Spokane Velocity suffer second straight loss in three days

The Spokane Velocity surrendered two first-half goals and could not recover in a 3-0 USL League One loss to expansion club Fort Wayne FC at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Saturday. 

In Spokane’s second straight loss in three days, the Velocity could not find the net with zero of its 11 shots on target as they gave up six of 12 on-target attempts to Fort Wayne - most of them in the first half. 

Three players scored for Fort Wayne with 22-year-old attacking midfielder Taig Healy striking first in the 14th minute following an assist from Jack Thomas. Thomas threaded a pass between multiple Velocity defenders to a sprinting Healy near the left post and Healy tucked the ball into the back left corner of the frame. 

Spokane and Fort Wayne traded missed attempts in the 18th, 21st and 26th minutes, but it was Jeremy Garay, who extended Fort Wayne’s advantage just before halftime that was assisted by Kabiru Gafar. 

Three minutes into the second period, Derek Waldeck, who subbed in for Moses Mensah, was called for a handball inside Spokane’s penalty box making way for an easy penalty kick goal by Lilian Ricol in the 50th minute. 

The Velocity, who have given up at least one goal in each of their last seven games have slid to seventh place with a 7-2-6 record. 

Spokane will face Oakland Roots (USL Championship) in the final round of the USL Cup Group Stage as they sit in second place, at noon next Saturday at Merrit College in Oakland, California, for a chance to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time in the club’s history. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.