Spokane Velocity suffer first league loss since March to Portland Hearts of Pine

The Spokane Velocity had their four-game unbeaten streak snapped in a 2-1 USL League One defeat to Portland Hearts of Pine at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine, on Saturday.

 

Spokane scored a late-first goal but was unable to halt a second-period rally.

 

The Velocity outshot Portland 7-3 in the first period and had four shots on target. Spokane held Portland to zero on-target attempts.

 

Spokane and Portland traded shots in the ninth and 11th minutes. Neco Brett fired two consecutive attempts in the 25th and 27th minutes following passes from Joe Gallardo and Medgy Alexandre, but both were denied by Portland goalkeeper Hunter Morse, who had six total saves. 

 

Portland’s Diogo Barbosa replied with shots at the 30 and 34-minute marks but one missed to the left, and the other to the right. 

 

Then, in first-half stoppage time, Shavon John-Brown became the Velocity’s scoring leader with his third goal of the season off a header thanks to an assist from Gallardo. Midfielder Marky Hernandez lobbed to Gallardo at the right side of the penalty area. Gallardo crossed to John-Brown in the middle of the box to break the scoreless deadlock.

 

But Portland, which hadn’t won a League One game since May 2, upped its offensive aggression with three attempts in the 51st, 53rd and 57th minutes before Spokane got its first effort of the second period at the 61-minute mark by Simon Fitch.

 

Less than a minute after Fitch’s shot, Portland’s Aboubacar Camara converted an equalizer off an assist from Ollie Wright in the 62nd. 

 

In the 69th minute, John-Brown nearly converted his second goal in the center of the penalty area, but his shot was denied by Morse. 

 

Spokane fired three more attempts in the 70th, 73rd, and 76th minutes before Portland stole the lead in the 80th. 

 

Matteo Kidd connected with Jay Tee Kamara. Kamara dribbled to an open space in the box, and scored his second goal of the season - handing Spokane its first League One loss since March.

 

The Velocity had an opportunity to escape with a draw in stoppage time following a corner kick. Nil Vinyals, who replaced Collin Fernandez in the 85th minute, sent the ball to a crowded goalie box that found Gagi Margvelashvili. Margvelashvili headed it inches from net, but the ball dropped to a Portland defender who cleared it away.

 

Spokane outshot Portland 15-9, but the Hearts of Pine dominated possession at a 55% rate.

 

Margvelashvili led Velocity’s defense with 11 of their 28 clearances, two interceptions and one tackle.

 

Along with his goal, John-Brown led Spokane with seven touches in Portland’s box and two on-target attempts. With his assist, Gallardo created a game-best four chances on 37 touches.