Union Omaha (9-10-3, 3rd Place) vs Chattanooga Red Wolves (9-6-8, 4th Place)
All competitions: OMA (13-10-4) vs CHA (9-6-9)
Werner Park – Papillion, Nebraska
7:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
Union Omaha welcomes the Chattanooga Red Wolves to Werner Park for the second time in five weeks. Both clubs look to stay in the hunt for a first-round playoff bye, but a loss for either side tonight could spell danger. Kick off at Werner Park is scheduled for 7 PM (CST) and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Red Wolves are back in the pack and looking like a potential contender for a first-round playoff bye, especially after extending their undefeated streak to eight weeks. Before that streak, the team was in eighth place and facing a lot of doubts about their season. Since then, the team has rallied and created a narrative in which they have looked like a contender. In the midst of their current steak, they have tied an unpredictable Northern Colorado Hailstorm team at home, tied Union Omaha on the road, defeated Central Valley Fuego on the road, defeated Greenville at home, tied Forward Madison on the road, and defeated Tormenta at home. That’s quite an impressive run to keep intact. They will look to extend that streak tonight with the help of some high performers on their roster.
Chattanooga is a team that scores a lot of goals while not letting in many. The club may only have three clean sheets this season, but they separate themselves from their opponent pretty easily. In their nine wins this season, they averaged a goal differential of just over two goals. Their goal-scoring leader, Juan Galindrez, has collected 10 goals and is only 4 behind the current leader for the Golden Boot award. It’s hard to discuss the Red Wolves without mentioning the flashy Brazilian Rafa Mentzingen, who is an overall offensive powerhouse for the team. If the Red Wolves were a cell, Mentzingen would be the mitochondria. Apologies for the cheesy science joke. Moving on.
The Owls are finishing off another week of action which included a midweek match. On Wednesday, Union Omaha faced off against regional rival Forward Madison and, despite going down a man early in the second half, found a way to collect three points. Union Omaha’s Corey Hertzog jumped on a loose ball during a corner kick and buried the game winner in the 77th minute. The three points lifted the Owls to within one point of Richmond and Greenville, who occupy the top two spots in the league at the moment. With a game in hand, Union Omaha can still take sole possession of the leaderboard, but will have to keep pace with the clubs at the top and win their game in hand. Tonight is another opportunity for the Owls to put pressure on the clubs above them.
The last time these two met, back in Week 18, Chattanooga scored in the first half, something they hadn’t been able to do since the first time these two clubs met almost two years ago. Union Omaha’s defense was able to hold off forwards Juan Galindrez and Alex Tejera, but the central midfield pairing of Jimmie Villalobos and José Carrera-Garcia were constantly threatening the Owls with their passing. The Red Wolves held a lead entering the late stages of the game, but then midfielder Pedro Hernandez received his second yellow card and Union Omaha took advantage of the opportunity. It wasn’t until the third minute of second-half stoppage time when Chavany Willis donned his cape and saved the Owls from dropping points. His strike from well outside the box was not only sublime, but gained enough votes to earn Willis the Goal of the Week.
This is another crucial matchup, so you don’t want to miss any of the action. If you’re looking to have some fun before gates open, head over to Werner Park early and enjoy the tailgate sights, scenes, and smells. Tonight is Cancer Awareness Night, presented by XCancer, where “those in our community affected by cancer, including survivors, current patients, or healthcare workers” will be recognized and honored.
After the match, keep up to date with the club by visiting the Who Gives A Hoot website for more Union Omaha content, episodes of the podcast, and articles. Follow us on social media for all of the content you never knew you needed related to the Owls. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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