Union Omaha Signs Two More

On Tuesday afternoon, Union Omaha continued to excite fans by announcing the signing of two players for the upcoming 2023 season. Center forward Steevan Dos Santos and defender Sebastian Sanchez were revealed as new members of the roster. Both announcements give Búhos Nation reason to celebrate, one for an established history of excellence and the other with a very promising future ahead of him.

Steevan Dos Santos is a proven competitor in the USL Championship landscape, with stops at Rochester Rhinos, Ottawa Fury FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Tampa Bay Rowdies. Each club allowed Dos Santos to experience both personal and club success, as he was a part of the 2015 Rochester Rhinos who won the regular season and playoff title. At Ottawa, Dos Santos was regularly recognized as a top offensive threat in the Eastern Conference. In the combined 85 appearances between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, Dos Santos scored 31 goals and earned 4 assists. The 6’4” Cape Verdean terrorized defenses with his aerial challenges.

In the club’s press release, Head Coach Dominic Casciato and General Manager Peter Marlette offered their excitement for the signing.

“I’m delighted to have brought in a proven goal scorer like Steevan,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “His record speaks for itself. He’s a player I’ve tracked for a long time and comes highly recommended from Neil Collins at the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he has been competing at a high-level day-in and day-out for the last couple of seasons. I am sure our fans will love the impact he will make on our front line, and I’m looking forward to seeing his experience and quality come into our locker room as we build a united group this pre-season.”

“Steevan is exactly the type of player we set out to find at the beginning of the offseason,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said. “He’s an experienced goal scorer with the physicality and ability to give League One defenders serious problems. I expect him to not only score goals himself but also allow the players around him to find the net often.”

Steevan Dos Santos even included a short, but enthusiastic quote to the press release. “I’m very excited to be a part of the team!” Dos Santos said.

The second signing of the day included Sebastian Sanchez, a 19 year old defender from Akron, Ohio. While still signed on with USL Championship club Louisville City FC, he’s being loaned to Union Omaha for the 2023 season, with his home club retaining the rights to recall. After having spent time in Louisville City’s academy program, Sanchez was loaned out to South Georgia Tormenta last season. Sanchez returned from his loan just in time to make his professional debut in a USL Championship match against Rio Grande Valley FC. In 2022, Sanchez was named to the USL Academy League Finals All-Tournament Team. Just a year before that, he was named as a Kentucky All-State selection while at Ballard High School.

Head Coach Dominic Casciato was appreciative of the loan spell from Louisville City FC. “Sebastian is a talented young player that joins us on loan for the season from a top USL Championship club in Louisville City,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “Seb has been in a changing room that knows how to win, and he has a great mentality, so I’m looking forward to seeing him compete with our more experienced center backs over the course of the year. We’re thankful to Danny Cruz at Louisville for sending Sebastian to us as he enters an important phase of his career.”

General Manager Peter Marlette expressed his excitement for the loan this season. “Sebastian has incredible pedigree as a young player,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said. “He’s coming to us from one of the best clubs in all of USL, and like them, we see a lot of potential in him.”

Sanchez recognized Union Omaha’s championship-winning history in his quote for the press release. “I am super excited to get started with Union Omaha!” Sanchez said. “I can’t wait to help the Owls fight for another championship!”

Union Omaha’s preseason schedule kicks off in less than two weeks, which can only mean more announcements to come. With each update from the club comes more content from Who Gives A Hoot, so like, follow, and subscribe for more content straight to your inbox and homescreen. Check out all of the links to our social media accounts below to make sure you’re caught up on all of the latest content from Who Gives A Hoot. As always…¡Viva Búhos!