It’s hard to imagine the holiday season bringing any more happiness, but as usual, Union Omaha found a way to give their fans a quality gift: a roster update!
Yesterday, Union Omaha sent a tweet with a link to the club’s website, announcing the return of five players from the Championship-winning team. This press release is the first update of any roster signings since the 2021 USL League One Championship. Fans can begin to celebrate the return of familiar faces while continuing to speculate about their teammates, as well as any players that saw their stock rise after the Open Tryouts. Either way, the 2022 Union Omaha roster is beginning to take shape and some excellent players are sticking around the Omaha area.
The first player mentioned in the release is Damià Viader. If you painted a portrait of Viader using a different color for each accolade, you’d better be prepared for a very colorful portrait. He was named USL League One Championship MVP, Defender of the Year, and First Team All-League Defender, to name a few. He showcased his talents at left back and left midfielder, leaving no doubt to his domination along the way. His return to club next season is a big step toward Union Omaha having another strong season.
Joining Viader will be Conor Doyle, an integral part of Union Omaha’s offense. Doyle was no stranger to awards, having been named among “Team of the Week” twice throughout the 2021 USL League One regular season. While playing in all 30 of Union Omaha’s 2021 matches, he was able to amass six assists. Even though this past season was his first with the club, manager Jay Mims trusted him by giving him the second-highest amount of minutes played by any Owl on the roster. Doyle’s intelligence on the field will certainly be of great value next season.
JP Scearce is another familiar name to many Union Omaha fans. He’ll be keeping his talents in Werner Park for the 2022 season. [Editors note: JP was one of two players (Dami is the other) who were already under contract for the season.] During the 2021 season, Scearce was a passing, shooting, and tackling machine. His defensive efforts lead the team with the most tackles, most tackles won, most duels, most duels won, most aerial duels, and most aerial duels won. Union Omaha will be more than happy to utilize his talents and work ethic.
If you’re looking for more defense, then you’ll be happy to know that Daltyn Knutson is returning to the club next season, as well. Playing as one of the defensive stalwarts in front of the goal, Knutson lead the team in clearances and blocks in 2021. His presence on the backline was a key factor to Union Omaha’s defensive success. His calmness in the face of chaos will be welcome returning sight for the club.
One player we didn’t see a lot of last season, but could easily see a lot more of in 2022 is Kevin Piedrahita. In his four starts throughout the 2021 season, Piedrahita saved seven shots. The 2021 season was his first with the club, joining the Owls after leaving CD La Equidad, a first-division club from Colombia. His experience at top-level soccer will surely help him in the 2022 season.
There are still plenty of roster announcements to come in the near future, so keep an eye out for more updates from the crew here at Who Gives A Hoot Media. We’ll continue to bring you updates, analysis, and fun episodes of our podcast. The 2022 roster is already looking good with these five players, so while you’re waiting for more news, make sure to let these players know how happy you are to see them return. ¡Viva Búhos!
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