‘Sign of a good team’: Behind depth and defense, Velocity focused on long game in League One
Until Wednesday, the Spokane Velocity had sat atop the USL League One mountain since May.
And although Chattanooga’s win over Forward Madison pushed the Red Wolves one point ahead of Spokane on the table, the Velocity remain in prime position with the season just beyond its midpoint.
The Velocity (9-3-5) play host to AV Alta (7-4-6) on Saturday at 7 p.m. at ONE Spokane Stadium.
“I am not really worried about Chattanooga right now,” said Veldman, whose team can reclaim the league lead with a win and Chattanooga loss. “At the end of the season we will get what we deserve.”
At this point, Spokane deserves plenty. The team boasts an eight-goal differential, second best in the league, and has scored the sixth-most goals (24) with a 17% conversion rate.
The Velocity raced to a 6-1-4 start to begin the season and held a two-game lead after a 2-1 win over Forward Madison in June.
That came into play when a what-would-have-been 3-2 win for Spokane over Westchester on July 16 turned into a 3-0 loss due to an administrative error that forced the Velocity to forfeit the match. Three days later, they were shut out by Chattanooga.
They bounced back from the two-game skid by beating Union Omaha on Aug. 2 – a match that offered a needed jolt.
“We were coming off a bit of a slump, so to get that win against Omaha was really good,” said midfielder Pierre Reedy, who leads the team with three assists. “I think it really helped the morale of the group.”
The offense has been driven by Colombian forward Anuar Pelaez, League One’s April Player of the Month. Pelaez leads the team and ranks third in the league with seven goals and two assists in 16 appearances.
“He’s a player by feel,” Veidman said of Pelaez. “From a defensive standpoint that helps us sometimes, sometimes it hits us. From an attacking standpoint, as a striker, when you miss some chances, it gets in your head. Or when you’re scoring goals, you’re on top of the world.
“It’s really about managing those emotions for him, and in the moment, he’s feeling low, let’s get him back and even -keeled. Let’s get him some work … get his confidence back up. And when he’s high, let him go and do what he needs to do. But he’s been tremendous for sure.”
Lined up alongside Pelaez is 14-year veteran Luis Gil, whose professional career also includes 134 appearances with Real Salt Lake of the MLS. Gil has scored four goals, and posted 28 chances created this season, the most on the team.
But it’s been defense that has spurred the first half for Spokane. The team has allowed the fewest goals in the league (13), conceding just 0.8 per match while averaging 26.3 clearances per game.
The back line is anchored by Cameron Miller, a 26-year-old defender, and David Garcia, who signed with the team in February. They lead Spokane with 110 clearances apiece. Garcia has also logged a team-best 10 blocks.
The Velocity have also leaned on goalkeeper Carlos Merancio, who has helped Spokane earn six clean sheets, a league best in 1,440 minutes played.
“I think we got a lot of depth,” said Reedy, who has a team-leading 18 interceptions. “We got a lot of guys that can come in and impact games, create chances.
“You got these two (Garcia and Miller) behind you in case you mess up. We have had a great defense … there’s a lot of talent and that motivates us to compete.”
Miller agreed.
“Each spot,” he said, “has guys that I feel like (could) start or impact on another USL League One Team. Being a deep team, I think it’s going to help us in the long run, too, if injuries happen.”
With 13 games left, including eight on the road, Veidman believes his team’s depth can be the difference when the playoffs hit in November.
“It’s a long season,” he said. “It’s really about staying dialed in every day. If you are not having a good moment in the season right now, it happens. Just keep working. Your time will come again, and the guy behind you is ready.
“That’s a sign of a good team.”