Union Omaha (10-10-4, 2ndPlace) vs Richmond (12-5-7, 1st Place)
All competitions: OMA (14-10-5) vs RIC (14-5-8)
Werner Park – Papillion, Nebraska
7:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
It’s a battle for the top spot in the league as the top-seeded Richmond Kickers make their first visit to Werner Park in 11 months. Get to Werner Park early, pack the stadium, and make some noise ahead of the 7 PM kickoff.
Richmond is riding high after two straight wins against current top-6 clubs. Last week, Richmond hosted Tormenta FC and defeated them with a final score of 3-1. Two weeks prior, Richmond hosted Union Omaha and punished them with a 3-0 win – the worst league loss for the Owls since their first season in USL League One, back in 2020. When Richmond plays at home, they are a force to be reckoned with. On the road…not so much.
Across 11 league games on the road this season, Richmond has only captured 14 points. Even worse: when facing current top-6 clubs on the road, Richmond has only captured 4 points across 4 games, being outscored 4-7. Tonight’s game means a lot to them, as a loss could irreparably harm their chances of earning a first-round bye and ensure an away game in the semifinals. The club has six games left in their regular season, three of which are away games against current top-six clubs. If they are to win tonight, they will need offensive production, which is good news for them.
Richmond has an arsenal of goal scorers, chance creators, and shot takers. Case in point: forwards Emiliano Terzaghi and Jonathan Bolanos. Terzaghi is the current Golden Boot leader by three goals, having scored 15 goals across 24 appearances. The next highest scorer on the Kickers is Bolanos with 6 goals in 15 appearances. Terzaghi and Bolanos lead, or nearly lead, in virtually every offensive statistics under the Kicker’s roof this season. Another high-profile threat on their roster is midfielder Nil Vinyals, who leads the club with 42 chances created. On defense, the club boasts one of the league’s better goalkeepers, as well. Akira Fitzgerald leads the league with 79 saved shots on goal. With only five clean sheets, he may not be the Golden Glove winner, but he’s not far out of the conversation.
Union Omaha has experienced their share of highs and lows in recent weeks, but tonight could certainly erase those lows and set up an exciting sprint to the finish line. After suffering their worst league loss in club history while on the road at Richmond, the Owls immediately shrugged off that performance with home victories against Forward Madison and Chattanooga, both while playing a man down. Those highs were once again faced with an equally poor road performance, as then last-placed FC Tucson repeated Richmond’s scoreline of 3-0. With only a point separating the Owls from the Kickers, Union Omaha could put themselves in a great position to not only receive a first-round bye, but also capture the regular season title.
These two clubs have only face each other a grand total of five times, with only two of those occasions taking place in Werner Park. Richmond hasn’t scored inside the confines of Werner Park in two years. Union Omaha has only one victory across all five matchups, Richmond has two, and the rest were draws. These matchups have tended to attract yellow cards, but it has never been anything worrisome or egregious. There has never been a red card shown when these two clubs face each other, either.
Tonight will be a crucial match, so don’t miss out on any of the action. Whether you’re on the berm, in the stands, or watching at home, cheer loudly and make sure the Owls feel an extra dose of inspiration. Three points tonight will be huge, so be loud! As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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