It’s the moment for which we’ve all been waiting since October: the USL League One regular season is back!
Saturday, March 9th
7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT
Paladin Stadium, Greenville, SC
Spokane’s Hype is Real
As part of the three-match opening weekend, expansion side Spokane Velocity will make its debut. Excitement has been building since the team was announced, branding released, and the stadium completed. The team sold out of season ticket allotments, at an astounding 3,800 out of a 5,000 total capacity. For perspective, Spokane’s sold season tickets exceed the average 2023 match day attendance of ten other teams in the league.
But the Spokane faithful will have to wait a week to see their beloved team in person, as they’ll be traveling to Greenville to make their debut. Fans will be gathering at Brick West Brewing, and are advised to arrive as early as 3:00 PM to snag a spot for the 4:00 PM local time kickoff.
Image credit Locke Cole CC BY-SA 4.0
Greenville Building on League Success
Greenville is arguably the most successful team in USL League One, having made the playoffs every season since its inception, and won the 2020 championship.
The team has been busy this off-season as well, releasing two kits in the last week. The first, a collaboration between supporter group Reedy River Riot turned heads and had other groups asking their clubs: why aren’t we doing this? The kit will be worn during pre-match warmups this season.
Next, they released their 2024 home kit at a season ticket holder event. This kit pays tribute to Greenville’s industrial roots as one of the premier textile centers in the country.
Image credit Greenville Triumph
Spokane’s Off-Season Moves
Velocity FC’s coach Leigh Veidman had the task of building a team from scratch. A coaching veteran of three USL Championship teams, Veidman appears to have leveraged these connections to bring in multiple veterans of the second division to help build the inaugural squad. This includes center back Marcelo Lage, a bright spot on an otherwise dismal Las Vegas Lights side. Other notable USLC signings include Morgan Hackworth, who appears to get the nod at center midfield, and his counterpart Andre Lewis, from Hartford Athletic.
Veidman also managed to snag several high-demand USL League One free agents, including center/left back Derek Waldeck and midfield/winger Luis Gil. Both led their previous sides in assists and chances created in 2023, with Gil finishing second in the entire league in both categories.
While it’s almost always a “wait and see” scenario with expansion sides, this one shows an exceptional amount of promise so far.
Greenville’s Off-Season Moves
Greenville lost the services of long-time coach John Harkes, who turned things over to his assistant, Rick Wright. The team also turned over 12 players from 2023, including midfield stalwart Allen Gavilanes, winger/midfielder Lucas Coutino and primary goalkeeper Jared Mazzola. So far they have announced ten new players from USL Championship, MLS Next Pro and some first-year professionals. Notable additions include midfielder Sebastián Velásquez, an MLS veteran who split 2023 between Memphis 901 and Indy Eleven; and Chapa Herrera, a defensive midfielder who spent the last five seasons with El Paso.
The good news is they retain the services of leading goal-scorers Leo Castro and Lyam MacKinnon. While there is a bit of a rebuild around and behind them, this continuity and leadership up front should produce dividends. Both tied for second on the 2023 squad with four assists each, and led shots on goal. The team also returns a largely intact defensive corps, with Tyler Polak, Brandon Fricke, Jamie Smith, Hassan Gabo and Evan Lee all returning. This provides a lot of options for Wright when it comes to formation.
Head to Head
It’s difficult to gauge for the first match of the season and the first regular season match ever for Spokane, but we’re leaning towards Greenville’s experience and home pitch advantage here. Spokane may have such an advantage in week two, hosting Richmond Kickers. However, Greenville’s defense now has multiple years playing together, and may be tough to crack in week one in Greenville. We expect a chippy, hard fought 1-0 win for Greenville.