After a first-half stalemate, Union Omaha forward Steevan Dos Santos exploded in the second half, scoring a hat trick and giving the Owls a 4-1 victory over the Charlotte Independence.
Photo courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
It was a perfect night at Werner Park for Union Omaha to conclude their regular season batch of home matches. Fans turned out early and spent time in lines to make sure they could collect the Rashid Nuhu bobblehead promotional gift, sponsored by Nebraska State Soccer. With the pregame energy from the crowd and a high-quality opponent like Charlotte Independence facing off against the homeside, there was little doubt that the action on field would rise to the occasion.
Seemingly immediately after the opening whistle, the competitive juices were flowing on both sides of the ball, as the referee had to contain some early shoving and redirect the focus back to the match at hand. Since both clubs had already clinched a playoff berth, these two teams could see each other again in a few weeks, a thought that wasn’t lost on a single mind inside Werner Park.
Midway through the first half, Union Omaha broke the deadlock with a goal from midfielder Joe Gallardo. After a defensive clearance sent the ball towards the midline, suddenly the Owls pounced on the clearance and turned it into an offensive opportunity. Dion Acoff carried the ball toward the goal line, spotted an open Gallardo and drove a low pass directly to his teammate. With one touch on the ball, Gallardo delivered his fifth goal, as well as Acoff’s third assist of the season. This goal was the first time these two players had connected on a scoring effort for the club this season. Fans hadn’t even found the comforts of their seats before Charlotte would return the favor.
After the visitor’s scored their goal in the 21st minute of the match, both sides settled back into the tactical battle. From the 25th minute to the 39th minute of the match, not a single shot from either club was recorded. Charlotte seemed to entice Union Omaha into battles along the flanks, depending greatly on the one-versus-one battles, while the Owls seemed convinced that a rush attack would enable them to prevail. Ultimately, both teams were sent to the locker rooms even on the scoreboard, still searching for answers.
Union Omaha found their answer and his name is Steevan Dos Santos. Over the course of the subsequent 45 minutes, Dos Santos would tally 3 goals, 2 of which would come in the 90th minute and later. His hat trick put him on a short list of Union Omaha players who were able to achieve such a feat, joining names like Evan Conway and Greg Hurst in Union Omaha lore. It’s also been a couple of years since a Union Omaha hat trick was witnessed inside the confines of Werner Park, not to mention the meaningfulness behind the goals, where it puts the club, and the opportunities it brings. Even though it was “Fan Appreciation Night,” Búhos Nation made sure to rain the applause and support upon the Union Omaha players as the match drew toward the final whistle.
With the victory and three points, Union Omaha ascended the throne of USL League One, taking control of their destiny with two matches remaining on their schedule. Next up is a clash on Saturday night against Tormenta FC, a team who hasn’t ever defeated Union Omaha, yet needs to in order to position themselves to jump into a playoff position.
While there are no regular season home matches remaining, Union Omaha has already clinched a home match for at least one playoff round. Pre-sales have already begun on those tickets and more information is coming regarding the date and time. Visit the club website to find more details about ticket arrangements. You don’t want to miss out on that opportunity to see the Owls in the postseason and vie for a second star above the crest.
Postmatch Quotes
Head Coach Dominic Casciato
General takeaways from the match:
“Yeah, I think in the first half, we might’ve been a little bit too awkward on the counter attacks. I think there was probably a little bit too much space between our backline and midfield, so we knew second balls and we probably didn’t kill their counters early enough. In the second half, we did a much better job and then obviously took our chances, as well. It was a real competitive game, but super pleased for the guys and I’m proud of the efforts they put forth.”
On Steevan Dos Santos, his play, and his impact on the match:
“He was a great player. I think he’s gone from strength to strength. You know, the more he’s been with us he’s become a leader. He’s won everywhere he’s been and there’s a reason why. I think tonight he was butchered by the center backs on the other team. So, it’s good that the referee finally started to give us those decisions. But Steven, convenient in many different ways. Steven is really the somebody that symbolizes that really well.”
On beating Charlotte’s low backline setup:
“Yeah, we switched to a back three a certain point in the second half and I think doing that just helped us control their counter attacks a little bit more and commit a little bit more numbers forward. I think we caused them a few more problems.”
On how he tactically managed to defend against their lone striker sitting up high in the second half:
“Yeah, I think in the first half, we didn’t do very well. I think in the first half, they got hit on so many occasions with their quick counters because they play for that and they’ve got real quality and real good athleticism in the forward positions. They play for that and they do it really well. We knew that coming into the game. We knew that was going to be something we had to really control. I don’t think we did a great job of that in the first half. In the second half, we did much better. At halftime, we showed the guys a couple of clips, in terms of how we fix it and I think, credit to the guys, they took it on board and executed really well in the second half.”
On how Charlotte helps prepare the team moving towards the postseason:
“Yeah, we knew there was gonna be a fight tonight and Charlotte are well coached. They’ve got very good players, as I mentioned. We knew this was going to be a tough game and a tough opponent. We haven’t scored against them before tonight, in the previous two games. You want to play the top teams, you want to see how you measure up because they can expose some of your weaknesses and give you areas that we need to continue working on. It’s a good confidence boost when you’re able to beat them.”
On being a part of so many records this season:
“Yeah, it’s obviously pleasing, right? We spend a lot of time on making sure we’re dangerous in the attacking third and you know, credit to the guys again, for buying into our ideas and executing. Obviously, we’ve got top players, as well. That helps, but I think one of the things that the club spoke about when I first came in was being exciting to watch and making sure that the fans have plenty of goals to celebrate. So far this season, we’ve done it. Hopefully we can continue that in the next two games away from home and into the playoffs. I’d like to see a few more clean sheets, but you know, we’re always trying to get better and it’s something that we’re looking to improve on as well.”
On carrying tonight’s confidence into Saturday’s match at Tormenta FC:
“I think tonight’s obviously been a tough game, a really competitive game with two good teams. So for us, it’s about building on tonight and making sure we freshen things up when we need to because some guys are going to be tired. And you know, the team goes through an evolution right throughout the course of the season. There are different things you need to improve and we speak about getting better all the time. Obviously, it was a little bit of an issue for us. Not the last game, but previous games before that: giving up late goals. So, now if we can focus on that, take that off, it’s okay. How can we be more solid defensively? How can we stop the account of attacks? You know, really making sure that we’re sharpening our senses and our skill set all the time.”
On balancing the mental dynamics in the locker room during this historic chase at the end of the season:
“We just speak about taking it one game at a time. You start to think about, ‘Oh, we could do this or we could do that,’ then you get distracted, right? So, right now, we’re super happy with winning tonight, but our focus has to be on, ‘Okay, now we get ready for Tormenta and guarding those guys. Then, if we do that, we’ve got an opportunity to beat Madison the following week and we know what the consequences are, but we’ve got to stay focused on the moment, what’s right in front of us because if we lose sight of it, you can get surprised and you can slip up.”
Team Captain JP Scearce
What it meant to get three points:
“Yeah, it was an important win. Obviously, we win the race for first and we have to win this game in order to be top of the table. [I’m] happy to get the three points and focus on the next game.”
On staying composed during a difficult first half:
“I think we started out very well. You know, we’re controlling most of the first half and, like you said, we get that goal, but we’re unfortunate to concede so quickly after the [restart] and it kind of deflated us a bit. I think we just started forcing the ball a little bit too much, made it difficult on ourselves, and I think we needed to come back into the locker room at half and just talk it out and get ourselves together. I think it was a good response to the first half. Obviously, scoring three goals.”
On the goal scorers and what qualities they brought to the match:
“Shout out to Joe [Gallardo] for the first goal. But yeah, Steevan with a big hat trick obviously, getting us a win, and that’s that’s the kind of player he is. You know he could change the game for you. His hold up plays are the best in the league. He’s a big time player and he came up big for us today.”
On the midfield adjustments made during halftime:
“There weren’t many changes. The biggest thing was just not to force the ball too much to the middle because they’re pretty compact and they’re very dangerous on the counter attack. They have very pacey wingers and forwards and that’s their game plan. So, we just said ‘don’t force it too much in the middle.’ [Head Coach] Dom likes to drop me in with the center backs to try to get on the ball and build out, so there wasn’t much of a change, just a change in how we’re playing.”
On the team’s offensive scheme to attack Charlotte’s low back line:
“Yeah, I think that was a big takeaway when we were doing the scouting throughout the week – where their center backs tend to stay back and their fullback sometimes pressed up against our wingers. So, there’s space behind the play and that’s what we were trying to exploit and especially having Shaft [Brewer Jr.] and Dion [Acoff] on the wings, using their speed and their pace to get down the line and create our chances there. So, that was something we were looking at.”
On this weekend’s match at Tormenta FC:
“Yeah, obviously we have a quick turnaround. We have to focus on that match, as well. They’re still looking to get a playoff spot, so they’re going to come out and try to win, obviously. We’re trying to stay in for it. So, it’ll be a tough match, but we’ve got two results against them. Hopefully, we do what’s necessary to get another one.”
On his confidence level heading into the weekend action:
“Even though the win streak went away last Friday, I think we still have good momentum as a team and we’re playing with confidence. We know what our abilities are. We know we could beat any team in this league. I think we just have to keep going, keep playing the way we play and hopefully clinch first place.”
Steevan Dos Santos (3 goals)
Thoughts on the win:
“We are happy that we won the game. It was a tough game. In the first half, after we dominated the first 20-something minutes and scored, they tied the game. We didn’t do anything right away and it was kind of frustrating for us to go to halftime after that. We talked to each other in the locker room and we said to ourselves, ‘for us to end up at the top of the league, we have to win all three games and not depend on another team.’”
On starting the match with some feisty exchanges:
“Normally, when they pass the ball back, the forwards end up running towards the defender or the goalie. One of the center backs started to come inside to block me and I was just running and he came in front of me. I hit him and he was like, ‘don’t do that.’ This is part of the game and I didn’t intend to hurt him, but it is what it is.”
On the advantages his size and physicality gives him in goal-scoring opportunities:
“They are strong and it takes a lot to kind of move away from them, but I was lucky that the ball was perfect and I was able to hit the ball.”
On his mindset as he got closer to completing the hat trick:
“I wasn’t even thinking as much about scoring a hat trick because I was happy with the three points. When I scored the third one, it was kind of like, ‘Okay, now it’s 3-2 and we’re ahead. It makes it easy on us, but the opportunity came for me to score the third goal and I was lucky to score the goal.”
On playing different roles in the match:
“I do everything for the team. If I have to run back for safety, I will do it. I just don’t want to lose. I don’t like to lose and I’m happy that I could have the team scoring.”
On the Saturday’s match at Tormenta FC:
“Yes, it’s tough. They are fighting for I think you’re the first team out of the playoffs. In their mind, they’re fighting for the playoffs. It’s going to be a tough game. They are fighting for a playoff spot and we are fighting for the first spot. We’ll see what’s going to happen, but we go there to win.”
Joe Gallardo (1 goal)
Thoughts on the win:
“I felt like the team did really well by getting four goals. I feel like we always talk about trying to get as many goals as possible and, thankfully, in the second half, we came out with a more positive mentality and I felt like we were more patient on the ball. It helped us create more chances. I feel like that’s what we did differently in the second half. In the first half, I feel like we were forcing it too much going forward. At halftime, we were talking and we just told ourselves to calm down a little bit more and try and play more through the relief parts of the field.
Thoughts on his goal:
“Oh, it’s exciting. Obviously, [I’m] excited to score in front of the Union Omaha fans. You know, we’re always happy to score and help the team out.”
On what was working well during the highly-productive periods of play:
“Probably not forcing it as much. I feel like after those 25 minutes, I feel like we were forcing it too much to the middle and we were just losing too many balls. When we would recover, we were just trying to counter attack too quickly and we were just going back and forth the whole time. So, I feel like that’s what we did differently in the second half. We just calmed down a bit more and started moving the ball back and forth in our backline then waiting for the right chance to go forwards.”
On keeping his composure in the midst of the congested middle portions of the field:
“Yeah, like I said, moving the ball back and forth. I feel like that’s what helped us open up lanes in between in the midfield sometimes. When it was open, I feel like in the second half, we did a better job in picking and choosing when we should play those balls and then trying to get it out wide so we can get service in the box. So, I felt like we were just more patient and then trying to move the ball more and open up those gaps.”
On playing alongside Luis Gil and his impact on the match:
“Yeah, he’s a very technical player. So, if we need someone to put it in a certain spot in a corner, he’s the man to do that job. So, I feel like it comes naturally to him. He’s played at the top level for a long time.”
On Saturday’s match at Tormenta FC:
“I think we just have to go out there and just be positive and try and play our game. Obviously they’re a good team and they’re trying to fight for a playoff spot. Just look at it as a Final because we want it in the first place.”
Random Facts
- Union Omaha is unbeaten in their last 12 matches, setting a club record. The previous record was 11 matches, earned by the 2022 Union Omaha squad.
- The Owls are also unbeaten in their last 11 home matches, which sets a club record now that the regular season home matches are finished for the 2023 season.
- The aforementioned home unbeaten streak included 10 straight wins, which also sets a club record now that the regular season home matches are finished for the 2023 season.
- Union Omaha finished the 2023 regular season batch of home matches without being shut out, which is also a club record. Only three other USL League One clubs have managed to match this achievement. No club has been able to do so since the 2020 season.
- The Owls continued other club records, as well. The most goals scored at home is now set at 38 goals across 16 matches.
- Another extended club record was points earned at home, which is now at 36 points across 16 matches.
- Union Omaha raised the bar on previous club records, amassing 59 points in a single season. The previous club record was set in 2021 with 51 points collected across 28 matches. The club has also surpassed the league record for points collected in a single season. North Texas SC collected 56 points across 28 matches in 2019.
- Union Omaha is on pace to set a record for average points collected per match. With 59 points collected across 30 matches, the Owls currently sit at an average of 1.97 points per match, surpassing the 2021 club record average of 1.82.
- The Owls continued an ongoing club record for most consecutive matches with a goal scored, with the new record set at 12 and still going. The previous record belonged to the 2021 Union Omaha squad, who scored in 10 straight regular season matches.
- The win over Charlotte Independence means the club split the difference in the regular season series, with both clubs earning a win and a draw across three matches.
- With the goals scored in this match, Union Omaha has now scored at least two goals against every other club in the league.
- Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a match.
- This was the third time that Union Omaha has scored four or more goals in a single match this season. The club record is four times, which happened in 2021.
- Steevan Dos Santos earned the fourth hat trick in club history and the first one since the 2021 season. The most recent hat trick was earned by Evan Conway in a home match against North Carolina FC on October 16, 2021.
Match Summary
Attendance: 3,002
Goal Summary:
20’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo (assisted by #26 Dion Acoff)
21’: CLT – #11 Tresor Mbuyu (assisted by #8 Joel Johnson)
66’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (assisted by #20 Luis Gil)
90’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos converts the penalty kick
90’+5: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (assisted by #9 Pedro Dolabella)
Substitution Summary:
68’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga replaces #11 Joe Gallardo
68’: OMA – #8 Joe Brito replaces #28 Shaft Brewer Jr.
68’: CLT – #56 Gabriel Obertan replaces #9 Dane Kelly
68’: CLT – #90 Khori Bennett replaces #7 Avionne Flanagan
68’: CLT – #12 Brad Dunwell replaces #27 Bachir Ndiaye
80’: OMA – #4 Luca Mastrantonio replaces #20 Luis Gil
82’: CLT – #14 Luis Alvarez replaces #6 Omar Ciss
87’: CLT – #22 Luca Sowinski replaces #11 Tresor Mbuyu
90’+3: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #7 Noe Meza
Discipline Summary:
61’: OMA – #28 Shaft Brewer Jr. (Yellow card)
72’: CLT – #12 Brad Dunwell (Yellow card)
82’: OMA – #17 JP Scearce (Yellow card)
83’: OMA – #26 Dion Acoff (Yellow card)
88’: CLT – #3 Héctor Acosta (Yellow card)
90’+8: CLT – #4 Nick Spielman (Yellow card)
Who Gives A Hoot? 