On Thursday, May 12, the day after Union Omaha defeated Northern Colorado 2-0 to advance to the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16 (and became $25,000 richer as a result), Union Omaha ran into a run of bad luck. Now guaranteed to play an MLS team at this stage of the tournament, there was also a 75% chance that either this next game and/or a hypothetical quarterfinal game could be hosted here in Omaha. But, alas, Sebastian Salazar and Hercules Gomez were unable to wish it into existence. Union Omaha will take on Minnesota United at Allianz Field on Wednesday, May 25 in the round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup. Still, Union Omaha (and their fans) will get to experience an away atmosphere at an MLS side that we can only imagine will be a better showing than what Chicago Fire did in the third round.

Scheduling quirks for the USL League One season have, for the second straight U.S. Open Cup game, given Union Omaha a rest advantage. Union Omaha’s most recent game was a 1-1 draw at Richmond Kickers on May 14, while Minnesota United won 2-1 away to FC Dallas just this past Sunday, May 22.

For that match in Dallas, Minnesota started seven players that were making at least their 11th start of the MLS season. Of those players, three of them (midfielder Kervin Arriaga, defenders Michael Boxall and Bakaye Dibassy) also started Minnesota’s last U.S. Open Cup game, a 2-1 victory at home to Colorado Rapids. Franco Fragapane and D.J. Taylor have been making fewer MLS starts, but both also started last weekend’s game and their last Open Cup game. Either way, it looks like that even with the short turnaround, I would be surprised if Minnesota play a lineup as soft as the one Chicago Fire played in the third round, especially at this stage of the tournament.

Union Omaha have been flexing their lineup the past couple games, both out of necessity with injuries and as newer roster additions have adjusted. Most notably, Isaac Bawa appears to be getting comfortable at right back. Look for him and Ryen Jiba to continue having the green light from Jay Mims to push the counter attacks up the wing as opposed to moving the ball to the midfield. The last two games have also seen a unique approach to the attacking third, where it seems like Hugo Kametani, Kemal Malcolm and Noe Meza have been taking turns up top, with the third player dropping a little further back to let the other two act as the attackers. It was very noticeable against Northern Colorado, but less so against Richmond as Malcolm didn’t have a particularly good game and was subbed off in the 72nd minute. If Bawa is now solidified as the starting right back, look for Emir Alihodžić to add some depth at midfield, either as a starter or as a substitute, as we saw against Richmond.

As of now, the weather is looking like it will be a factor. The forecast calls for rain in Saint Paul all day on Wednesday, though not to the extent that forced Minnesota’s last Open Cup game to be resumed the following morning. The timeline has compressed a little, and it’s looking more and more like the 19:00 kickoff will be closer to the tail end of the weather system. This means, perhaps, between now and kickoff we may see the forecast adjust to show the rain is perhaps ending around that time. In my opinion a messy field gives Union Omaha an advantage as it hinders Minnesota’s chances at going 1 v 1 against Omaha’s defenders, though it will pressure Omaha to keep the ball low in their counter attacking, which goes against the grain for players like Conor Doyle who love to start the counterattack with long balls over the middle. Either way, I expect a match that will be competitive for the full 90 minutes, or longer if necessary, once again.

Richmond Kickers (2-1-1, tied for 5^th) vs Union Omaha (1-2-2, tied for 8^th)

All competitions: RIC (4-1-2) vs OMA (4-2-2)

City Stadium – Richmond, Virginia

5:30 PM (CST)            ESPN+

Happy matchday, Búhos Nation!  Today, the Owls travel east to take on the Richmond Kickers, visiting City Stadium for the second time since joining USL League One.  The Kickers look to reclaim the top seat in the league, or at least a share of it, while the Owls seek re-entry to the top half of the league stadings.

The 2021 Richmond Kickers may have fallen flat, losing each of their last three matches by a combined score of 7-2, but this year’s edition of the Kickers have started the season very strongly.  So much so, that of the six weeks of completed matches in league play, Richmond has found themselves sharing first place on three occasions.  The club entered Week 7 tied for 5^th place, after losing at home to Forward Madison last week 0-1.  Their most recent match was against MLS-side Charlotte FC in the 4^th Round of the US Open Cup, who completely dismantled the Kickers in Richmond by a score of 1-5.

In all competitions, the Kickers have scored 11 goals, with 4 of those being scored by Emiliano Terzaghi, the 2020 & 2021 Golden Boot AND MVP Winner.  Of the seven matches that the Kickers have played so far this season, Terzaghi has scored a goal in four separate matches.  Minding the net will likely be Akira Fitzgerald, recipient of the 2021 Goalkeeper of the Year award.  Other notable players for the Kickers are midfielder Nil Vinyals, forward Jonathan Bolanos, defender Nathan Aune, and midfielder Leonardo Baima.  This is a team that is capable of scoring a lot of goals.

Though Union Omaha did give up two late goals in their loss to Charlotte Independence, they followed it up with a refreshing 2-0 win against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in the 4^th Round of the US Open Cup.  The Owls seemed to have shrugged off the loss to Charlotte by putting to together a rather complete performance against Northern Colorado on Wednesday evening.  In a post-match video posted by the club, Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims said that he’d allow the team to celebrate, knowing that focus would have to be adjusted quickly toward the Richmond Kickers.

Surprisingly enough, since joining USL League One, Union Omaha and Richmond Kickers have only faced each other on three occasions and have split the results evenly: 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss to both sides.  The Owls visited City Stadium for the first time last season, a 1-1 draw.  While Richmond forward Emiliano Terzaghi has scored plenty of goals on other clubs in the league, he has yet to score on Union Omaha.  In fact, Richmond Kickers have just as many goals against Union Omaha as the Owls have scored against themselves in the series.  The only goal a Richmond player has scored against Union Omaha came back in September of 2020.  The only goal scored against Union Omaha last season was an own-goal by Toby Otieno.  No Richmond player has scored on Union Omaha since that initial clash in 2020.

As often as Union Omaha likes to line up in a 4-4-2, Richmond likes to line up in a 4-2-3-1.  They like to leave Terzaghi up high to pressure high and like to build attacks quickly.  As stated earlier in this preview, the Kickers have the capability to score a lot of goals, but are just as susceptible to being scored on.  The team often over commits themselves on the attack and open themselves up to counterattacks.  For as good of a goalie as Akira Fitzgerald is, he can only do so much with the defense that lines up in front of him.  Today, fans should expect to see a very fast-moving game with plenty of attacking opportunities.  Both teams are capable of scoring goals, so it’s going to come down to the defensive efforts on both ends.

Since the Owls are out of town, make your way to one of the many watch parties happening in the Omaha area.  There are plenty of bars and restaurants that are playing host to fans, so check your social media for the location nearest to you.  Keep an eye on Who Gives a Hoot for further analysis, data breakdown, and banter following the match.  Wear the volt, raise the scarf, and make some noise for the Owls.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!

This season the crew here at WGAH have decided that we would like to spotlight some of the supporters groups in USL-1. I have been given the honor to reach out to the supporters groups and ask them a few questions to get to know the supporters behind the clubs we are playing! This week is a special one, our Open Cup opponents have a good group behind them and I’d like to spotlight them here. So without dragging my intro on any further here is my Q&A with the Stormchasers Supporters Group.

Q: When/how did you start following the club?

A: We started following the club once they announced their team in early 2021.

Q: How did your SG get its start?

A: We started our SG from a soccer podcast called Linners and Wosers. LW focuses on professional and local soccer and more specifically teams in Colorado. After LW met with @nocohailstormfc, Stormchasers SG was born.

Q: How many members do you currently have?

A: We currently have over 10 members but are still growing. After all, it’s our first year, we imagine we’ll grow as the games come along.

Q: What’s your goal as a SG?

A: The goal of our SG is to create and inclusive and fun environment for Northern Colorado soccer fans of all backgrounds. More specifically, we want to create an area where fandom and excitement is expressed, all while helping out local businesses in the area.

Q: What do you feel you add to the SG scene that differs from other SG?

A: We think we’ll add a chill vibe to the SG scene. Other SGs will be rowdy and angry while we’ll stay cool and passionately support our boys. We’ll still have elements of other SGs that will be fun.

Q: Do you have a tailgate spot you want to let everyone know about?

A: At the moment we’re still securing a tailgate spot but will have updates soon.

Q: How does one join your SG?

A: We’ll have a website launching soon where anyone can join our SG for a very affordable fee (plus you’ll get gear).

Q: What’s one thing you’d like to see from all of the supporters around your team?

A: I would like to see our Supporters get creative with chants and banners as we progress toward our first home match.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to see all of the SG do together?

A: I would like to see a soccer tournament between the SGs around the country paid for by the clubs to give back to charity.

Q: Is there something we can do as supporters/SG pre-match to make the environment better for us all?

A: I think by being welcoming to everyone (even those outside your group) before matches will make the environment seem more inclusive. Right now, I’ve heard that when the group is all together it seems cliquey. So just make the pregames more about the community.

Q: How much communication do you have with the Front Office?

A: The FO has been very busy being in their first year but they’ve been very good at communicating with us for the most part. Still some things to get sorted but great overall.

Q: Anything you’ve wanted to do in stadium that isn’t allowed or isn’t logistically possible?

A: We want to bring in hundreds of umbrella with cool designs and somehow create a Tifo with said umbrellas. Typically umbrellas are a no no in stadiums.

Q: And finally what’s on your ultimate goal? If money/time we’re no issue, what do you want your SG to be?

A: If time and money wasn’t an issue, I’d love to create a positive community through soccer from our group. Social networks, hangouts, charitable causes and fun events to really bring the Northern Colorado community together.

Interview conducted with @StormChasersSG via Twitter.

So as you can see this supporters group has a vision for their future. It has clear leadership that is wanting to listen to the supporters and make their own way with their own ideas. This is a great thing for all involved in the Supporter scene both in Colorado and League One. I want to sincerely thank the Stormchasers leadership for agreeing to an interview and I can’t wait to meet you all here in Omaha.

On May 11, Union Omaha will have nearly all advantages possible in their favor as they look to perhaps become the first USL League One team to ever reach the round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup:

• A third division team drawing another third division team this late is remarkable, perhaps even a first in the modern era
• The match will be played in Omaha (albeit, not at the familiar grounds of Werner Park)
• Union Omaha had this past weekend available to rest and recover (Northern Colorado used it to get trucked in Chattanooga)

Regardless, this match guarantees a USL League One team will advance to the round of 16. And, looking at the rest of the bracket, there is a decent chance this match will produce the only remaining team from the third division, in which case the not insignificant sum of $25,000 might be on the line for the winner.

Union Omaha’s start to the 2022 season has been akin to a ship sailing semi-choppy waters. An inconsistent league schedule saw them start the season a week later than most of the league and have already had an additional weekend without a league game. This leaves them as one of two teams in the league to have only played four games so far, Northern Colorado happens to be the other team. Some great results have been mixed with some frustrating ones, the most recent one being a 2-1 defeat at Charlotte Independence, one that felt like it maybe wasn’t quite deserved. Northern Colorado, meanwhile, have had an admirable start to their first season. Having already opened with six straight games on the road, they’ve managed to win three of them with two Open Cup upsets sprinkled in the mix. As mentioned above, the scheduling has not broken in their favor, as they are coming off of a trip to Chattanooga from this past weekend.

Northern Colorado still seems to be figuring out what their default look should be. After starting the season with a standard 4-4-2, they’ve instead opted to go with a 4-1-4-1 in their last two games. Irvin Parra has been the mainstay up top, forward Lachlan McLean has been coming off the bench as a result of the formation change. They’ve also yet to play the same back four in any of their league games thus far. Scoring from open play hasn’t been the easiest for them, as well. In four league games, only two of their five goals have come from open play with one goal coming from the spot and another two coming as the result of free kicks. So this looks like a team that is still trying to find the path they want to go down from this point on, so don’t be surprised if head coach Éamon Zayed goes with an unfamiliar look on Wednesday night.

Union Omaha shook things up a tiny bit in their last match; Yoskar Galván-Mercado got his first career start, Kevin Piedrahita spelled Rashid Nuhu in goal, and Isaac Bawa made a very brief appearance as a substitute for his Union Omaha debut. Otherwise, it was a very familiar lineup that was anchored by a back line of Ryen Jiba, Daltyn Knutson, Alex Touche and Emir Alihodžić for the fourth time in six competitive games. Bawa’s appearance, and the news that his absence had to do with federation approval opens up the possibility we see him perhaps start a game this week, either here against Northern Colorado or this weekend in Richmond. Kemal Malcolm has been consistently finding the field since his addition as well, subbing on the last three league games and starting the Open Cup game at Chicago in between. To summarize, I would not be totally shocked to see at least one of Bawa or Malcolm get the start on Wednesday, especially after having a week and a half to prepare, and a road trip to Richmond around the corner this weekend.

As for the match itself, don’t be surprised if Union Omaha come out the gates strong. Not just with having the extra rest, but also the familiarity of the field. Most of these players have played on the field at least once during the preseason, and those that haven’t I’m sure are going to be given tips and tricks from Jay Mims, the coach that was around when they built it. If there is in fact any advantage to be had for knowing what to expect from how the ball reacts to the turf, Union Omaha will have it. And, hopefully, all of these advantages lead to smooth sailing into the round of 16.

The Queen City reigned supreme on Saturday night as Charlotte Independence scored two late goals against Union Omaha to win 2-1.  With 2,902 fans in attendance at American Legion Memorial Stadium, the Jacks earned a result after a pair of late goals from forwards Iván Luquetta and Khori Bennett.  This was the first ever match between the two sides and the only match that will take place in Charlotte during the 2022 season.  The remaining two matches between Charlotte Independence and Union Omaha will take place at Werner Park in Omaha, Nebraska in May and again in July.

            Union Omaha entered the match in third place, a victory away from the top of the league, and an enormous amount of confidence on their side.  Before the match began, the Owls were also undefeated across all competitions and coming off of two straight clean sheets in league play.  This was a group of men ready to continue that run of hot form and put the league on notice.

            The first half of the match was a relatively even affair.  Aside from the possession favoring Charlotte (58% to 42%), both sides had nearly identical stats.  Union Omaha pressed hard, especially along the right side of the attacking third.  Forward Noe Meza had a header on goal in the first minute of play, but Union Omaha was unable to register a shot on goal for the remainder of the half.  On the other side of the field, Charlotte was able to create chances of their own, but with two shots off target and three blocks from Union Omaha’s defense, they were unable to score a goal, let alone register a shot on target.  After the halftime whistle blew, both teams had plenty to think about as they made their way to their respective locker rooms.

            The second half began much like the first did, but with each passing minute, it was clear that the metaphorical temperature between the two sides was rising.  Charlotte was pressing very high, but losing challenges.  While Charlotte was gaining confidence by continuing to control the greater portion of the half with their possession, they didn’t look as confident against Union Omaha’s offensive onslaught.

            In the 65^th minute, Union Omaha midfielder and captain Conor Doyle passed the ball to forward Hugo Kametani.  The forward was just outside of the penalty area, toward the left side of the attacking third.  Kametani was able to get a cross into the box, where forward Noe Meza was waiting for the service.  Though Meza wasn’t able to win the first aerial challenge, Charlotte defender Diego Rocha’s heading clearance failed greatly, as Meza was able to bring down the second 50/50, turn his body toward the goal, and slip the ball past Charlotte goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas for the goal.  The goal was Meza’s first in league play, but second across all competitions.

            With less than half an hour left to play in the match, Charlotte made a key substitution.  In the 78^th minute, Charlotte forward Iván Luquetta replaced defender Diego Rocha.  Luquetta, alongside fellow second-half substitute Ayrton Páez, continued to press high and open up offensive opportunities for the Jacks.  Charlotte fans would have to wait until the 83^rd minute to see a payoff from the second-half adjustments.

            After a deep ball from Charlotte defender Tomás Maya, Carson Talboys was able to recover the ball just before going out of bounds.  Teammates Omar Ciss and Miguel Ibarra came to the rescue and relieved some of the pressure on Talboys.  After setting up a triangle around Union Omaha players and completing a few passes amongst themselves, Ibarra was wide open for the drop pass.  Ibarra took a couple of touches and used his right foot to send a beautiful cross into the box.  Waiting on the other end of the cross was Luquetta and Union Omaha defender Daltyn Knutson.  The aerial battle was won by Luquetta and he was able to head the ball just inside the near post.  The goal was his first ever with his new club.  With the score tied, neither side seemed willing to share a point from a draw.

            Union Omaha had a couple of key passes from Doyle and second-half substitute Kemal Malcolm.  The passes made their way into Charlotte’s box, but only one of the passes led to a chance on goal.  Malcolm would also have a couple of chances in the box, but both ended up going wide of the goal.  The Owls were generating chances, but only Charlotte was able to produce a goal before the final whistle.

            Three minutes into extra time, Charlotte was able to force a turnover in their own half.  Within seconds, the Jacks were moving into position in the attacking third.  After the center referee gave advantage to Charlotte, Ibarra kept the ball at his feet, turned to the right sideline, and fed a pass to Koa Santos.  The on-loan defender from Charlotte FC sent a great cross toward the back post.  Khori Bennett made a simple run past Union Omaha defender Emir Alihodžić and put himself in prime position to head the ball toward the goal.  His header went immediately to the ground.  As the ball bounced off the ground, Union Omaha goalkeeper Kevin Piedrahita was able to get his hands on the ball and deflect it toward the back post.  The deflection off the post was immediately cleared by Knutson, but as the balled sailed into the distance, the decision was already made: goal scored by Charlotte.  In the middle of Charlotte’s calls for a goal, the center referee looked to the assistant referee along the right sideline, who was confident enough to make the decision that a goal had been scored.  The final whistle blew not long after that and Charlotte successfully completed the comeback win, earning three points in the process.

            The loss dropped Union Omaha to sixth place in the league.  Their next match is on Wednesday, May 11^th at Caniglia Field, as the Owls look to be the first USL League One side to make it to the Round of 16 of the US Open Cup.  The next league match for Union Omaha is on Saturday, May 14^th against the Richmond Kickers at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia.

            Charlotte’s win lifted the club into a five-way tie for first place, based on points.  On May 7^th, the Jacks take the road for the first time this season and face off against South Georgia Tormenta FC.  The match is likely to be the headliner for next week’s slate of matches because both clubs are tied for first place.

            Stay tuned to Who Gives A Hoot for the latest reactions, commentary, and analysis of this match and more, including a deep dive on this match later this week.  You can also subscribe to the website and podcast to receive notifications as soon as content is released on those platforms.  Make sure to follow all of our social media accounts for even more content related to Union Omaha.

Scoring Summary:

65’ – OMA: Noe Meza, unassisted

83’ – CLT: Iván Luquetta, assisted by Miguel Ibarra

90+4’ – CLT: Khori Bennett, assisted by Laukoa Santos

Substitutions:

45’ – CLT: Aryton Páez replaced Will Vint

72’ – OMA: Dion Acoff replaced Yoskar “Edu” Galván-Mercado

72’ – OMA: Kemal Malcolm replaced Noe Meza

78’ – CLT: Iván Luquetta replaced Diego Rocha

89’ – CLT: Héctor Acosta replaced Omar Ciss

90+2’ – OMA: Isaac Bawa replaced Dion Acoff

Discipline Summary:

38’ – CLT: Omar Ciss (Yellow card)

86’ – CLT: Aryton Páez (Yellow card)

86’ – OMA: Jay Mims (Yellow card)

90+6’ – OMA: Jay Mims (Yellow card, Red card)