SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Velocity FC continued its hot streak Wednesday night, defeating Charlotte Independence 3-0 at ONE Spokane Stadium to earn its third consecutive victory and climb into fourth place in the USL League One standings.
The match remained scoreless through the opening 45 minutes, but Spokane never let up.
The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Luis Gil calmly converted a penalty kick to give the Velocity a 1-0 lead. Less than 20 minutes later, second-half substitute Joe Gallardo doubled the advantage, finishing off a Spokane attack in the 72nd minute.
Another substitute put the finishing touches on the victory.
Nil Vinyals found the back of the net in the 88th minute, capping a dominant second half and securing all three points for the Velocity.
Head coach Leigh Veidman said the biggest difference over Spokane’s recent three-game winning streak has been the team’s ability to finish chances while tightening up defensively.
“We’ve just come off a period where we weren’t doing either,” Veidman said. “We were creating chances but not scoring, and we were leaking goals. These past three games, both of those units have stepped up. Now we’re scoring goals, and we’re walking away with clean sheets.”
Spokane controlled the match from start to finish, holding a slight edge in possession (52%) while completing 83% of its passes. The Velocity also outshot Charlotte and limited one of the league’s most dangerous attacks to just three total shots.
The clean sheet was no small accomplishment. Charlotte entered the night leading USL League One in goals scored, and Wednesday marked the first time this season the Independence had been held scoreless.
“I didn’t know that statistic,” Veidman said. “That’s quite impressive. It just says everything about the group and the mentality in training and bringing that into the game. To shut that team down is really hard.”
The second-half substitutions once again proved to be a difference-maker.
Gallardo and Vinyals each scored after entering in the 61st minute, while Jack Denton came off the bench and quickly recorded an assist.
“The subs have stepped up and helped the team,” Veidman said. “You want them to come in and have an impact on the game. Jack comes on and gets an assist, Nil comes on and scores, Joe comes on and scores. That’s what togetherness is. That’s what a team is.”
Gallardo said the club’s recent success has been fueled by growing chemistry and confidence.
“The past couple of games we’ve had good team performances, and we’ve just been building off that,” Gallardo said. “We’re building that team chemistry that we’ve been looking for. Defensively we’re doing a great job, and I think that’s what’s led us to these last few victories.”
Defender Simon Fitch said the team’s depth has played a major role in Spokane’s recent surge.
“When we made some subs in the second half, everyone brought exactly what we needed,” Fitch said. “They came into the game and brought life, but also composure. It gives everyone on the field a huge boost.”
The victory also highlighted Spokane’s resilience during a demanding stretch that has included long road trips, summer heat and smoky conditions.
“Leigh always talks to us about mentality,” Gallardo said. “At the end of the day, it’s about who wants it more. We all have the same conditions, and I feel like everybody on this team wants it. If we keep coming out looking for those three points with that mentality, we’ll keep moving in the right direction.”
With three straight wins and consecutive clean sheets, Spokane has quickly climbed back into the top of the USL League one table. Veidman believes his group is finally seeing the rewards of the work it put in during a difficult stretch earlier this season.
“We had to take a long, hard look in the mirror and keep grinding,” Veidman said. “Now they’re getting the rewards for the work they’ve put in.”
The Velocity return to action Saturday when they host Fort Wayne, looking to extend their winning streak to four matches.
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