It’s Week 24, Búhos fans! As each week passes, the next matches get bigger and bigger. Think about Cardi B’s cousin’s friend’s current dilemma, then think even bigger. These matches mean a lot. By the way, don’t google that tweet while on a work computer. You’ve been warned. This week, Union Omaha finds itself playing against a familiar foe in North Texas SC. As the Owls travel down to Arlington, Texas, they look to continue riding their current wave of positive results. When the clubs take the field at Globe Life Park, they’ll be meeting for the second time in three weeks. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 PM (CST) on Sunday and, as usual, ESPN+ will provide the live broadcast.
Whereas Union Omaha comes into this contest riding high, North Texas SC seems to have lost its way. The FC Dallas developmental club has lost two in a row, is winless in their last six matches, and faces a Union Omaha squad that has managed better results on the road than at home this season. Last week, North Texas visited South Georgia Tormenta and returned home empty-handed, much like the week before, as well. North Texas team manager, Eric Quill, is certainly working overtime to make sure his squad finishes the season on a positive note. North Texas will need to address their scoring woes on Sunday night because in their last five matches, they’ve been outscored 2-5. Union Omaha will be focused on expanding that goal differential before the final whistle blows.
On the other end of the field, Union Omaha fixed their scoring issue and found results to keep up with Chattanooga at the top of the table. The Owls and Chattanooga Red Wolves are currently even on points, but Union Omaha has two games in hand. Advantage: Union Omaha. The Owls have played 11 away matches entering Sunday night’s clash and only lost two of those matches, both by a single goal. Union Omaha’s manager, Jay Mims, displayed a great sense of relief with the home win over Toronto FC II last week. In a social media post by the club, Mims was seen repeatedly pumping his fists, saying the three points were “huge,” and expressed many thanks to all of the fans who made it to Werner Park for the match.
Going back to last season, Union Omaha and North Texas SC have played each other four times. Union Omaha has one win in the series and the rest of the results were draws. The total amount of goals scored in those four matches comes out to a 4-3 advantage for Union Omaha. When the two clubs meet face-to-face, both sides are more likely to earn yellow and red cards, instead of goals. In the four matches already discussed, there have been a total of 20 yellow cards and 2 straight red cards. With North Texas SC sitting in 8th Place with 26 points, they are only one point away from the playoff cutoff point right now. A win would place them in a much more comfortable position to sneak into the playoffs. Getting into postseason play may come down to the very last week of the regular season, which coincidentally, is another match between Union Omaha and North Texas SC in Arlington. It’s going to be a very interesting series of weeks to finish the season.
It’s difficult to really dial in on what differentiates these two clubs. They’re both fast, very physical, and work hard to disrupt their opponent early in their attack. North Texas will win the possession battle and will probably have higher-quality passes, too. The true decider could easily come down to two areas: duels won and movement off the ball. With as physical and aggressive as North Texas SC is, Union Omaha will have their work cut out for them to protect their ground and secure the ball after the challenge. There will be a lot of duels, both on the ground and in the air, so the Owls will need to stay strong and use their opponent’s center of gravity against themselves. Movement off the ball will be crucial as well, just as fans saw from the Owls last week against Toronto FC II. When Devin Boyce and Greg Hurst combined for that slick first goal of the match, it wouldn’t have happened without Boyce’s continued run after passing to Hurst. It takes a lot of situational awareness to make those decisions, but Union Omaha has shown that same ability in countless other instances. There’s an intelligence and chemistry among the squad at the moment, so hopefully they’ll continue to take advantage of their run of recent form.
Alright, Búhos Nation, we need to talk some business. As you may or may not know, Union Omaha will be playing their next home match, against FC Tucson, inside Creighton University’s own Morrison Stadium on Saturday, September 18th at 7 PM (CST). I haven’t heard any indication of the match being a sellout, so we need you all to speak with your friends, family members, co-workers, dog walker, mail deliverer, etc. This is a huge opportunity to show the club what it may look like to have their matches in a soccer-specific stadium, in a downtown location, and supported by a larger-than-usual supporter base. Last week’s attendance was the lowest of the season, so let’s make sure next week’s match is the biggest in history. FC Tucson is a quality club with a strong possibility of making the playoffs. Maybe the two clubs will meet again in November. Who knows? In case that does happen, let’s make Morrison Stadium an imposing atmosphere and take them off their game. We know you love and support the Owls, so gather your crew, purchase your tickets, come to the pregame meetup at the Session Room, and bring the energy to Morrison Stadium! ¡Viva Búhos!
Who Gives A Hoot? 