Union Omaha (6-9-2, 5th Place) vs Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (6-7-7, 8th Place)
All competitions: OMA (10-9-3) vs NCO (8-7-8)
Werner Park – Papillion, Nebraska
7:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
Good morning, Búhos Nation! Welcome to Week 20 of the USL League One regular season. For the seventh time this season, Union Omaha gets to play a home game and this week is a tough matchup against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. Tonight’s kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM (CST), so get to Werner Park early and find your seat, or spot on the berm, and enjoy the action.
Northern Colorado descends from the elevation after playing two home games last week. On Tuesday, the Hailstorm lost to Richmond Kickers 0-1, only to return the favor to Tormenta FC last Saturday, winning 2-0. The split results allowed them to climb a spot in the standings to eighth place, only a point behind the playoff threshold. The Hailstorm are even on games played with most of the league, so they’ll be looking to take advantage of every remaining opportunity to extend their season.
With the likes of forward Irvin Parra, midfielder Arthur Rogers, and defender Rob Cornwall, the Hailstorm is certainly not a team to look beyond. Irvin Parra leads the team with eight goals, only three behind the current leader for the Golden Boot. Arthur Rogers currently leads the league in big chances created. He’s also tied for most assists in League One and has been a recent mainstay on the Team of the Week selections, where defender Rob Cornwall has also seen his name included on multiple occasions. Even their goalkeeper, Johan Peñaranda, has collected two clean sheets in the last four games. When looking at Hailstorm’s roster, you can’t forget about quality players like midfielder Nortei Nortey, forward Lachlan McLean, midfielder Stefan Lukic, and defender Denso Ulysse. This is a deceptively good team that will be extremely dangerous with things finally “click” for them.
Union Omaha is still riding the highs of last week’s road victory over Central Valley Fuego FC. The win was the club’s first since July 16th. JP Scearce saved the day, once again, with another marvelous header, assisted by Conor Doyle following a corner kick. The three points was enough to lift the Owls to fifth place in the standings and back in playoff position – the seventh time this season.
New signings Luis Gil and Corey Hertzog have earned minutes since they were announced and they’ve shown promise on the offense side of the ball. On the defensive side, Union Omaha announced the signing of goalkeeper coach Boris Pardo, who will be valuable to goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu and his attempt to lock up his second consecutive Golden Glove award.
These two clubs have only faced each other twice in the past, once in the US Open Cup and the other time being league play. In the first matchup, held at University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Caniglia Field, Union Omaha defeated Northern Colorado 2-0 in Round 4 (Round of 32) of the US Open Cup. The first time the Hailstorm visited Werner Park came mere weeks later, when the two sides played a scoreless draw. After today’s game, the two clubs will have to wait over a month before Union Omaha heads west for the last matchup of the regular season.
With 64 days left in the USL League One regular season, the tension is starting to build. For Union Omaha’s remaining 13 games, that means an average of less than 5 days between games. In the next week alone, Union Omaha plays three home games. The playoffs are getting closer and the standings are still as tight as they’ve been all season. Third place through ninth place are separated by a mere five points.
There’s not much time left in the season, so cherish the time we have left with the Owls by getting to Werner Park for the remaining games. They need all of our support as they look to finish the regular season on a high note. Speaking of Werner Park, get to the stadium early for the tailgate and get treated to some delicious street tacos and sides. There will also be plenty of beverages, music, and games to play. If you plan on taking part in the Singles Night activities, the tailgate will be a great way to have some fun before you go on your speed dates. Either way, there are plenty of memories to make this season, so be there for every second of it. See you at the stadium and as always…¡Viva Búhos!
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