Union Omaha (4-4-2, 8th Place) vs. Charlotte Independence (5-2-6, 5th Place)
All competitions: OMA (8-4-3) vs. CLT (5-2-7)
Werner Park – Papillion, Nebraska
7:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
Good morning, Búhos Nation, and welcome to another week of USL League One action! Week 14 brings a much-needed home match to Union Omaha, as Charlotte Independence ambles into the Omaha area. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM (CST), so make sure you get off work in time to head over to Werner Park or situate yourself in front of a television. Can you think of a better way to kick off the holiday weekend than a Union Omaha home match? Neither can I.
Charlotte Independence had a wild ride in Week 13, losing the midweek match on the road in Chattanooga 1-7. In the Sunday night home match, Charlotte hosted Forward Madison and doled out a similar punishment, winning 6-2. Both results went down as their highest-scoring loss and highest-scoring win of the season so far. While they split results last week, Charlotte still hasn’t fared well in their last five, winning one match and losing the other four. On the road, the picture isn’t any brighter – the Jacks have only one win, one draw, and four losses. More to the point, the Jacks have only scored three goals across five matches and were held scoreless in three of those five matches. They’ve allowed 16 goals when playing as the visitor, which makes their road goal differential -13. Even removing the shellacking from Chattanooga last week, their road goal differential would still be -7. Tonight, they’ll find themselves lined up against a Union Omaha squad headed in the opposite direction.
Week 13 brought Union Omaha another victory, but it wasn’t without its late-game drama. The Owls defeated South Georgia Tormenta FC on the road by a score of 3-2, but allowed an own goal for the second time in three weeks. Nonetheless, the victory lifted the club past Tormenta in the standings and provided a firm hold on 8th place, still with 2 games in hand. In their last 5 matches, the Owls have 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss and have outscored their opponents by a total score of 8-3. At home, Union Omaha has an even record of one win, one draw, and one loss, scored three goals and allowing two. Tonight, the Owls look to reverse the fortunes of their first meeting against Charlotte Independence.
The first, and only, matchup between these two clubs came in Week 5 of the season when Union Omaha traveled down to Charlotte. It took until the second half for the scoreboard to see any action, but Noe Meza delivered an unassisted goal for the Owls in the 65th minute. The Jacks saved all of the drama for the last 10 minutes of the match, scoring in the 83rd minute and sealing the victory in the 90+4th minute. The loss dropped Union Omaha from 2nd place down to 6th place and lifted Charlotte into 3rd place. The clubs are now separated by a single point, but Union Omaha has three games in hand against Charlotte. A win tonight for either club would lift them into third place in the updated standings. There’s a lot on the line, which makes for a great night of soccer for the fans watching.
With only league matches ahead, Union Omaha needs your support now more than ever. It’s a long and arduous journey to get through the season, so make sure your voice is literally heard tonight inside Werner Park. The club has a great chance to climb the standings, continue their run of success, and put on a great show for the fans. There will be a tailgate occurring before the match tonight as well, so if you’re fortunate to get off work in time, head over and hang out with some great people. There’s beautiful weather in the forecast, so take advantage of that opportunity, as well. All in all, it’s going to be a wonderful evening with some great entertainment. Wear the colors, don’t forget your scarf, and bring the noise. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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