North Carolina (8-5-14, 11th Place) vs Union Omaha (10-11-6, 3rd Place)
All competitions: NC (8-5-15) vs OMA (14-11-7)
WakeMed Soccer Park – Cary, North Carolina
6:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
Union Omaha looks to lock up a playoff berth in tonight’s road match against North Carolina FC. The match kicks off at 6 PM (CST) and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Despite sitting in 11th place in the USL League One standings, North Carolina is still mathematically in the race for the playoffs. With a loss tonight, all of those hopes get thrown out the window, as they’ll be eliminated from playoff contention. In their last 10 matches, they’ve only managed to collect 11 points, while scoring 10 goals. This is a stark contrast to the first half of the season, where the club spent 12 of the first 15 weeks above the playoff threshold. Every week since Week 16, the club has sat in either 10th or 11th place.
In the first half of the season, North Carolina was highly reliant upon forward Garrett McLaughlin. By Week 15, McLaughlin had scored 8 goals and was leading the Golden Boot Race. While he may still be in the race for the Golden Boot, the second of the season has seen his goal-scoring capabilities drop ever so slightly, scoring 6 goals in 13 matches. The next closest goal scorer for North Carolina is Oalex Anderson with 5 goals in 23 appearances. The club, as a whole, has managed to only 1 more goal than Union Omaha this season, yet they have also allowed 17 more goals into their own net.
For Union Omaha, this is the perfect week to focus on their game, finish their chances, and return to Omaha with three points in hand. Despite dropping three of their last five, Union Omaha’s offense has looked very potent. Case in point: the Northern Colorado match. Union Omaha was pressing relentlessly and serving balls across the goalmouth time and time again. The only thing missing was a finisher on the receiving end of those crosses, who was more often in a full out stretch in an attempt to connect with the ball. The Owls are so close to clicking. The buildup play is looking good, possessions are more confident, and the players are keeping the game within reach. Keep believing.
With his goal against Northern Colorado, Noe Meza has extended his lead as the club’s leading goal scorer with 9 goals. JP Scearce is right behind him with 7 goals. Joe Brito and Conor Doyle have been creating chances in the attacking third, as well. Doyle has been displaying a true marksman ability with his offensive acumen and passing into the final third. His vision has been a true blessing for the Owls as they set up around the penalty area, or squeezing a pass into tight spaces. Speaking of leadership, Daltyn Knutson has been leading the charge of the backline, keeping the line tight, and dominating his duels in recent weeks. His experience is on full display as the veteran routinely thwarts the opponent. There’s never enough that can be said of goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu. Club’s know who they are shooting against, but just as a good reminder, Nuhu should wear golden gloves every week. There’s a good reason why he’s wining that race.
These two clubs concluded their season series tonight and it hasn’t been pretty for North Carolina. While the first match was a hard-fought draw in Cary, North Carolina, the following match was the exact opposite. With the sun setting and the wind blowing, the match kicked off. Less than 20 seconds after the whistle blew, Union Omaha was on top, thanks to a goal from goalkeeper Kevin Piedrahita. Then, mere minutes later, Corey Hertzog sent a curler into the far post to double lead. Meza tripled the lead in the 17th minute, then quadrupled the score in the 58th minute. Only one player has scored more than one goal in this series: Noe Meza. Frustrations grew for North Carolina, who saw more red cards than goals scored. The club suffered two red cards in the second half, one straight and one soft. By the time the final whistle blew, Union Omaha had finished bludgeoning the 9-man North Carolina team with a score of 4-1.
Just as Union Omaha fans were recovering from the bye week and ramping up their excitement for tonight’s match, the club made an announcement on Friday. In the press release, the club announced the signing of goalkeeper Christian Eduardo Olivera. Depending on the approval of league and federation, he could be available as soon as tonight. The highly-touted goalkeeper will be a great addition to the team, with quality learning experiences from the veteran players ahead of him, as well as the coaching staff.
If you aren’t headed to the Benson Theater tonight, make sure you find yourself in front of a television before kickoff. This is going to be a great night of Union Omaha soccer and you don’t want to miss a second of it! Wherever you find yourself tonight, wear the colors proudly and be loud for the Owls. Cheer them on to victory and the playoffs. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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