On Jan. 14, Union Omaha announced the first batch of signings that will be competing in the 2020 inaugural season. 13 players consisting of local talent, USL experience and international success will represent Union Omaha on the field.
Over the next couple weeks, a detailed description along with videos will be used to showcase the talent of the new players of Union Omaha including any new signing that may pop up from now until match day 1.
This week, the midfield of Tobias Otieno, Christian Molina, Kobe Perez, Austin Panchot and Xavier Gomez will be featured
Tobias Otieno
Otieno comes to Union Omaha from Kenyan Premier League powerhouse Gor Mahia FC. Otieno’s hometown of Kisumu is located on the western half of Kenya on Lake Victoria. The 21 year old will be playing his first football outside of his home nation for the very first time.
The midfielder is a box-to-box player capable of playing defense as well as attacking in a change of possession. He has a strong touch and is capable of finding the open striker in a holding position.
Otieno delivers a perfect half volley pass to his forward. A change of possession led to the ability to huff the ball up the field to the attacker. Otieno was fearless in attempting a difficult ball up the pitch. His athleticism and experience in the Kenyan Premier League will be pivotal to Union Omaha’s 2020 success.
Christian Molina
5-foot-4-inch, Molina, comes to the Owls with a strong pedigree. Molina gained accolades from the Mid-America Conference for his skills leading Northern Illinois Huskies. Molina scored a goal and had three assists during his 2019 campaign.
Molina finds open space to for his teammates to find him outside the box. He turns and passes a perfectly weighted ball to his teammate. His teammate is able to finish a top shelf finish and Molina is credited for the assist.
Kobe Perez
Last year, Perez played in 17 games for South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 where he bagged 3 goals and 3 assists. The Mercer University graduate has great touch along with a great defensive work rate especially in a high pressing team.
Perez pressures the opposing team after they struggle to get out of their own box after a short goal kick. Perez picks the ball off of the weaker defender and uses his skill to get past the keeper for the chip finish. Perez will be a nice option offensively for Coach Mims to choose from.
Austin Panchot
Panchot is one of the winningest players on the Union Omaha roster. He played his college soccer at Indiana University where he participated in two College Cup runs. Last year, he played for USL Championship club, North Carolina FC. Panchot saw the field five times during the season. He completed over 80% of his passes in his midfield role.
Panchot’s goal may not seem spectacular, but it is. His header was the decisive goal for the Hoosiers victory over Notre Dame in the Elite 8. This goal sent Indiana into the College Cup for the second straight year. Panchot knows how to win and to build a winning culture, you need players that win to win.
Xavier Gomez
The most famous of the new signings for the Owls. Gomez will be welcomed back to the city where he played his college soccer like a king. Gomez played for Coach Mims during his college days at University of Nebraska-Omaha until his final season in 2017. Last year, Gomez was the star player for USL League One team, Lansing Ignite. He played in 28 games where he scored 3 goals and added 5 assists while creating the third most chances on his team.
Gomez’s in-swinging ball towards the back post is magnificent. He made this assist in Lansing’s first game of the season in 2019. The height and power coming from his right leg just out of the box will make any attacker’s mouth water while making the defense shiver. Gomez’s quality on free kicks is going to be a thing of beauty for the Owls in 2020.
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