Union Omaha opened their season against regional foe Forward Madison on Saturday night. After 90 minutes and a couple of lead changes, the two sides concluded their evening with a 2-2 draw. For the fourth time in seven matches, a victor was not decided over the span of 90 minutes, nor did either team score more than two goals. Union Omaha looked to have multiple chances to add to the score line throughout the match, but just couldn’t make it happen.
In the first half, both sides battled to establish their strategies and their rigidity was tested time and time again. It didn’t take long before first-year Owl Hugo Kametani broke the deadlock with a wonderful effort in the box. In the 15th minute, Kametani had his back to Forward Madison’s goal, received a pass from Noe Meza, was able to turn his body after a touch on the ball, and launched the ball into the roof of the net. Tonight was Kametani’s second start overall for Union Omaha, but the first start in league play and his goal celebration showed everyone in Breese Stevens Field how much he cared. Union Omaha elation would only last so long because Forward Madison was bound and determined to spoil the reigning champions and their first regular season match.
Just before the 36th minute, Forward Madison’s Derek Gebhard was able to draw a foul in the penalty box. Audi Jepson stepped up and converted the well-taken penalty kick, his first goal of the season. It was an interesting decision by Forward Madison to allow Jepson to take the penalty, considering he wasn’t able to score in 22 appearances and 14 starts during the 2021 season. That’s not an insult to the man, but actually a compliment to his impact on the new management. It wouldn’t be a Forward Madison versus Union Omaha match without late-half drama and this time Union Omaha would be the provider.
In the 45+3’, Union Omaha had a corner that was partially cleared away from Forward Madison’s goal. Unfortunately for the Flamingos, the ball fell to Union Omaha captain Conor Doyle’s feet. Big mistake. After a couple of touches, Doyle lobbed the ball back into the box, where JP Scearce was able to win the aerial battle to give Union Omaha their second lead of the night. Just a minute later, the halftime whistle sounded, but the drama of the evening wasn’t finished.
The second half was a tightly-contested affair until the 70th minute. Union Omaha’s defense had done a pretty good job of controlling the flow of traffic in the middle of the field, but a complete defensive breakdown left them vulnerable and Forward Madison’s Jeremiah Streng was there to send the ball to the bottom left corner. With the score level again, both sides were throwing everything they had into finding the late winner, but neither side could make it happen. The single point earned in the match will be a valuable addition to each club’s point total at the end of the season, as we saw how close the 2021 season ended, but there was also an air of discontent because of missed opportunities throughout the match.
Next match for Forward Madison: Saturday, April 16th @ FC Tucson
Next match for Union Omaha: Saturday, April 16th @ South Georgia Tormenta
Stay tuned for in-depth analysis and match discussions from Who Gives A Hoot on our website and the podcast. If you’re already subscribed to both the website and the podcast, you’ll receive reminders when new material is available for your pleasure. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
Scoring Summary
OMA: 15’ – Hugo Kametani (assisted by Noe Meza)
MAD: 36’ – Audi Jepson (penalty)
OMA: 45+3’ – John Scearce (assisted by Conor Doyle)
MAD: 70’ – Jeremiah Streng (unassisted)
Discipline Summary
MAD: 26’ – Nazeem Bartman
MAD: 30’ – Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu
MAD: 38’ – Eric Leonard
OMA: 47’ – Conor Doyle
MAD: 57’ – Michael Maldonado
OMA: 67’ – Joseph Brito
Substitution Summary
45’ – MAD: Jeremiah Streng replaced Nazeem Bartman
45’ – MAD: Cyrus Rad replaced Cesar Murillo
66’ – MAD: Matheus Cassini replaced Audi Jepson
71’ – MAD: Rojay Smith replaced Derek Gebhard
81’ – OMA: Ricardo Rivera replaced Dion Acoff
81’ – OMA: Giovanni Montesdeoca replaced Joseph Brito
85’ – MAD: Justin Sukow replaced Abdou Mbacke Thiam
88’ – OMA : Gabriel Claudio replaced Hugo Kametani
90+4’ – OMA: Alex Bruce replaced JP Scearce (injury)
Who Gives A Hoot? 