmarks like the Monroe Street Bridge and the Spokane Falls. 

The club sets out not only to represent its fans in appearance, but on the pitch as well. 

“We are trying to be a representation of who the people are in Spokane,” said Velocity Head Coach Leigh Veidman this week. “It’s a very blue-collar city for the most part. When they come and watch us, they want to see something entertaining.” 

Despite a poor run of form at the end of its inaugural regular season campaign that pitted them as the No. 7 seed, Spokane dispatched the then-reigning USL Jägermeister Cup champions Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 3-0 on the road in its first postseason encounter. That victory was followed by a tight 0-0 draw against Forward Madison FC, where Spokane came out on top 5-4 in a penalty shootout, becoming just the second first-year team to qualify for the League One Final. 

Although Velocity came up short in the Final against Union Omaha, the club had quickly made good on its initial goals to unite the passionate local sports fans around the team. Veidman recalled hearing about packed bars in town to support the club as it played all three of its 2024 playoff matches on the road. 

“Earlier this year, we had a season ticket member event and a group of the fans walked up to me and said that ‘You’ve made Spokane a soccer city,” he said. 

Coming into 2025, the young English manager wanted to ensure the quick taste of success in Year One didn’t distract the team from building a strong foundation of a young club. 

“The goalposts always move in Year Two when you get to the Final in Year One,” said Veidman. “It was important to keep two feet on the ground as a club, as a fanbase, and getting into the playoffs was a success for us. Then you have the competitor inside you and the individuals we had in the team; can we push beyond that and get a home playoff game?” 

Spokane came out of the gate flying for the 2025 season, spending much of the year at or near the top of the League One table with a record that was bolstered by a 12-match unbeaten run from late March to early July. While the regular season lengthened to 30 games from 22, Velocity’s achievement in doubling its win total from seven to 14 victories – putting it in with a chance of the Players’ Shield entering the final week of the campaign – showed the broader progress the side made. 

“Last year we were the underdogs, now we’re kind of the team to beat,” said Spokane forward Luis Gil, who led the team in scoring in 2024 and finished second this season. “A lot of teams would sit back on us, make it a little bit more difficult for us to score and frustrate us. But we handled it well when it did get tough or we might not have the cleanest looks to be more clinical.” 

Velocity’s roster is built with seasoned players like Gil, Anuar Pelaez, and Derek Waldeck. It was strengthened in 2025 with talents like Neco Bret, Lucky Opara, and David Garcia. Spokane didn’t fully regain its scorching form of the early part of the season but got the results it needed to secure the No. 3 seed and at least one home playoff match.  

Spokane returned home a week later to take on Portland Hearts of Pine, an expansion club looking to accomplish the same feet Velocity pulled off the year prior after entering as the No. 7 seed and springing a road surprise in the Quarterfinals. It was another tight contest that Spokane felt unlucky to not settle in 90 minutes after leading at halftime. A Portland goal two minutes into extra time meant the hosts would have to create more heroics in order to find their way back to the final. 

“What it comes down to is finding a way to win,” said Veidman. “And we’ve had that ability all year. It was a little bit unorthodox in the second overtime, but that’s these guys. You give them a structure, a set of tactics, a different formation, and they go out and find a way to get it done.” 

Nil Vinyals was the hero, finding the back of the net in the 121st minute, sending the game to penalty kicks with the latest goal in League One Playoffs history. Once again, it came down to Merancio. Last season, the Mexican international was on the bench when Brooks Thompson’s shootout heroics sent Spokane to the Final; this time, his two crucial saves made Spokane the third club to reach the League One Final in its first two season. 

“Of course, there’s pressure because I don’t want to disappoint my teammates and the club, but I just stay calm and do my best,” said Merancio.

“The whole game my blood pressure was just going up and down,” said Gil, who subbed out before both shootouts. “It’s the playoffs and this season has been an emotional rollercoaster on the field. We believe in every single player up and down the field and every player has made a big play.” 

With the Final in sight, the team is trying to prepare for Sunday like it’s any other match and lean on the players and staff's collective experience to keep the mood light and be ready when the ball starts moving. 

“We say it’s some unfinished business that we have,” said Gil, who last week earned his second consecutive All-League First Team honor. “So, to be able to lift the trophy with your brothers, your teammates, the staff, and having the fans supporting you away, it’ll be such an incredible feeling and hopefully it's something we can look forward to.”