Welcome to Week 9 of the USL League One season. This week, Union Omaha gets to face an opponent for the first time: Toronto FC II. The match will take place at Grande Sports World in Casa Grande, Arizona. Kickoff time is set for 9 PM (CST) and will air on ESPN+.
Toronto FC II is coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw against North Texas SC from last Saturday. The Young Reds were ready to leave Texas with three points, but Alex Bruce decided to send Toronto home with a parting gift – a goal in the 90’+ 6 minutes into injury time. The club has only played three matches this season and they are remarkably balanced in their results: 1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw, 4 goals scored, 4 goals conceded, and 4 total points in the standings. I’m sure there’s a sticker or button out there somewhere they’d be honored to receive.
Union Omaha is looking to put a painful 1-0 loss to Forward Madison behind them and get back to the standard of play and excellence with which they are familiar. A goal from Justin Sukow in the 58th minute was enough to carry the Flamingos past the Owls in the match and the standings. Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims released a video on social media and voiced optimism, despite the loss. In the video, he stated eagerness to let the players recover and prepare for tonight’s battle in Arizona.
Toronto FC II and Union Omaha have never played one another, so tonight will be interesting. After watching their matches and reviewing their stats, the Young Reds are pretty one dimensional. Offensive production comes almost entirely from the left side. Left back Luca Petrasso and left midfielder Themi Antonoglou generate a lot of traffic and produce chances for forward Garrett McLaughlin, the leading scorer for the team. A hiccup in their offense is their central midfielders, Enric Bermat and Mehdi Essoussi. When the team is advancing up the field, Essoussi likes to drive forward and penetrate the final third, while Bermat often seeks comfort in passing back to the backline. This can, and does, create confusion and frustration for the topline because of the frequent mixed signals.
Here’s three key areas to watch for during tonight’s match:
- Initial point of pressure:
You’ve read about their offensive tendencies, so how will Jay Mims look to counter those habits and turn them into opportunities for the offense? The Owls have plenty of speed and endurance up top, a surplus of aggression in the midfield, and an unforgiving backline. Union Omaha could easily organize a game plan that will allow them to corner Toronto FC II into a small area and force turnovers.
- Closing down the lanes:
This feeds off of the first area, but deserves to be discussed alone. One of the biggest deficits in Union Omaha’s pressure is their lack of shape as the ball moves around the field. Don’t get me wrong, the players keep their lines with great discipline, but I’m talking about taking the defensive pressure to another level. Some coaches like to set up triangles, some like squares or diamonds. Either way, as that shape is transitioned around the field and communicated among the players, the opposition has a greater level of difficulty finding passing lanes and opportunities to move the ball up the field. If the Owls can tighten up this defensive procedure, look for Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu to have a lonely night between the posts.
- Recover that swagger:
Last week’s match was not fun. There, I said it. Last season, the team went undefeated through eight matches before losing for the first time in club history. What happened after that first lost? They lost two more before finding their winning ways again. This year, the club went four matches before losing. Sure, there are more matches this season, so a missed opportunity here or there is easy to excuse, but the team has to move past the loss and regain control of the season. With the additions to the already-loaded roster, and the great coaching staff, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t be battling for the top two spots in the standings and playoff race. Let’s hope the team can return to their winning ways.
Tonight’s match is the last time Toronto FC II will play a match in Casa Grande, Arizona. The next time the Young Reds have a home match, it will take place in Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. The club has won and lost a match while in Casa Grande and look to close out their temporary residency on a high note.
Union Omaha is still plugging their way through a six-match road trip and Toronto is the fifth match in that tour. During the excursion, the club has racked-up three wins, one draw, and one loss. A win tonight will see the club rise in the standings, tie Greenville for first place, and set up a high-profile matchup with Forward Madison on Sunday afternoon.
Tonight’s match has the makings to be a demonstrative statement for both clubs. A win for either side would cast away doubts currently looming over the club. A loss for either side would double the doubts of the club’s direction. Make sure to send your good vibes down to Casa Grande and the Owls. They need your support, so show them some love.
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