After the two signings on Tuesday, Union Omaha made even more progress with their 2023 roster on Thursday afternoon as the club announced the re-signing of veteran Owl and central midfielder Conor Doyle. Having spent the last two seasons with the club, Doyle has been a key part of several historic moments in Omaha, namely the 2021 USL League One Championship and the 2022 US Open Cup run. The 31 year old pulled the strings in the midfield last season, showed his high soccer intelligence time, and took on a greater leadership role, as well.
During the 2022 season, Doyle played in every match, was never subbed off, earned three assists, and even scored his first two goals for the Owls. He also led the team in passes, passes per 90 minutes, and interceptions. Even with these impressive stats, Doyle’s biggest asset to the club had to be observed on film, not the stat sheet.
| GP | Starts | Min | P | P % | P90 | |
| 2021 | 30 | 28 | 2528 | 966 | 73.2 | 34.4 |
| 2022 | 31 | 28 | 2577 | 1322 | 76.7 | 46.2 |
Since his signing, Doyle has been on the receiving end of recurring praise for his observational skills, anticipation, and ability to change the flow of the game during play. In the club’s press release, Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato alluded to that very same quality. “I’m delighted to have Conor back with the squad this year,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “When I was looking at games from last season, he was a player that stood out to me for so many reasons – technical quality, game understanding, experience and leadership. I am really looking forward to working with him, and I am sure the rest of the guys will be thrilled that he will be back in the locker room this year.”
Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette doled out compliments, while also explaining just how important a signing Conor Doyle is to the 2023 Union Omaha squad. “Conor is one of the best midfielders there is at this level,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said. “His range of passing, reading of the game, experience and leadership will all be pivotal for us in 2023. Bringing Conor back was one of my biggest goals this offseason and we’re thrilled to have him with us again.”
Doyle shared his own encouragement for the upcoming season. “I’m excited to be returning along with the core of players we have coming back!” Doyle said. “I can’t wait to get started and back out in front of our fans! I look forward to working with Dom and hopefully continuing the success this club has had over its first three years.”
While the 2022 team captain hasn’t been named as the man wearing the armband in the upcoming season, his inclusion to the roster is sure to generate enough excitement as it is. With his signing, the Union Omaha roster is now up to 13 players.
There’s sure to be more exciting news coming out of the Union Omaha Front Office in the coming weeks and months, so keep checking in with Who Gives A Hoot for the latest news, content, and podcast episodes. The newest episode of the podcast will be posted any day now and the social media accounts are frequently covering your favorite club, so “like”, “follow”, and “subscribe” to your main source for Union Omaha coverage. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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