FC Tucson (2-1-5, 11th Place) vs. Union Omaha (2-4-1, 8th Place)
All competitions: TUC (3-1-6) vs. OMA (6-4-1)
Kino North Stadium – Tucson, Arizona
9 PM (CST) ESPN+
Good morning, Búhos Nation, and welcome to Week 11 of USL League One action. Today’s matchup sees the Owls travel down to Tucson, Arizona to battle against FC Tucson, the bottom-dwellers of the league. The match comes with great timing, as FC Tucson has only one victory in their last five outings, including last week’s 1-2 loss at Forward Madison. Union Omaha, on the other hand, is entering the game day undefeated in their last five games and fresh off their first victory against Chattanooga in club history. With a victory today, Union Omaha could climb the table and continue to position themselves favorably, especially with a game in hand.
Believe it or not, Union Omaha fans have plenty of reasons to love FC Tucson. Fans may believe that FC Tucson has that certain je ne sais quoi, but I can spell it out for you in very clear terms: no other club in League One has gifted Union Omaha more points in the standings than FC Tucson – combined, home, or away. In fact, no club has allowed Union Omaha to score more goals on them than FC Tucson. Union Omaha has never dropped a single point when playing in Kino North Stadium: three games, three wins, nine points, and a +6 goal differential. Historically speaking, you won’t find a more accommodating host than FC Tucson. The last time these two clubs met on the playing field, Union Omaha fans were treated to a true gift at home in the second round of the 2021 USL League One playoffs: a 6-1 drubbing. What a wonderful evening.
With that said, FC Tucson has the potential to surprise their opposition. I mean, sure, they’ve played eight games and only won two of them, but both wins were on the road against Chattanooga Red Wolves and South Georgia Tormenta FC, quality opponents this season. That’s as far as you’ll have to look for favorable outcomes. FC Tucson has had three home games this season. In those three home games, they’ve managed to draw once and lose twice. If you look even further into the stats, FC Tucson has more red cards at home than victories. Their red card troubles are bigger than you might think: overall this season, they have more red cards than victories.
As far as tactics go, FC Tucson likes to play slightly more conservative than Union Omaha, but they still like to pass the ball and move forward. Their manager, Jon Pearlman, likes to line up in a 4-3-3, but the formation tends to morph a bit while on offense. They like to do most of their business along the flanks and cross the ball into the box, similar to Union Omaha. While watching FC Tucson, you’ll see that they pass the ball more and their passing is a lot more accurate than Union Omaha. They find the passing lanes and take advantage of those opportunities. On defense, it won’t be hard to notice how physical they are against their opposition. They don’t concede an enormous amount of fouls compared to the rest of the league, but they play a distinctively physical style on defense. The next stat could be a positive or negative, depending on how you interpret it: no single player on FC Tucson’s roster has scored more than one goal. They have eight goals on the season, all scored by a different player (including former Union Omaha defender Jake Crull). While they contribute to the score line as a committee, they also haven’t found a reliable scorer from one week to the next. Interpret it however you’d like.
It’s a late kickoff, so get ready to celebrate another Union Omaha game day for a little longer. There are plenty of watch parties happening across Omaha, so find one closer to where you live, save your gas money, and have a little more fun at the viewing party. There are also some exciting things happening behind the scenes at Who Gives A Hoot, so stay tuned for some exciting content coming your way, including new episodes of the Who Gives A Hoot podcast. If you haven’t listened to the most recent episode, Luke and Ryan have a good conversation with Union Omaha General Manager, Peter Marlette. You don’t want to miss that episode. Wear the colors, join your friends, and have a great game day. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
Who Gives A Hoot? 