Chattanooga Preview

Chattanooga Red Wolves (3-2-3, 4th place) vs. Union Omaha (1-4-1, 10th place)

All competitions: CHA (3-2-4) vs OMA (4-4-1)

CHI Memorial Stadium – East Ridge, Tennessee

6:30 PM (CST)            ESPN+

            We are less than a handful of weeks away from being halfway through the 2022 USL1 season, but before we catch ourselves looking too far forward in the schedule, let’s live in the moment and enjoy the Week 10 action coming at us tonight.  In Tennessee, the sliding Red Wolves host the draw-heavy Owls.  Just as any other week in the league: the points are valuable and the parity in the league will make draws the difference-maker at the end of the season.

            The Red Wolves have already tasted action in Week 10, but they probably wish they hadn’t.  They traveled to Richmond on Wednesday night and returned home emptyhanded after a 0-3 loss to the Kickers.  With the loss, Chattanooga has been held scoreless three times in their last five matches, all while eight goals.  The Red Wolves topped the standings in Weeks 3, 4, and 6, but has seen a slight dip in their placement to go along with their performance on the field.

            Union Omaha is coming off a frustrating, and lackluster, draw against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC last week.  Fans filled Werner Park with the fresh excitement after the Owls defeated MLS-side Minnesota United in the US Open Cup, but failed to deliver the same excitement at home.  Despite having nine shots, seven of which were inside the box, only two were on frame, and neither of them were goals.  The draw was Union Omaha’s fourth draw in league play.  Only Central Valley Fuego and Forward Madison can boast as many draws, but they’ve also played two more matches than Union Omaha.

            In the head-to-head history between the two sides, Chattanooga has never lost to Union Omaha: two wins, one draw, and zero losses.  The closest Omaha came to defeating the Red Wolves was on July 3rd of last season in Omaha.  Greg Hurst scored a goal in the 36th minute and there were visions of three points dancing in the eyes of Union Omaha fans, but then that momentum and positivity took a hit in the 54th and 55th minute, when JP Scearce received two yellow cards, a soft red card, and was sent to the locker rooms.  The Owls held on valiantly for the remaining minutes, but Chattanooga scored the tying goal in the 90th minute.  Tonight’s match will be in CHI Memorial Stadium, where the Owls have never scored.  Union Omaha has shown the ability to rise to the occasion, so fans should be ready to watch a lot of drama unfold tonight.  The Owls have been resting while the Red Wolves have been traveling and losing a demoralizing match, so hopefully that wrinkle of drama will include itself in tonight’s tale, as well.

            With new supporters groups popping up every week, there’s bound to be a viewing party near you, so check social media for posts and advertisements for the one that pique’s your interest.  Soon afterward, stay up to date with Who Gives A Hoot, as we continue to give you data breakdowns, recaps, social media treasures, and episodes of your favorite Union Omaha-related podcast.  It’s gameday for Búhos Nation, so of course it’s a lovely day.  Don the volt, get outside with your friends, and enjoy the match tonight at one of the many viewing parties.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!

An Interview with the President of The Parliament supporters group!

Here we are again, another home match week! It feels like forever since we have been inside Werner Park cheering on our Owls. We have a big game ahead of us this week, no only is it to climb up in the rankings but it is to knock off an old rival. Oh, and how could I forget, KEEP THE BELT! We have made Werner Park a fortress, only losing at home 4 times since our debut! As we know the only way we make that happen is by having a great team AND great fan support. Continuing my series on supporters groups around USL League One we have a special one for you today. Our very own @Luke_Opperman, President of The Parliament is here for an interview with yours truly. You can hear him on the pod as well so this may be a little weird seeing his responses on screen but I am sure that we can all imagine him answering in his podcast voice.

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

A: Started following the day it was announced, being relatively new to the metro at the time, having a local pro soccer team was extremely exciting to me.

Q: How did your SG get its start?

A: The SG predates me, as far as I know it started with a Facebook chat that turned into a discussion of how to best support the new pro club.  From there and the brand reveal turned into Omaha Parliament whose goal is to support soccer’s growth throughout the Omaha metro especially through support of Union Omaha.

Q: How many members do you currently have?

A: We’re currently around 550 members.

Q: What’s your goal as a SG?

A: Our mission statement is as follows : “Our Mission is to support Union Omaha and the growth of soccer in the Greater Omaha Metro Area at the pro and amateur level.”

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

A: As of writing this, we are the only Union Omaha supporter’s group that is also a 501c3 nonprofit.  This legally requires us to give back to the community, which we do through a number of fundraising and volunteer initiatives.

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

A: We’re set up by lot F3, beverages and food are free(donations welcome), we’ve got merch for sale, and it is always one hell of a good time.

Q: How does one join your SG? 

A: It’s totally free and has some great perks, one can sign up at https://omahaparliament.org/signup/.

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

A: A greater presence in all aspects of the metro soccer community.

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

A: I’d love to see the evolution of a “tailgate village”, a one stop spot for all your Union Omaha SG tailgates.

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

A: We’re always investing in the game day environment, whether it be international flags so that players feel supported, drums and TIFOs to keep the crowd and players engaged, or partnering with businesses on tailgates that are ever changing in terms of offerings.

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

A: We have regular communication to coordinate activities at games, watchparties, and around the community.

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

A: We’d love to have our own section instead of just the berm, but unfortunately having the most accessible seats means being on the berm without any seats.

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: I’d love to see our SG as well recognized for the good works it does across the full spectrum of the Omaha soccer community, while at the same time making every home game hell for the visiting team.  It’d also be great to be able to heavily subsidize away day fan experiences, but currently the revenue streams are not available.

Some great things happening around our team and our supporters groups. Hopefully we see an increase of membership and momentum for all of our supporters groups and our team with this amazing Open Cup run we are having. I want to thank Luke for agreeing to answer a few questions for me to pass along to our readers. Look for the next installment of our supporters group series before the next home match!

Northern Colorado Preview

Union Omaha (1-3-1, tied for 9th) vs Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (2-1-2, 8th place)

All competitions: OMA (5-3-1) vs NCO (4-1-3)

Werner Park – Papillion, Nebraska

7 PM (CST)     ESPN+

            It’s Week 9 of USL League One action and soccer fans are in for a treat this Saturday as Union Omaha hosts Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC for the second time in 17 days.  Both clubs are in the bottom half of the league table, but with three games in hand for both clubs, there’s plenty of room for either side to climb back into playoff contention.  This match will be pivotal for either side in jumpstarting their good fortunes.

            In their first season of USL League One play, and existence, Northern Colorado has shown the capability of surprising clubs.  If you don’t believe me, ask fans of Colorado Switchbacks of the USL Championship and MLS-side Real Salt Lake.  Even within league play, Northern Colorado defeated both North Carolina FC (5th place) and Charlotte Independence (1st place) on the road.  Their first match in USL League One was a road match against Richmond Kickers where they drew 1-1, but managed to take the lead going into halftime.  This is a club that shows no fear against their opposition.

            Union Omaha will enter the home match riding on just 72 hours of rest time, after defeating the 2019 US Open Cup runner-up Minnesota United 2-1 in St. Paul, Minnesota during this year’s edition of the US Open Cup on Wednesday night.  In league play, the Owls are coming off of a 1-1 draw at Richmond last week.  So far this season, Union Omaha is undefeated in the matches immediately following a US Open Cup match and in those league matches, the Owls doubled their opponent’s goal production, scoring six goals and only allowing three across three matches.

            In the US Open Cup match, and first time these sides competed face-to-face, Northern Colorado lined up in a 4-2-3-1.  At the time, the Hailstorm was missing a key component to their offense: striker Irvin Parra.  With his absence, Northern Colorado’s offense looked stagnant at times and had trouble creating viable chances on goal.  Parra is a scoring machine and terrorizes defenses wherever he goes, so Union Omaha’s backline will certainly have their hands full on Saturday evening.  Serving as the orchestrator to the Hailstorm offense will most likely be central midfielder Stefan Lukic, who looked confident on the ball against Union Omaha, but was often swarmed by pressure and ended up looking backward for relief instead of pushing forward.

            There’s plenty of buzz surrounding Union Omaha, so make sure that you’re a part of the crowd supporting the Owls to victory.  With more and more chatter on social media and exposure on national media outlets, Werner Park is bound to see more and more tickets sold ahead of kickoff, so reserve your seat to witness another historic season of action from Union Omaha.

            After the match, stay tuned for the best coverage of Union Omaha action by subscribing to Who Gives A Hoot.  Ryan, Camille, and Jon put out a couple of great episodes of the podcast leading up to the Open Cup match against Minnesota United, so you know they’ll do the same in breaking down the Northern Colorado match.  We also have plenty of action on the website with our articles, as well as all of the social media content.  Who Gives A Hoot offers all of the fun, the banter, and analysis for your beloved Owls, so follow and subscribe to keep up to date with all of the latest.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!

U.S. Open Cup Round of 16: Minnesota United v. Union Omaha

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 Preview

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

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 5th place, after losing at home to Forward Madison last week 0-1.  Their most recent match was against MLS-side Charlotte FC in the 4th 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 4th 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!

An Interview with The Stormchasers SG

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.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Preview: Union Omaha v. Northern Colorado Hailstorm

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.

Owls Suffer First Loss in ’22

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 65th 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 78th 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 83rd 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 11th 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 14th 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 7th, 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)

Charlotte Independence Preview

Happy game day, Búhos Nation!  Today’s matchup is against another new kid on the block: Charlotte Independence.  The two clubs will meet tonight for a 6 o’clock kickoff (CST) inside Charlotte’s American Legion Memorial Stadium.  It should be a great night of Union Omaha soccer, so if you aren’t in person, tune in to ESPN+ for coverage, or find your local watch party to enjoy the occasion with your friends.

            Charlotte Independence joined USL League One during the offseason, after relegating themselves from the USL Championship.  Their time in the new league has been met with mixed reviews.  “The Jacks” – nicknamed after Captain James Jack, who carried the Declaration of Independence to Philadelphia – have started their 2022 season with nothing but home matches across all competitions.  In those four matches, across all competitions, the team has one won one match, drawing once, and losing the other two, including their appearance in the Second Round of the US Open Cup.  With each passing week, the club seemed to reverse their fortunes: a quality 3-3 draw against Central Valley Fuego FC was followed with a loss to NC Fusion U-23 in the Open Cup.  In the next week, the Jacks defeated Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, only to lose to Richmond Kickers a week later.  Without the stability that players, and fans, are looking for, this week’s match should be an interesting one to watch.

            Union Omaha enters Week 5 of the season riding a tidal wave of optimism.  The club is undefeated, preparing for the next round of the US Open Cup, and coming off the home opener which saw the Owls score three goals against Central Valley Fuego FC.  Union Omaha hasn’t given up a goal in league play since the season opener at Forward Madison.  Led by captain Conor Doyle, this team has transformed themselves greatly over the past two weeks and the confidence radiating off the players is infectious to fans.  What seemed to be a season in which fans were preparing for a rebuilding year has turned into a year in which coach Jay Mims and co. could make a quality push in the league.  New players like starters Joe Brito, Dion Acoff, Noe Meza, Hugo Kametani, and Alex Touche have contributed greatly to the club’s success.  Veterans like Daltyn Knutson, JP Scearce, and Rashid Nuhu have continued their runs of excellence in front of fans.  Union Omaha hopes to see that tidal wave carry them to another three points in Charlotte, North Carolina.  A victory tonight would propel the Owls to the top of the league – a first for the club this season.

            Charlotte seems to be a club that molds itself to their next opponent.  The Jacks have yet to line up in the same formation as the previous match.  The club also has quality players, like defender Shalom Dutey and forward Tresor Mbuyu.  The men from Togo and Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively, have combined for five of the clubs eight goals, across all competitions.  The club also acts as a committee for assists, with five players all earning an assist in league play this season.  One thing to watch out for is late goals.  The team has scored two goals in the 89th minute or later and both of those goals earned the club a result (a draw against Fuego and a win against Northern Colorado).  This club may be erratic, but the fight to the end.

            With kickoff scheduled for 6PM (CST) tonight, make sure you are firmly planted in front of a television to watch and cheer your Owls to victory.  Whether you’re in the stadium, at a watch party, or at home, show your support for the Owls and make them feel loved.  Who Gives A Hoot will continue to provide you with the best Union Omaha content, so keep checking your email for new articles (if you’ve subscribed), episode releases from the lovely crew on the podcast, and all of the happenings on the various social media accounts.  Have a great day and, as always,…¡Viva Búhos!

Owls Douse Second Straight Fire

            Union Omaha gave its fans, all 3,375 of them in attendance, plenty of reasons to celebrate on Saturday evening.  Búhos Nation was able to get a look at the 2021 USL League One Championship rings, applaud the 2021 players who received their rings last night, watch as the Championship flag was raised, and then watch as the Owls defeated Central Valley Fuego FC 3-0.  The winds of change were blowing fiercely, literally and figuratively, throughout Werner Park as the Owls seemed to take a giant step forward in their development as a team.

            Entering the match, the Owls had already played four matches and left many fans asking questions.  After a week in which the team was able to defeat MLS-club Chicago Fire in dramatic fashion and then follow it up with a strong win against Central Valley Fuego FC, many questions are as extinguished as both the Fire and Fuego.

            The first half was a true test of physicality, as Union Omaha pressed repeatedly into Fuego’s half of the field.  By halftime, the two sides combined for 17 fouls and 2 yellow cards, which would come into play again in the second half.  Mother Nature helped move the ball into Fuego’s half, as wind gusts near 30 miles per hour were recorded in the area.  While the Owls were able to take advantage of the gusts by creating opportunities in Fuego’s half, they were unable to record a single shot on frame.  Union Omaha did have five key passes in the attacking third, which allowed them to continuously threaten Fuego’s goal.  Once the halftime whistle blew, the scoreless sides recessed to their locker rooms to prepare for the decisive second half.

            Despite having the wind in their face for the second half, Union Omaha was able to break the deadlock early.  In the 48th minute, Union Omaha forward Hugo Kametani was able to steal the ball inside of Fuego’s half, carry the ball to just outside of the penalty area, and unleash a shot to the back door.  After several missed opportunities leading up to this point, fortune finally favored the Japanese graduate from University of Nebraska-Omaha, as the ball bounced off the far post and rested itself in the goal.

            The home fans would have to wait until the 90th minute before seeing another goal.  After a defensive header was cleared to Union Omaha midfielder JP Scearce, he quickly head the ball to fellow midfielder Noe Meza.  With the immediate recognition of forward Kemal Malcolm’s opportunity, Meza fed a long ball into Fuego’s half and sent Malcolm on a fast break.  The Jamaican international was able to calmly collect the ball and feed it to the back of the net, doubling Union Omaha’s lead in the process.  Malcolm wasted very little time in making an impact on the match, scoring only four minutes after being subbed onto the field.

            Another second half sub, Union Omaha midfielder Giovanni Montesdeoca, would make the most of his time on the field, as well.  In the 90+3’ minute of the match, Montesdeoca had the ball at his feet inside of Fuego’s penalty area.  During his scramble to find the best window of opportunity for a shot, he was pulled down by Fuego defender Sergio Chavez.  The foul earned Chavez his second yellow card and an early shower.  Stepping up to take the penalty kick was Scearce.  With so many Owls having already taken a penalty kick this week, it was Scearce’s turn to prove that he could handle the pressure, as well.  Scearce’s kick went to the Fuego goalkeepers left and added yet another insurance policy to Union Omaha’s victory.

            The victory propelled Union Omaha up the USL League One standings from 7th place up to 2nd place.  Union Omaha’s next match will be on April 30th at 6 PM (CST), as the Owls visit Charlotte Independence.

Central Valley Fuego FC’s loss saw them drop to a six-way tie for third place, based on points.  Fuego stays on the road in the Midwest this week, visiting Forward Madison on Saturday, April 30th at 5 PM (CST).

Scoring Summary:

48’ – OMA: Hugo Kametani, unassisted

90’ – OMA: Kemal Malcolm, assisted by Noe Meza

90+4’ – OMA: JP Scearce (penalty kick)

Substitutions:

63’ – OMA: Giovanni Montesdeoca replaced Dion Acoff

65’ – CV: Christian Chaney replaced Ozzie Ramos

66’ – CV: Anthony Velarde replaced Michael Hornsby

66’ – CV: Diego Casillas replaced Maximiliano Schenfeld

77’ – OMA: Gabriel Claudio replaced Emir Alihodžić

77’ – OMA: Eddie Gordon replaced Joseph Brito

86’ – OMA: Kemal Malcolm replaced Hugo Kametani

Discipline Summary:

15’ – CV: Sergio Chavez (yellow card)

17’ – CV: Ozzie Ramos (yellow card)

63’ – CV: Nathan Smith (yellow card)

90+3’ – CV: Sergio Chavez (2nd yellow card, red card)

90+4’ – CV: Diego Casillas (yellow card)