SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Velocity take on Portland Hearts of Pine this weekend in a game featuring two playoff rivals.
Spokane and Portland played to a 2-2 draw in last season’s USL League One semifinals, before a penalty kick duel saw Spokane punch their way through and earn another bid to the league finals.
Portland is a tenacious home team, yet to lose at home despite a 2-5-2 overall league record.
“I think just being steady, being cautious,” Velocity midfielder Jack Denton said. “Being careful in the first 10 to 15 minutes. We know they’ve got a really good fan base. They get a lot of atmosphere, a lot of attendance. So if we can keep it calm, keep it, patient in the first 10-15, sort of ease out that initial sort of intensity and pressure from the fans.”
“Take care of the body,” Velocity forward Shavon John-Brown said. “Like coach said, follow the game plan. Do the right stuff and just execute when we get the moments.”
Portland also beat Spokane 6-1 in the Velocity’s last visit out to Maine, a loss they haven’t forgotten about.
“We come into this game knowing that we’re going to have to have a really, really strong mentality,” Spokane head coach Leigh Veidman said. “And what I mean by that is you got to go in there for a little bit of a back and forth defensively. They like to make it a high-jewels game. They like to be direct, which means a lot of first, second, and third balls, which increases a lot of tackles. Duels, 50-50S, aerial duels. So that’s the type of game we’ve got to go in there for and be ready for. And it takes a certain mentality to come out on top in that.”
The Velocity and Hearts of Pine FC kick off at 3:30 p.m. PST at Fitzpatrick Stadium this Saturday.
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