Spokane Velocity FC loan in midfielder Ali Elmasnaouy from Oakland Roots SC

Spokane Velocity FC strengthened its midfield on July 23 by loaning Ali Elmasnaouy from Oakland Roots SC for the rest of the 2026 USL League One season. The move gives Spokane a fresh body for the final months of the campaign and brings in a player who has already handled pro pressure at a higher level.

Elmasnaouy arrives with more than just potential. USL League One’s announcement identified him as a 21-year-old midfielder who has made 28 appearances in the USL Championship since graduating from Project 51O, Oakland’s development pathway. That kind of mileage matters for Spokane now, because the late-summer schedule in USL League One often asks clubs to survive injuries, fatigue and short rest without losing ground in the table.

The loan also has real tactical value. A midfielder with Championship experience can help Spokane manage possession more cleanly, connect lines under pressure and keep the ball moving when legs start to fade. That suggests this is more than simple depth insurance. Spokane is not just covering minutes here, it is adding a player who may alter how the team controls the middle of the field in a stretch run where every point carries extra weight.

Oakland’s own history with Elmasnaouy helps explain why Spokane wanted him. The Roots signed him to his first professional contract on July 24, 2025, after he had already made 13 appearances across all competitions that season. Before that, he delivered one of the sharper moments in Oakland’s recent cup run: on April 17, 2024, the then-18-year-old scored the winning goal in the 98th minute on his First Team debut as Oakland beat El Farolito 2-1 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to reach the Round of 32.

The transaction also reflects how fluid the USL system has become, with Championship and League One clubs regularly moving players within the same pathway. For Spokane, that structure produced a timely addition with actual second-division minutes on his résumé. For Elmasnaouy, it opens a chance to play a larger role immediately, and for Spokane it creates a roster decision that could shape both depth and tempo down the stretch.