Spokane Velocity held off a late FC Naples rally to claim a 2–1 victory in USL League One action on Sunday. Medgy Alexandre opened the scoring in the eighth minute, Anuar Peláez doubled the lead early in the second half, and Luca Mastrantonio pulled one back deep into stoppage time for the visitors — but it proved too little, too late.
Velocity came out sharp from the start. Alexandre gave the home side the lead just eight minutes in, finishing from a Peláez delivery to put Spokane in command early. Naples struggled to find a foothold in the opening half hour, though Spokane picked up a pair of bookings in quick succession — Shavon John-Brown cautioned in the 28th minute and Andre Lewis following him into the referee's notebook eight minutes later. Neither yellow disrupted Velocity's rhythm significantly, and they carried their one-goal advantage into the break.
Peláez, already involved in the buildup for the opener, stamped his name on the scoresheet in the 54th minute to make it 2–0. The goal gave Spokane breathing room and forced Naples into a more attacking posture for the remainder of the second half.
FC Naples pushed hard in search of a way back into the contest but couldn't find a breakthrough until the dying moments. Mastrantonio's stoppage-time strike offered a glimmer of hope, but there was simply no time left to mount an equalizer.
The win strengthens Spokane Velocity's position in the League One table and extends what has been a productive stretch at home for the club this season.
USL League One