Union Omaha took advantage of a 10-man Tormenta in the second half, finishing the match with a 4-0 victory and a firmer grip on the Player’s Shield.
Picture courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
In front of one of the highest-attended home matches at Tormenta Stadium this season, Union Omaha and Tormenta FC lined up for a match that had heavy implications on both clubs. For Tormenta FC, it was all about survival and qualifying for the playoffs. Union Omaha needed the three points to continue setting the pace at the top of the table and inch closer toward the Player’s Shield.
The meaning of the match was not lost on the players either, as both sides battled intensely for the ball. Aerial challenges were especially punishing after multiple challenges saw players starting to leave limbs up to make space and gain an advantage.
Union Omaha had a chance on goal as early as the second minute, when midfielder Lagos Kunga tried to find forward Steevan Dos Santos in the box. The header from Santos traveled just over the bar and out of play for a Tormenta goal kick. Just over ten minutes later, the Owls would find their first goal of the night.
After a throw-in during the 13th minute of play, Tormenta was battling to clear the ball, but Union Omaha midfielder Pedro Dolabella was able to settle the loose ball and pass it to JP Scearce, who was wide open from a good distance outside the Tormenta penalty area. Without wasting a moment, Scearce unleashed a wicked strike from distance, dipping just before it reached Tormenta goalkeeper Pablo Jara. The late action on the ball meant Jara couldn’t get a firm grasp on the ball and deflected the ball instead. Fortunately for Union Omaha, the path of the deflection was directly into the path of an oncoming Steevan Dos Santos, who coolly lifted the ball past Jara and gave the visitors the early lead. That single-goal lead would carry them into the halftime break, but not without a dose of drama before the whistle was blown.
In the 39th minute, forward Noe Meza stole the ball from Tormenta’s Mukwelle Akale and quickly started the counterattack. Meza quickly passed the ball to midfielder Luis Gil, who turned and fed a thru-ball up to Steevan Dos Santos. As Dos Santos attempted to make his way around the Tormenta defender, former Owl team captain Daltyn Knutson, Dos Santos was brought down just outside the penalty area. Since the referee interpreted the play as Dos Santos being in an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, Knutson was given a straight red card and an early exit from the match. The subsequent direct kick went over the crossbar and the half finished with a 1-0 scoreline in favor of the Owls.
Knowing that Tormenta would be playing a man down for the entire second half, Union Omaha looked to make the necessary adjustments to capitalize on the opportunity at hand. Midway through the second half, the Owls would strike twice in the matter of a single minute.
Union Omaha took up residence in Tormenta’s corner, cycling players and passing to each other while looking for a proper channel to attack. Pedro Dolabella fed a pass outside to JP Scearce in the 60th minute and Scearce followed that up with a pass inside to Lagos Kunga, who gained the edge on the goal line and threaded a tight pass to Noe Meza inside the goal area for the tap-in. Meza’s 12th goal came after he slyly shadowed a run from Dos Santos into the goal area and was able to lose his marker. The assist from Kunga was his first of the season and followed up with his first goal of the season only seconds later.
Less than 90 seconds later, Kunga capitalized on an errant pass, carried it into Tormenta’s penalty area, and finished the drive with a goal. With his first goal of the season, Kunga became the 16th player on the Union Omaha roster to score a goal during the regular season, an on-going club record.
The Owls finished the scoreline with a goal in the 81st minute, after midfielder Joe Brito put on a masterclass of composure in the box. Despite fending off two defenders in a row, Brito was able to stay calm, cool, and collected as he delivered a simple pass into the net, all while sending Jara the opposite direction. The goal was Brito’s fifth of the season and Luis Gil’s ninth assist of the season.
Following the final whistle, Union Omaha captured an essential three points, which gets the Owls closer to hoisting the Player’s Shield and locking up home advantage throughout the upcoming playoffs.
The next match for the Owls is a road trip to regional rival Forward Madison. Kickoff is scheduled for 6PM CT on Saturday, October 14th. If you’re unable to make the trek north, ESPN+ will broadcast the match.
If you haven’t visited the club website yet, make sure to do so soon, as the playoff tickets are selling fast and you don’t want to miss out on seeing the Owls chase that second star.
Postmatch Quotes
Head Coach Dominic Casciato
Thoughts on the victory:
“Yeah, I think we’re all happy with the performance. I think, aside from maybe five minutes in the first half and five minutes in the second half, we were in complete control throughout. I think it’s a really professional performance and it’s a difficult place to come. Obviously, us being in the middle of the country, when we fly out to the East Coast, we lose an hour. [The] trip can be difficult. Yesterday, [we spent] two hours on a plane and three hours on a bus to get here. You think, perhaps that will have an affect on guys, but the level of professionalism and the ability to stick to the game plan you believe in and not to take their foot off the gas when Tormenta went down to 10 men, which is really really impressive. [I’m] just really, really proud of all the guys and really pleased with all of their performances and their attitudes. I thought everybody was superb and now we have one more target next weekend against Madison.”
On the physical battles throughout the match:
“Yeah, I think anytime you play a team like Tormenta that are fighting for their lives, you’ve got to match that intensity. You’ve got to exceed that intensity because we’re fighting to get into the playoffs. I think they still have a chance, depending on what happens in Colorado, so we know that we’re going to come out all guns blazing. We had a plan. I think our identity and our style now is super, super clear. It’s just really pleasing for the guys to 1) match the intensity, bring our own level of intensity and 2) play the way that we did with or without a ball. I thought we were excellent.”
On adjustments at halftime, knowing they’d be playing up a man for the entire second half:
“We made one tactical change and I think, sometimes, if you keep things the same when you’re playing against 10 men, the guys are going to drop 5%, but if you give them something tactical to think about, then all of a sudden, they’ve got be a little bit more switched on and maybe they don’t drop off at the center and I think that’s what ended up happening in the second half. So, [I’m] not taking credit for it, but I think that was one of the moves we made at halftime and it obviously paid off to good effects and it doesn’t always work. We don’t have all the answers, but tonight it worked and we’re really pleased that the guys are able to execute some.”
On individual, standout performances during the match:
“Yeah, I think we speak about everybody contributing to the team’s success. That goes for the guys that maybe haven’t had the opportunities that they wanted so far this season. You know, they can still get opportunities in the playoffs. In the last game against Madison, there can still be opportunities that we’ve got to take. Take Lagos [Kunga]: he’s someone that obviously came in late, but we know the quality that he brings and we know that if we were bringing him off the bench or if he was starting games for us, he can have an impact like he did tonight. [I’m] just really pleased, first and foremost, with his ability to take on the information to execute our game plan and then you know, his individual quality and the goal he scored is what Lagos is all about. I think there’s a lot more to come from him tonight and in the rest of the season.”
On next weekend’s match at Forward Madison:
“Yeah, we’re excited. That’s where our season began and I think if we look back on that game, we played with a little bit of the handbrake on. I think we were excellent that day and somehow they managed to beat us, so they’re the only team in the league that we haven’t beaten yet. As far as I think, rather than thinking about, you know, all the things that come with winning, because we all know what they are, I think we’re going to focus on making sure that we win the game because of what’s happened in the past against them. We’re a group that speaks all the time about getting better and better and the way to prove that we’ve gotten better is to go and beat Madison playing football on their turf and get three points. That’s what we will strive to do on Saturday night.”
Team Captain JP Scearce
Thoughts on the victory:
“Yeah, obviously we’re very happy about the three points. I thought it was a very professional performance from us. It was a very complete performance and we’re happy to get the three points and we’re one step closer to clinching that first playoff spot. So yeah, we’re all happy.”
On the physical battles in the midfield:
“I’m a little banged up as you can see – my lip is a little busted and my ankle hurts, but we had to do whatever it took to win today. So if it took getting roughed up, then so be it.”
On the Decision Day matchup at Forward Madison next weekend:
“We’re all motivated to clinch that first play spot and we know, next weekend, it’s obviously a big match considering we’re playing at Madison. It’s obviously a rivalry game. We haven’t beaten them this year and I think it’ll be special for us to win the Player’s Shield at Madison. So we’re all looking forward to that.”
Goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu (Clean sheet)
Thoughts on the victory:
“It was good. I’m just happy for the collective group, just grinding. It was a tough game today. We had to put in tackles. We had to stay focused for the whole game to get that clean sheet and that win. We did that tonight and I’m very happy for the whole group.”
On the tough challenges he faced in the box throughout the match:
“You have to expect those kinds of [challenges] coming into this kind of game because they had to win to clinch and we want to stay on our road of winning to try to clinch the [Player’s] Shield, so we knew it was gonna be a battle. No one’s gonna come out and just roll over for us to beat them, so we were ready and we were lucky enough to get a victory. [I’m] just happy for the whole group to be honest. It’s great.”
On the next match at Forward Madison next weekend:
“It’s going to be a tough one, for sure. We always have a hard time playing in Madison. It’s a great environment and we’re looking forward to it. Hopefully it’s gonna be one of the best games. We’re going to take it like a Final and just go after it. Hopefully the soccer gods are on our side.”
Forward Noe Meza (1 goal)
Thoughts on the match:
“I thought it was a really good performance by us, defensively and offensively. It was huge to get the goal early on and then get the second one in the second half, early on, as well.”
On his goal:
“Yeah, I knew Lagos [Kunga] – he’s good at dribbling, so right when I saw him getting to the end line, I knew if I could be good in front of my defender, I was gonna get a good chance on goal and that’s what I did. I just tried, however I could, to put in an on target because it was coming in fast.”
On the physical challenges with Tormenta’s backline:
“Feeling good. Yeah, I know there were some hard tackles, but I’m feeling good. No injuries. I’m feeling fit, so I’m ready to go for next weekend.”
On next weekend’s match at Forward Madison:
“I think we’re feeling good. We have a strong team. Yeah, both offensively and defensively, we’re excited and up for the game. We know we have to win and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Random Facts
- Union Omaha is unbeaten in their last 13 matches, which is an ongoing club record. The previous record was 11 matches, earned by the 2022 Union Omaha squad.
- With the four goals scored in the match, Union Omaha set a club record for most goals scored in away matches. The current record sits at 22 goals in 15 matches. The previous record was set by the 2021 squad, who scored 21 goals in 14 matches.
- Those same 4 goals scored also set a club record for most goals scored across 5 consecutive matches, which currently stands at 14 goals. The previous record was set by the 2021 squad, who scored 13 goals across 5 consecutive matches.
- The Owls also tied a club record for points collected on the road in a single season. The current record is 26 points in 14 matches from 2021. The 2023 squad has 26 points in 15 matches and can break that record next weekend at Forward Madison.
- Union Omaha raised the bar on previous club records, amassing 62 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 has set a club record for average points collected per match. With 62 points collected across 31 matches, the Owls currently sit at an average of 2.00 points per match, surpassing the 2021 club record average of 1.82. Any result in Madison next weekend will maintain a higher average than the 2021 mark.
- The Owls continued an ongoing club record for most consecutive matches with a goal scored, with the new record set at 13 and still going. The previous record belonged to the 2021 Union Omaha squad, who scored in 10 straight regular season matches.
- The win over Tormenta FC means the Owls get the clean sweep in the regular season series, winning all three matches with an aggregate score of 9-2, including 2 clean sheets.
- Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a match.
- The Owls are also still undefeated when leading at halftime.
- This was the fourth time that Union Omaha has scored four or more goals in a single match this season, which ties a club record from 2021.
Match Summary
Attendance: 1,368
Scoring Summary:
13’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos
60’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza (assisted by #70 Lagos Kunga)
61’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga
81’: OMA – #8 Joe Brito (assisted by #20 Luis Gil)
Substitution Summary:
45’: TRM – #45 Kingsford Adjei replaces #27 Arthur Bosua
45’: TRM – #11 Jackson Khoury replaces #16 David Mason
45’: TRM – #25 Jake Dengler replaces #12 Deshawon Nembhard
70’: TRM – #6 John Murphy replaces #8 Pedro Fonseca
70’: TRM – #17 Elijah Amo replaces #9 Kazaiah Sterling
70’: OMA – #8 Joe Brito replaces #7 Noe Meza
70’: OMA – #4 Luca Mastrantonio replaces #26 Dion Acoff
81’: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #9 Pedro Dolabella
89’: OMA – #12 Eddie Gordon replaces #20 Luis Gil
89’: OMA – #44 Alex Steinwascher replaces #10 Steevan Dos Santos
Discipline Summary:
29’: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (Yellow card)
39’: TRM – #13 Daltyn Knutson (Straight red card)
73’: TRM – #21 Chris Heckenberg (Yellow card)
Who Gives A Hoot? 