He’s starting to become inevitable. Pedro Dolabella scored in his third consecutive match (and fifth out of his last seven) to help lead Union Omaha to a 4-1 victory against Spokane Velocity at Werner Park on Thursday night. The return match in the Jägermeister Cup saw four different goal scorers, with Missael Rodriguez, Lagos Kunga, and Steevan Dos Santos all returning to the scoresheet. Though the Owls were able to avenge the loss in Spokane a few weeks ago, Luis Gil still managed to tally the lone goal for the overmatched visitors.
Having finally gotten a few days to breathe, and with the fixtures coming at a weekly pace for the foreseeable future, Coach Dom put out his strongest starting lineup for the Jägermeister Cup yet. Notably, Wallis Lapsley was on the bench in place of Rashid Nuhu, and Missael Rodriguez made his return from suspension to take his place back at the top of the formation. PC also got the start with the team confirming earlier that things were not as serious as originally believed after his subbing off against Chattanooga.
Spokane Coach Leigh Veidman put out a slightly different side from those that defeated Omaha in their last meeting. Having not scored a goal since that match (a loss to Madison and a draw/PK loss to Greenville) Josh Dolling got the start up front with Javier Martin Gil and Massango Akale looking to spark the offense. This was especially important with the continued injury absence of defender/playmaker Romain Métanire, who had proved a huge thorn in the Owls’ side in the previous meeting.
The changes definitely seemed to work in Omaha’s favor from the beginning of the game. The hosts held majority of possession, attacking momentum, and creativity as Spokane seemed to pin themselves back in a counter-attacking posture. As is typical of late, the Owls didn’t find a whole lot of great chances on goal, but their attacks centered around running up the wings and trying to spread the disciplined Velocity defense for future attacks.
Much of this was focused on Dion Acoff, the unsung but critical piece of Casciato’s attack plans early. He set the tone early with several great runs, crosses, and a dribbling ability that forced multiple defenders to come out and deal with the problems he posed. Marco Milanese would do the same on the left side, but Dion’s abilities on his side would open up the match, even if he didn’t make it onto the scoresheet.
The early pressure finally led to a couple of good chances after 13’, when Omaha found a good passage of play in the middle of the pitch. With some good pressure and midfield defending, Joe Gallardo picked up a wayward pass in the offensive half and immediately pushed forward. A quick pass to Missael opened up a good opportunity to find Pedro inside the box. The pass was slightly behind Pedro, and the Brazilian’s touch let him down slightly to give Spokane a chance to clear their lines. However, before Andre Lewis could even get started, PC provided a good intervention to keep the ball in the attacking third. Missael picked the ball up from there and the scrambling Lewis clattered into him causing a free kick in a threatening position.
PC’s shot from there would cause Carlos Merancio to make an incredible leaping save to keep the match scoreless, however, the pressure and midfield defensive control set the stage for how the match would proceed.
That pressure paid off in the 17’ as a midfield recovery in the defensive half launched a quick attack to open the scoring. With possession lost on a deflected pass, PC and Missael’s double team on Collin Fernandez recovered the ball and started the attack forward. Pedro pushed up toward midfield and tried a pass to the right wing that saw him fall awkwardly and not put quite enough to get the ball out wide. That didn’t matter to Dion who turned on his jets and beat Ariel Mbumba to the ball. With space on the right side, Dion pushed up and lofted a cross-maybe-shot to the back post. Literally to the back post, as the ball hit the woodwork and bounced perfectly for an unmarked Missael about 8-yards out. Taking only one touch to settle the rebound, the Fire loanee struck true, opening the scoring and adding to his team lead for goals in this competition.
Dion may not have gotten credit for the assist on the goal, but his work not only set up the score, it kept going through the rest of the game. On several occasions Dion set up great chances from the right side, taking on multiple defenders and usually getting the better of them, especially Derek Waldeck. Velocity’s defensive stalwart had a hard time containing play on the right side, and it led to a period of possession that didn’t result in any goals, but kept the foot on the gas against an already stressed Spokane defense.
Unfortunately, as Dom often laments, a momentary mental lapse would bring Velocity back into the match. Following a rare attacking chance for Spokane that resulted in a corner, Blake Malone committed a foul right in front of referee Jose Lara that couldn’t not be called. As the corner floated in harmlessly toward Shido, Blake lost marking on Marcelo Lage and reached out with a jersey pull to try to slow him down. The pull forced Lage down, and Lara immediately blew his whistle. The result was a yellow card for Blake and a penalty kick for Spokane.
Luis Gil took the penalty, and though Shido guessed correctly, the former Owl put the ball perfectly into the bottom left corner and past the keeper’s outstretched glove. Once again, the veteran scored against Omaha, but to his credit, the celebration was subdued and classy, especially considering the morale boost the equalizer should have given Spokane.
The goal against the run of momentum did spur Velocity to more attacking possession and momentum as the half drew to a close. Omaha maintained a mostly disciplined defense, but the pressure continued to mount as Spokane found more space in the midfield and on the wings to generate attacks. That didn’t render the Owls completely talon-less, specifically with a good defensive effort setting up Joe for a just-missed counter attack, but Velocity seemed to be on the front foot and trying to put down the accelerator even more.
They almost found their break when Blake again made a dangerous decision in defense. With the referee playing advantage off a badly timed sliding challenge by PC, Josh Dolling threaded a great through ball meant for Gil. Blake was beaten on the play, but a flailed arm seemed to catch Gil as he started to break away for the ball. Gil went down near the edge of the area, but Lara was surprisingly not interested. Protests ensued both on the pitch and off with Veidman getting a yellow card for his dissent.
Counting themselves lucky for the no-call, even more relief came in the form of the referee’s halftime whistle. The Owls had dominated most of the half, but with an unlikely equalizer and Velocity’s attack mounting, the break seemed to be the only thing that would settle the team and get them back on their game.
But the second half started about the way the first half ended. Spokane was mostly on the attack, with a lot of good possession, though they didn’t manage to generate a whole lot of good attacks. The play for both sides got a little sloppier in the midfield, as much due to Omaha attempting to relieve pressure and get a quick counter as Velocity attempting to press their advantage into something tangible.
The best chance for that something would come in the 59’ as the visitors were able to find some room in the midfield after intercepting a long forward ball from Mechack Jerôme. Through some crisp passing to get into the attacking third, Lewis found Mbumba with a through ball up the right side. Taking his defender to the byline, Mbumba found a cutback pass that was Blake’s Toe away from setting up Dolling for a go-ahead goal. The defender’s touch did just enough to put the ball off target and into Shido’s hands.
That wake-up call was all the Owls needed to get back on the offensive and take the match over. Within minutes Omaha started the kind of pressure that they’d displayed for most of the first half. They were able to cause chaos in the Spokane defense, eventually forcing Lage into a bad challenge that earned the defender a yellow card of his own. Multiple attacks and corners came in a short period that sent Velocity reeling.
It was such a sequence that finally saw Omaha go ahead on Pedro’s goal in the 63’. After Joe’s free kick caromed off the Velocity wall (and still barely missed) for a corner, PC was able to pick out a free-roaming Pedro for a headed attempt at goal. That attempt was deflected wide by a defender setting up another chance off the corner. PC decided what worked before would be best, and he placed a perfect ball into the middle of the six-yard box for Pedro again. This time the Mayor wouldn’t miss, leaping highest and directing a powered header past a helpless Merancio for a 2-1 lead.
From there Spokane would only mount some counter chances that good team defending would end up cutting each of those opportunities out. On the hosts’ side, chance after chance would mount with improved passing, some substitutions and fresh legs, and a few insane dribbles that delighted the crowd, frustrated the defense, and provided the slight smell of nutmeg to the Werner Park atmosphere.
Add that to the smell of burnt defender, and you get the circumstances that led up to the Owls’ third goal. With Steevan (freshly returned from injury) pressing Lage, the Velocity defender put his pass right onto his boot to start a counter attack in the offensive half. Lagos Kunga, on for Blake, had already started running forward and got on the end of Steevan’s through ball. With only Fernandez back, the super sub took him on and poked the ball through his legs and ran in on goal. With the smoke from the defender still fresh in his nose, Lagos fired toward the far side of the net. Though Merancio was able to get a hand to it, it wouldn’t be enough to stop the shot, nor even more smoke from the celebrating fans.
With a 3-1 lead, the final 15 minutes (including 7 minutes of stoppage time) belonged mostly to Spokane as they redoubled their efforts to grab something out of the visitor’s nightmare of a match. But as before, Omaha would not bow to the pressure with continued compact defense. There were a couple of good chances that Velocity missed, including a chaotic chance following a shot off the post that Joe failed to clear and almost fell to Martin Gil to put away. Thankfully, the bounces went in favor of the Owls and Spokane never capitalized.
But as every goal matters in the Jäger Cup, Omaha wouldn’t be completely content just to sit back and defend. Shortly after Mark Bronnik came an inch and a VAR away from his first goal, Steevan would reassert himself on the list of Owl scorers.
Velocity would press high in an attempt to get a turnover, but the Búho Backline was doing a great job of keeping possession and controlling the tempo. Luca Mastrantonio would notice that high line and send a ball forward that allowed Steevan to move past his defender, but also bounced in the perfect spot to keep Merancio from being able to come out and sweep the ball. Using his physicality to shield the defender off the ball, the Cape Verdean striker took possession and dribbled into the Spokane box. Feeling that he was about to get beaten, Cameron Miller pulled Steevan down drawing a whistle, a yellow card, and returning the penalty favor from the first half.
Steevan took the penalty himself and left no doubt about it. His no nonsense straight run and shot sent Merancio the wrong way and left Union Omaha celebrating their first ever Jägermeister Cup victory.
The win puts Union Omaha in second place in the West group, 2 points behind Northern Colorado Hailstorm. The 4-goal explosion, however, puts the Owls in the wildcard spot with 8 goals scored across the 4 matches.
The Positives
- Pedro got the man of the match with his goal, but the true hero of this game was the defense—including Dion Acoff. I’ll get to some interesting stats for the rest of the defense in a bit, but Dion epitomized the idea that the best defense is a good offense all night. Some examples:
10 dribbles, 5 of them successful (led team), 2/2 tackles won, 2 possession won, 11 of his 24 passes were in the final third (including 5 crosses), and one assist—at least in our heart.
Dion’s ability to wreck the right side of Velocity’s defense was critical in opening up the rest of the pitch for exploitation. His speed let him get back in defense when required and kept our backline from facing overloads when Spokane was able to counter. Not to mention, he almost single handedly created the opening goal with his effort to beat Mbumba to the ball. Pedro is getting the glory, and he deserves it, but Dion is everything that is right with this system and the unsung heroes that enable it.
- Of course the goals are always a positive, doubly so when they mean money for the Prideraiser. But focusing on Steevan Dos Santos’ return to the lineup and getting on the scoresheet is a big plus.
Omaha has proven they don’t NEED him to score. That doesn’t mean he isn’t wanted out there, and given the way his injury looked it’s a blessing that he’s been able to come back to the lineup so quickly. He played 30+ minutes in this one and didn’t look too behind the curve. He’s not a speedster, but his ability to hold off defenders, make good decisions, and strike when necessary are a good sign going forward. That it resulted in an assist (on Lagos’ goal) and a goal of his own is icing on the cake.
- Besides that, PC’s quick return from what looked like a possible concussion is welcome, especially as he provided the assist on Pedro’s goal. He’s fitting in very well in the midfield as this team hits its stride, but it also puts us at full strength for the first time since his injury earlier this year. With the only piece missing being Zeiko Lewis (international duty), we should start seeing the team get more and more in sync as the minutes together rack up—that should scare some folks.
The Negatives
- Almost every match, Dominic Casciato mentions mental mistakes that lead to goals for the opponent. This match was no exception. A panic by Blake led to the first penalty, his yellow card, and perhaps should have led to a second penalty that would have likely seen the young defender sent off in the first half
He’s not the only one who had some mental lapses, and it’ll seem a bit unfair to single these out considering he had a very solid game otherwise. But this is a prime example of what Dom is talking about.
In a match where, despite 50/50 possession, Union Omaha held Velocity to only 5 shots, 1 on target (the PK), and 0 shots through the biggest onslaught of possession the visitors could muster in the second half, those mental mistakes could have changed the tone and course of the entire match. In fact, I don’t see the Owls winning this match had they been down a goal and a man entering the second half.
In the end, the mistakes didn’t cost us, but if there’s any negative to take away from a 4-1 victory at home, it’s that.
The Rant
- ESPN+ has got to do a better job on these broadcasts. Regardless of what people out there think, the independent media folks who cover this league don’t often get paid to do so. I’m not complaining about that…at least not here. But it does mean that many of us have day jobs that dictate how and when we’re able to provide coverage of the teams we love.
In this particular case, I’ve had to cover the last couple of weeks from a hotel in San Antonio where my day job decided I needed to be. Generally, this is no issue considering ESPN+ is good about having all of the matches, and providing them On Demand post match.
But…
The last few weeks, all of the USL League One/Jägermeister Cup matches have been plagued with broadcast issues. And this isn’t the broadcasters this time (the specific one for the Spokane match was pretty good). It’s the black screens. It’s the freezing video feeds. It’s the glitches that make us miss important changes in possession and sometimes the key passes that lead to goals. And when the feed glitches, 90% of the time it seems the replay glitches as well (if they are even able to show the replay).
What’s worse is that as frustrating as it is for the media types who can’t make it to see the game live, it’s even more frustrating for the true targets of the broadcast—the away and neutral fans.
With clubs having different broadcast deals (if any) for the away games ESPN+ is often the only way to watch when your team is on the road. It’s better than Golazo and CBS in that it actually gives an On Demand option, but that’s the end of it. A company as large as ESPN, with the assets of Disney behind it, doesn’t necessarily care about lower league soccer—I get that. But anything worth doing is worth doing well, if nothing else, for the fans.
To temper the rant a bit, I do understand that team infrastructure is sometimes the problem. We’ve all struggled through the crappy camera angles at some stadiums, the bad connectivity, the sound issues—that’s not all on ESPN. But the product reflects on ESPN, so it seems it would be in their best interest to work with clubs to help find a solution.
That is, of course, if they actually want to continue broadcasting these games. Business decisions are at the forefront of all of this, after all, often regardless of the impact to fans.
Interesting Facts:
- Union Omaha loves stoppage time. This is the third match in a row where the Owls have scored a goal in stoppage time (first or second half). There have been six matches this year (all competitions) with a goal in one of the stoppage times, with Omaha scoring 7 goals in that time. 5 of those have been in second half stoppage time.
- Pedro’s goal was his sixth across all competitions this year. He had six in all competitions for Union Omaha last year. He currently holds sixth place on the Owls’ all-time goals list with 12 across all competitions (2 behind Greg Hurst).
- Speaking of all-time goal scorers, Steevan Dos Santos’ penalty puts him one goal in all competitions behind number 3 scorer JP Scearce (17 goals) it should be noted that JP needed 109 appearances to reach his number—Steevan has had 36.
- None of the aforementioned are even close to Evan Conway’s goal rate. The Owls’ number 2 all-time scorer took 34 appearances to net 19 goals (a .56 pace), and second on total only to Noe Meza (23). However, Missael Rodriguez’ 7 goals in 12 appearances sets a .58 pace – the best for any Union Omaha player with at least 10 appearances ever.
- Finally, this is the fifth time this year that Union Omaha has scored 4+ goals (all competitions). The last time they did that in a year was 2021. And yes…South Georgia Tormenta has been on the receiving end of a couple of those. (Happy Father’s Day!)
Key Events:
Union Omaha Goal: 17’ – Missael Rodriguez (4th) (Unassisted)
Union Omaha Yellow Card: 32’ – Blake Malone (Bad Challenge)
Spokane Velocity Goal: 33’ – Luis Gil (2nd) (Penalty)
Spokane Velocity Yellow Card: 45’ – Leigh Veidman (Bench – Dissent)
Spokane Velocity Yellow Card: 60’ – Marcelo Lage (Bad Challenge)
Union Omaha Goal: 63’ – Pedro Dolabella (2nd) (A: PC Giro, 1st)
Union Omaha Subs: 64’ – Lagos Kunga ON; Blake Malone OFF
– Steevan Dos Santos ON; Aáron Gómez OFF
– Mark Bronnik ON; Missael Rodriguez OFF
Spokane Velocity Sub: 73’ – Azriel González ON; Ariel Mbumba OFF
Union Omaha Yellow Card: 77’ – Joe Gallardo (Bad Challenge)
Union Omaha Yellow Card: 81’ – Pedro Dolabella (Bad Challenge)
Union Omaha Goal: 82’ – Lagos Kunga (1st) (A: Steevan Dos Santos, 1st)
Union Omaha Yellow Card: 83’ – Lagos Kunga (Removing Shirt Celebration)
Spokane Velocity Sub: 83’ Cameron Miller ON; Massago Akele OFF
Union Omaha Sub: 84’ – Nortei Nortey ON; Pedro Dolabella OFF
Union Omaha Sub: 89’ – Brandon Knapp ON; Joe Gallardo OFF
Spokane Velocity Sub: 91’ – Morgan Hackworth ON; Azriel Gonzáles OFF (Injury)
Spokane Velocity Yellow Card: 90’+4’ – Cameron Miller (Bad Challenge)
Union Omaha Goal: 90’+4’ – Steevan Dos Santos (1st) (Penalty)
Union Omaha Yellow Card: 90’+7’ – Mark Bronnik (Bad Challenge)
Who Gives A Hoot? 