On Saturday evening, Union Omaha did something they hadn’t done since 2021 – defeat Forward Madison inside Breese Stevens Field..oh yeah, and win the Players’ Shield. Thanks to a second-half goal from Steevan Dos Santos, the Owls earned the road win, won the regular season title, and secured home field advantage throughout the upcoming playoffs.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Usually, this match is preceded by the typical rivalry-laced hype, but this match took on a different meaning for both sides. For Forward Madison, a win would secure their place in the playoffs. For Union Omaha, a win would lock up the top seed in the playoffs, win more silverware, and pave a path to winning the Cup at home. While the rivalry took a backseat to the prime objectives, it certainly added some spice to the evening.
Union Omaha kicked off the match and faced early pressure from a high-pressing top line from the hosts. The Flamingos used the pressure to their favor, lodging the first shot of the match in the fourth minute of play. The Owls defense and midfield was able to stifle Forward Madison’s build-up play, resulting in the home side only having three shots in the first half. More to the point, the Flamingos only had 1 shot on goal in the first half and had no offensive threats after the 13th minute of the match. On the flip side, Union Omaha would go into the break with 10 shots, 4 of which were on goal.
The match winner came in the 64th minute when Noe Meza found space following a give-and-go passing sequence with Pedro Dolabella. After Meza was successful in drawing a defender, Lagos Kunga directed his path to the space left open by the defender and Meza fed Kunga a thru ball toward the penalty area. Kunga took one touch to get the ball into the penalty area and then sent a cross to the back door, where Steevan Dos Santos was able to find his 13th goal of the season. At the same time as earning his second assist of the season, Kunga also involved himself in three of the last four Union Omaha goals.
Union Omaha would end the match with a 1-0 victory over Forward Madison, splitting the season series with a win, loss, and draw for both clubs. Even the aggregate was tied at three a piece. More importantly, the Owls earned three points, securing the Players’ Shield for the second time in club history, locked up a bye week in the first round of the playoffs, will host a semifinal match, and will host the Final with a semifinal victory.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Mark your calendar because Union Omaha will host the lowest remaining seed on Saturday, October 28th at 4:30PM CT. ESPN+ will carry the match broadcast, but that doesn’t matter since you’ll be inside Werner Park that day anyways. Head over to the club website to purchase your tickets, get some club gear from the team store, and get prepared for a special evening.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Random Facts
- Union Omaha is unbeaten in their last 14 matches, which is an ongoing club record, as well as ongoing league record. The previous club record was 11 matches, earned by the 2022 Union Omaha squad.
- Union Omaha set a club record for most goals scored in away matches. The current record sits at 23 goals in 16 matches. The previous record was set by the 2021 squad, who scored 21 goals in 14 matches.
- The Owls also set a club record for points collected on the road in a single season. The new record is 29 points in 16 matches. This beats the old record, which was 26 points in 14 matches from 2021.
- Union Omaha raised the bar on previous club records, amassing 65 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 65 points collected across 32 matches, the Owls currently sit at an average of 2.03 points per match, surpassing the 2021 club record average of 1.82. The league record remains intact as the 2020 Greenville Triumph squad averaged 2.19 points per match.
- The Owls continued an ongoing club record for most consecutive matches with a goal scored, with the new record set at 14. The previous record belonged to the 2021 Union Omaha squad, who scored in 10 straight regular season matches.
- Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a match.
- The Owls went the entire regular season undefeated when leading at halftime.
Match Summary
Attendance: 4,740
Goal Summary:
64’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (assisted by #70 Lagos Kunga)
Substitution Summary:
57’: MAD – #14 Mauro Cichero replaces #23 Aiden Mesias
68’: OMA – #8 Joe Brito replaces #20 Luis Gil
73’: MAD – #44 Pierre Da Silva replaces #28 Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu
77’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo replaces #7 Noe Meza
87’: OMA – #4 Luca Mastrantonio replaces #70 Lagos Kunga
90’: MAD – #3 Jason Ramos replaces #12 Sam Brotherton
Discipline Summary:
35’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga (Yellow card)
41’: OMA – #17 JP Scearce (Yellow card)
44’: MAD – #28 Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Yellow card)
75’: MAD – #9 Christian Chaney (Yellow card)
88’: MAD – #12 Sam Brotherton (Yellow card)
90’+1: MAD – #44 Pierre Da Silva (Yellow card)
90’+3: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo (Yellow card)
90’+9: OMA – #24 Rashid Nuhu (Yellow card)
Who Gives A Hoot? 