If you turned on ESPN+ on Sunday, June 6th and saw Union Omaha playing Forward Madison in Omaha, you’re TV was not playing tricks on you. Yes, Union Omaha was in Madison, Wisconsin ten days prior. Yes, Union Omaha was back for another match. And most importantly – yes, this match finished with better results than the prior visit. Union Omaha would end the six-game road tour with a 2-1 winagainst Forward Madison.
The Flamingos entered the match on Sunday undefeated and eager to continue their climb up the USL League One standings. Before kickoff, both teams were tied for third place with 11 points. Despite limited capacity, over 2,000 fans showed up for the sold-out match at Breese Stevens Field. The atmosphere was jovial before kickoff, but that’s probably because it was “Bring Your Dog Day” at the stadium and the four-legged friends were there in full force, as well.
In Week 8, the two clubs met for their first showdown of the 2021 season. Forward Madison scored the lone goal in the 58th minute off of a defensive error. The Flamingos utilized both sides of the field, incorporated many players in each possession, and showcased their calmness and organization while on offense. Week 9 played out a bit differently.
Forward Madison started the match and immediately looked to pressure the right corner, but Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu easily collected the cross into the box. During Union Omaha’s following possession, Nuhu sent the ball far into the Forward Madison half and goalkeeper Philip Breno started another offensive series. Fans of both clubs expected Union Omaha to send a lone disrupter, while the rest of the team sat back slightly and waited for Forward Madison to approach the Union Omaha half of the field. Here’s where Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims changed his tactic for this visit to Madison.
When the Flamingos had possession in their own half, the Owls pressed high, early, and aggressively. The two forwards, Emir Alihodžić and Greg Hurst, set a high line for initial point of pressure. Immediately behind them, the disruption duo of Nic Firmino and JP Scearce thwarted many attempts by Forward Madison to utilize their players in the middle to swing the ball and distribute the ball away from pressure. Forward Madison still had a majority of the possession to start the match, but their possessions were shorter, under greater duress, and less organized. Omaha’s tactic prevented Madison from settling into their possession, gaining confidence, and forced key central players like center midfielder Aaron Molloy and center forward Jake Keegan to the flanks to support their teammates. This resulted in a lot of key turnovers for Union Omaha. You know what else helps take a quality team like Forward Madison out of their rhythm? An early conceded goal. Let me be more specific: an early goal conceded via an own goal.
In the 7th minute, Union Omaha had a throw-in inside of Forward Madison’s half. Dámi Viader threw to Nic Firmino, who centered it to JP Scearce. Firmino had the great presence of mind to make a run to the corner and Scearce rewarded him with a through-ball to the corner. Not wasting any time, Firmino centered the ball into the penalty area, near the penalty spot, where Emir Alihodžić was tussling with Tyler Allen and Audi Jepson. What happened next was a flurry of legs attempting to connect with the ball. With the blink of an eye, the ball was in the net, but what happened? While Forward Madison players and fans were trying to solve that puzzle, Union Omaha players and fans were whipped into a celebratory frenzy. By the end of the match, the goal would be credited to Tyler Allen as an own goal. An early goal on the road is a great way to throw a wrench into the home team’s game plan. It’s also a great way to remove the home crowd from the match for a while.
Within the next three minutes, Union Omaha had opportunities to double their lead, but none of them found their way home. The Owls had a free kick in the 9th minute and two corner kicks immediately afterward. There was an improvement in set piece discipline, as services from Dámi Viader had greater success of connecting with a teammate. The set-piece goal against Toronto FC II earlier in the week must have increased confidence in the Owls.
The rest of the first half was a process of trial and error for Forward Madison. Due to Union Omaha’s defensive setup, Madison players were being pulled out of position. Center midfielder Aaron Molloy was camped out farther back than usual. Under ideal circumstances, Molloy is the playmaker and maestro for the offense. Molloy likes to play long passes to keep the defense unbalanced. Against Omaha, he was often seen settling in his own half and providing relief to players on the right side of the field. His absence in Union Omaha’s half came at a great relief to the Owl’s defense. With his caliber removed from scoring opportunities, Forward Madison had to look elsewhere for inspiration. Here are some numbers showing how Molloy was limited to maintaining possession, instead of exercising creativity in Union Omaha’s half:
| Week 8 | Week 9 | ||
| Long Passes | Short Passes | Long Passes | Short Passes |
| 12 | 66 | 3 | 78 |
Other players were pulled into providing relief, as well. Left midfielder Audi Jepson resorted to floating into the middle of the field, filling the void left behind by Aaron Molloy’s absence. He still found opportunities to work along the left sideline, combining with left forward Tyler Allen to battle for possession. No one on the left side of the field had a shot on target in the first half. If you include left back Jiro Barriga Toyama into the stats, the three players lined up on the left side of the field only completed two long passes, both coming from Jiro.
A ray of hope came for the Flamingos in the 35th minute. After Dámi Viader fouled Derek Gebhard, Forward Madison set up a set piece in a threatening position. The initial threat was cleared by Union Omaha defender Daltyn Knutson, but Madison left midfielder Justin Suckow recovered the loose ball in the middle of the field, evaded Devin Boyce, and found Jake Keegan at the top of the 18-yard box. Surrounded by defenders Daltyn Knutson and Jacob Crull, Keegan was still able to make his way between the duo and find a goal-scoring opportunity. After turning over his right shoulder, he was faced with a clear window of the goal and slotted home a perfectly-placed shot. Goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu wasn’t even able to make a genuine attempt at saving the shot. The ball was placed too well and had too much pace. The goal evened the scoreboard, was Keegan’s fourth of the season, and Forward Madison’s first goal scored in the first half. The first half would end in a tie, just like every other matchup between the two clubs.
The second half began and Union Omaha had to find a way to quash any momentum from Forward Madison. That opportunity came during a free kick in the 51st minute. Dámi Viader was fouled inside the opposing half and opened the door for a goal-scoring opportunity. The ball sat inside Forward Madison’s half, on the right side, and was soon passed down the sideline to Devin Boyce. While carrying the ball, Boyce was able to pick out Emir Alihodžić near the top of Forward Madison’s goal area, the 6-yard box. Boyce crossed the ball and Alihodžić was able to head the ball toward the near post. Goalkeeper Philip Breno lept to his side, completely parallel to the ground, arm stretched out, and could only get his fingertips on the ball. The net danced, but not to the tune of the winds. This time, it was to the spirit and good fortunes of Union Omaha. The players rushed into celebrations, fans jumped with arms held high, and vocal chords were pushed to their limit. It wasn’t a last-second, Disney-style finish, though. There were still 39 minutes, plus extra time, to be played.
Forward Madison made some adjustments almost immediately upon the restart. Right midfielder Justin Suckow floated in toward the middle and often paired-up with center midfielder Aaron Molloy. The Flamingos were looking to keep Molloy more central and provide him the support he needed to be able to return to his strengths. The pair of midfielders were able to push their positions higher up the field than they could in the first half, causing a lot more build-up play on the flanks.
Right back Christian Diaz and right forward Derek Gebhard worked together quite a bit, as well. Diaz covered a lot of ground in the second half in order to secure the right flank. Gebhard made a positional concession and sat back much farther on the field than he would normally like. His new positioning worked in his favor, as there were several moments in the second half when the quartet of Gebhard, Diaz, Molloy, and Suckow executed some effective combination play, got behind the Union Omaha defense, and could look to create chances. By the end of the second half, the four players were only able to amass the following stats:
| Goals | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Unsuccessful Crosses | Successful Crosses |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 |
Even with an extended extra time, the Flamingos were unable to earn a tying goal. With the loss, Forward Madison lost their first match of the season and found themselves in fourth place with 11 points. Their next match is another home match, this time against fifth-placed Richmond Kickers on Saturday, June 12th at 7 PM (CST) on ESPN+.
With the win and three points, Union Omaha is the temporary crown-wearer of the league with 14 points. The Owls finished their six-match road trip and return home to Omaha for a matchup against ninth-placed New England Revolution II. The match is scheduled for Saturday, June 12th at 7 PM (CST) on ESPN+. Make sure to arrive at Werner Park early and join the tailgate beforehand. There will be food, beverages, games, music, and plenty of supporters to meet.
Did you know that Greenland has never been able to become a member of FIFA, UEFA, or CONCACAF soccer federations? The country is unable to grow grass for soccer fields due to the permafrost that covers the land. You’ll have an easier time becoming a member of The Parliament, I promise. We don’t require grass for membership, so you’re in luck. Who Gives A Hoot Media doesn’t require memberships, either. We’ll continue to dish out our finest content for all of you, free of charge. Make sure to check back to the website frequently because we have regular updates of podcast episodes and articles for your reading pleasure. Be sure to find us on social media, as well. We appreciate your continued following and look forward to sharing more entertainment with you.
Who Gives A Hoot? 
Gre
LikeLike