Data Dive: A Colorful Week

Another week down for the Owls and (thankfully) another win. Let’s dive into the data from that Tucson game as well as look ahead to next week’s big showdown.

Red Sands
Any game against Tucson tends to have some discipline issues, normally in fouls, which made this an interesting game in that front as compared to normal. The fouls (9 us, 10 them) actually is lower than the previous average for either side against one another. In fact, it is the lowest number of fouls either side has ever had against one another. Their previous low being 12 against us in both the playoff game last season and the first regular season game last year. Our previous low against them being 10, also from that playoff game last season.

It’s funny that last season’s final game against them comes up that way in discipline, as it is notable for one other discipline issue, something this game had in common: a red card. This makes only the fifth red card we’ve had, getting two each in the past two seasons. It is our first against Tucson, leading to another interesting tidbit that coincides with their red in the playoffs: Tucson is now only the second match-up of ours where both teams have received a red card. The only other is a team not in this league anymore, North Texas SC, though both reds in that case were in the same game. In a sense of scarlet symmetry, only 5 teams have received reds against us as well. Funny how things work out like that.

A Golden Achievement
One thing this game did involve, unlike last week, was an appearance by JP Scearce. It wasn’t just any appearance though, it was in fact his 50th league appearance (including playoffs) for the club! He is the first Owl to hit that mark. With the first season being shortened, we had only played 46 games over the first two seasons, so no one had been able to reach that milestone prior. Now, we are coming up on a number of long-serving players getting close to it. The list below has the current league appearances of our current players (in alphabetical order). We may have a few more hitting this accomplishment this season, which I will be sure to update on when they happen.



The Big Green Belt is Back
With the next opponent being Greenville, it is indeed #BeltWeek. This game comes at an interesting time for us though, with the schedule for the week after being what it is. The Open cup game against SKC is on the Wednesday after the game, so it will be interesting to see how Jay rotates players. The Chicago Fire game was the only other Open Cup game we’ve had so far (fortunately) in which we had a game the weekend before.

Greenville is a different opponent than going to Tormenta though, which was the last time we had a league game before the cup. This is going to be both a home game and a rivalry game. Going back to the fouls perspective for a second, we average 15.5 fouls against Greenville per game compared to them fouling us less than 10 times per game. Those have resulted in some yellows for us as well. So it will be interesting to see what lineup and subs end up happening as that reflects a glimmer of the different styles of play between them and many of the other teams in the league.

Finally, a quick stat on the belt itself. It is 1,082 miles between Werner Park and Legacy Early College (Greenville’s venue). The belt has made that trip 7 times, for a total of 7,574 miles (not counting the extra mileage around each city it also made). Either way, that’s a lot of miles. I hope that we will become a little bit more environment-friendly, more green, and not make it have to make that trip again this weekend.

Owls Down Tucson Despite Late Scares

Despite triple-digit temperatures, a second-half red card, and a second-half own-goal, Union Omaha prevailed at the end of Saturday night’s match against FC Tucson with a score of 2-1.  What seemed to be a manageable cruise to an away victory turned into anything but that, yet the Owls maintained their composure and returned to Omaha with three points to boost them up in the league table.

            The first 15 minutes of the match saw FC Tucson threatening Union Omaha time and time again.  Tucson was faster, passing better, creating chances, forcing turnovers, winning challenges, and keeping Union Omaha’s defense busy.  The Owls looked to be on their heels, disjointed, flustered, and even overwhelmed at times.  Ultimately, they weathered the storm, re-organized their formations, settled down, and found their style of play.  What resulted was a slow transition of control from FC Tucson to Union Omaha.  Before halftime, Union Omaha would break the deadlock and reaffirm their confidence.

            In the 42nd minute, Union Omaha was awarded a direct kick outside of FC Tucson’s penalty area.  Both Daltyn Knutson and Noe Meza would line up to take the kick, but Meza was the one who eventually put his foot on the ball.  His shot initially seemed to be going over the bar, but dipped just in time to tuck itself inside the upper corner of the goal.  FC Tucson goalkeeper Carlos Merancio Valdez never had a chance.  Don’t be surprised if you see Meza’s goal up for Goal of the Week honors.  The goal was exactly what Union Omaha needed heading into halftime.

            The second half of the match started off innocently enough and both sides continued to search for the edge on their opponent, but Union Omaha wouldn’t waste too much time before finding their insurance policy.  During the run of play, Union Omaha defender Isaac Bawa carried the ball up the right side of the attacking third and provided a beautiful service to midfielder Kemal Malcolm.  Instead of heading the ball straight at the goal, Malcolm headed the ball into the ground.  FC Tucson’s Merancio Valdez seemed to be taken by surprise from Malcolm’s approach and couldn’t locate the bouncing ball in time to save it from crossing the goal line.  With a second goal in hand, Union Omaha seemed to be coasting to another victory in Kino North Stadium.  The finish to this match would be anything but comfortable.

            Within a mere six minutes of the Union Omaha’s second goal, defender Gabriel Claudio received a second yellow card, resulting in a red card.  His dismissal from the match was a major boost of confidence for FC Tucson.  They had 27 minutes of regulation time to strike back against a Union Omaha team that was a man down for the rest of the match.  Exactly ten minutes after the soft red card was doled out, Union Omaha captain Conor Doyle was the victim of the cruel mistress that we call own goals.  FC Tucson served up a wonderful cross into the box and Doyle had to make a split-second decision: does he go for the ball, knowing the angle of the service could easily deflect into the goal?  Or does he let the ball go deeper into the box and risk an FC Tucson player finishing the service?  Doyle chose action over inaction and what resulted brought FC Tucson within one goal of tying the match with Union Omaha.

            Despite being down a man and one goal away from dropping points for the first time at Kino North Stadium, Union Omaha found a way to kill the clock and secure the win.  With the loss, FC Tucson remains in last place, three points away from their nearest neighbor, who also have a game in hand on them.  Their next match will be on the road against Central Valley Fuego, a club that hasn’t found their first victory at home and is trending in the opposite direction of where they’d like to be in the standings.

            With the victory and the three points, Union Omaha finds themselves in 6th place, 2 points away from first place, and 2 games in hand.  The next matchup for the Owls is a rematch of the 2021 USL League One Championship (and 2020, if you want to be technical): Greenville Triumph.  And with that being said, let me excitedly proclaim the beginning of Belt Week.  At the conclusion of last night’s match, the Belt made an appearance at the watch party at The Corner Kick, so Belt Week has already begun and with it brings all of the excitement you need to get you through to next week’s home match.

            Who Gives A Hoot will be providing a lot of content this week, so make sure to subscribe and don’t miss out on anything that’s coming your way.  We have a new episode of the podcast, more data-breakdown greatness from Kyle, a deep-dive on FC Tucson (complete with videos, pictures, and other visuals), a preview on Greenville, and plenty of social media content planned for the next week.  It’s an exciting week, so follow and subscribe for all of the treasures to come.

FC Tucson Preview

FC Tucson (2-1-5, 11th Place) vs. Union Omaha (2-4-1, 8th Place)

All competitions: TUC (3-1-6) vs. OMA (6-4-1)

Kino North Stadium – Tucson, Arizona

9 PM (CST)     ESPN+

            Good morning, Búhos Nation, and welcome to Week 11 of USL League One action.  Today’s matchup sees the Owls travel down to Tucson, Arizona to battle against FC Tucson, the bottom-dwellers of the league.  The match comes with great timing, as FC Tucson has only one victory in their last five outings, including last week’s 1-2 loss at Forward Madison.  Union Omaha, on the other hand, is entering the game day undefeated in their last five games and fresh off their first victory against Chattanooga in club history.  With a victory today, Union Omaha could climb the table and continue to position themselves favorably, especially with a game in hand.

            Believe it or not, Union Omaha fans have plenty of reasons to love FC Tucson.  Fans may believe that FC Tucson has that certain je ne sais quoi, but I can spell it out for you in very clear terms: no other club in League One has gifted Union Omaha more points in the standings than FC Tucson – combined, home, or away.  In fact, no club has allowed Union Omaha to score more goals on them than FC Tucson.  Union Omaha has never dropped a single point when playing in Kino North Stadium: three games, three wins, nine points, and a +6 goal differential.  Historically speaking, you won’t find a more accommodating host than FC Tucson.  The last time these two clubs met on the playing field, Union Omaha fans were treated to a true gift at home in the second round of the 2021 USL League One playoffs: a 6-1 drubbing.  What a wonderful evening.

            With that said, FC Tucson has the potential to surprise their opposition.  I mean, sure, they’ve played eight games and only won two of them, but both wins were on the road against Chattanooga Red Wolves and South Georgia Tormenta FC, quality opponents this season.  That’s as far as you’ll have to look for favorable outcomes.  FC Tucson has had three home games this season.  In those three home games, they’ve managed to draw once and lose twice.  If you look even further into the stats, FC Tucson has more red cards at home than victories.  Their red card troubles are bigger than you might think: overall this season, they have more red cards than victories.

            As far as tactics go, FC Tucson likes to play slightly more conservative than Union Omaha, but they still like to pass the ball and move forward.  Their manager, Jon Pearlman, likes to line up in a 4-3-3, but the formation tends to morph a bit while on offense.  They like to do most of their business along the flanks and cross the ball into the box, similar to Union Omaha.  While watching FC Tucson, you’ll see that they pass the ball more and their passing is a lot more accurate than Union Omaha.  They find the passing lanes and take advantage of those opportunities.  On defense, it won’t be hard to notice how physical they are against their opposition.  They don’t concede an enormous amount of fouls compared to the rest of the league, but they play a distinctively physical style on defense.  The next stat could be a positive or negative, depending on how you interpret it: no single player on FC Tucson’s roster has scored more than one goal.  They have eight goals on the season, all scored by a different player (including former Union Omaha defender Jake Crull).  While they contribute to the score line as a committee, they also haven’t found a reliable scorer from one week to the next.  Interpret it however you’d like.

            It’s a late kickoff, so get ready to celebrate another Union Omaha game day for a little longer.  There are plenty of watch parties happening across Omaha, so find one closer to where you live, save your gas money, and have a little more fun at the viewing party.  There are also some exciting things happening behind the scenes at Who Gives A Hoot, so stay tuned for some exciting content coming your way, including new episodes of the Who Gives A Hoot podcast.  If you haven’t listened to the most recent episode, Luke and Ryan have a good conversation with Union Omaha General Manager, Peter Marlette.  You don’t want to miss that episode.  Wear the colors, join your friends, and have a great game day.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!

Data Dive: Red Wolves Downed

Welcome to the new, revamped data segment! I’m Kyle and I’ll be doing our Data Dives this season (unless Ben really wants to, I suppose). [Editor’s note: Welcome Kyle, I’m excited you’re carrying the torch here!]

First True Sad Wolves
At long last the Owls have been able to tackle the Red Wolf in the room. The lingering thing only spoken of in the shadows, whispered but never dared to be said aloud. That is, that the Red Wolves were the only team at the end of last season that we had never beaten in League One play before.

For those unaware, the history goes like this:
1. The only 2020 game against them was rescheduled due to the infamous no lights incident. We lost the rescheduled game (as well as Dami for a bit) which set up our three game losing streak that year.
2. The only home game so far was the first against them in 2021 and had a (still bewildering how it was given) red card for JP. Down a man, we allowed a late equalizer for a draw.
3. The other game against them last year caught us in a bad place depth-wise. With a rotated lineup we played close for much of the game but ending up losing to a late goal on the road.

This means that not only is this the first win against Chattanooga, but it’s the first points we’ve gotten in their stadium. But that foe is now vanquished! With how this year’s schedule works, we only play them at home the rest of the season, so no other trip there until next year. As for teams we haven’t beaten in league play, there are now two that still remain with the entrance of the 3 new teams this year. In our one game against Charlotte, we did not win (somehow…) and while we have beaten Hailstorm in the US Open Cup, we played to a 0-0 draw against them in league play so far. But those may still change this season, with 2 more chances against each team.

How’s That Possession Stat Looking?
One of the main topics in previous data segments was the discussion of our play style, which is that we purposefully play with low possession. So, with a mostly new team does that still look the same? You betcha! Only twice this season have we had the majority of the possession (at Tormenta and vs Hailstorm). In fact, this game was our lowest of the league season at an even 31%. Our only other win so far is the third lowest mark this season, 40.1% against the Fuego. So as expected, even with the personnel changes the style truly is set and Jay has imbued this vision of play into yet another core of players.

Something Afoul(s)
It was discussed on the pod (and among supporters in general) that the Red Wolves are a relatively rough team in their style of play. I wanted to find a way to quantify this to see how measurable it could be. While not exact for a number of reasons (including reffing), I decided to look through the number of fouls and cards have happened in our games back through to the first season.

I’m deciding to take out games where we’ve only played a team once in the league, as only a single game can skew the data. To that end, the games against Fuego, Charlotte, Hailstorm, and Orlando City B (remember them?) will be excluded. I do want to mention two things about those 1-off teams first though.
1. The number of total fouls in the Fuego game is about as high as the highest average total fouls per game, 32. It’ll be interesting to see if our future games with them are similar.
2. The NoCo Hailstorm game produced 6 total yellows, which is also the average for the matchup with the most yellows. This one actually has some more data in the form of the Open Cup game against them. That game had a few more fouls, but a lower number of cards. Again, it will be interesting to see how things look once we play them a few more times.

So, how does Chattanooga fare for us? Here’s the full table:

They are, in fact, second in the number of fouls per game, at 28.5, and first in the number of total yellows per game, 6. Now, we actually end up having more fouls when playing them, 16/game to their 12.25/game but we are equal with 3 yellows/game each.

So while not being able to truly state it, it does go to show that these matches end up being some of the rougher ones we play in. There’s only really one match-up that might be considered rougher, which averages almost 31.5 total fouls per game and over 5.25 yellow cards per game. That opponent happens to be the one we play next weekend, FC Tucson.

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.