Welcome to the third part of the four-part series as we introduce the newest signings to the 2022 Union Omaha roster.  In this part, we’re taking a look at the exciting new signing of Isaac Bawa.

            Just like 2020-2021 Union Omaha defender Illal Osumanu, fellow defender Isaac Bawa was also born in Accra, Ghana.  It wasn’t until 2018 that Bawa would cross the Atlantic Ocean and start his playing career in the United States.  Accra may have been his birthplace, but after signing his intention to play collegiate soccer with Azusa Pacific University, Los Angeles would quickly become his hometown.

            Bawa wasted no time at all in a new country to start making a name and life for himself.  In two seasons with Azusa Pacific University, Bawa made 38 appearances, scoring 2 goals, and tacking on an assist for good measure.  As a freshman, he started in 19 matches and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American Second Team, D2CCA All-American Third Team, and was also named PacWest Freshman of the Year, as well as Defender of the Year.  His second year with the university saw him named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American First Team, D2CCA All-American First Team, and was lauded as the PacWest Player of the Year.  After his second collegiate season, Bawa decided to turn his sights on professional soccer and joined FC Golden State Force, from the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA).

            While playing with FC Golden State Force, Bawa made six appearances in the regular season, three appearances in the playoffs, and was part of a defensive unit that didn’t allow more than one goal in any game, earning eight shutouts along the way.  His short stop with the club allowed him to gain the attention of a much larger club that just happened to be down the street, LA Galaxy II.  Bawa spent two seasons with LA Galaxy II, a club in the USL Championship.  Across those two season, Bawa amassed 31 appearances, 27 of which were starts, and valuable experiences at the high level of USL Championship competition.

            In the Union Omaha press release, head coach Jay Mims expressed his excitement at the opportunity to help Bawa develop:

            “Isaac is a good athlete with experience from LA Galaxy who is a very versatile player.  He is only a few years out of college and is eager to learn and grow to continue his development.  We are so happy to have him in our championship, competitive environment.”

            Bawa returned his own excitement for the opportunity, saying:

“I’m super excited to win more championships for this great club.  My faith in God makes me believe this is where He wants me to be for His glory. So it’s a blessing to be a part of this amazing family, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Bawa joins a stout defensive unit and brings valuable experience with him to the club.  His inclusion to the roster adds depth and excitement for Búhos Nation to follow this coming season.  Stay tuned for the last part of our four-part series as we introduce the four new players to the 2022 Union Omaha roster.

Welcome to part two of our look into the new players joining Union Omaha.  In this round, we’ll introduce you to Joe Brito.

            If you thought Union Omaha’s midfield was fully-stocked, head coach Jay Mims has a differing opinion.  On Tuesday, midfield Joe Brito became one of the latest players to join the club and with his addition comes a whole new level of competition for playing time in the midfield.

            Brito is a driven veteran who is used to battling above his class.  Even in his early teens, Brito was proving himself in age groups above his own.  As an early teenager, he was called into nine US Soccer Training Center camps and played at the U14 level.  During his time at those camps, he was able to learn from Hugo Perez, former US Men’s National Team player and the current manager of the El Salvadoran Men’s National Team.  It didn’t take long for clubs in his own backyard to see his talent and look to further develop his potential.

            His hometown may be Bolton, Connecticut, but you can also say he grew up on the fields of the New England Revolution Academy.  During his years in their Academy, he bounced between the U16 and U18 squads, amassing plenty of appearances.  After starting 11 of the 15 matches with the U18 squad, he was recognized as the leading scorer.  Because of that, and so much more, he was formally recognized as the 2016-2017 New England Revolution Academy Player of the Year.  Later that year, Brito would move himself down to Charlotte, North Carolina and spend his collegiate years playing for the University of North Carolina – Charlotte.

            During his five years with Charlotte, Brito garnered so much attention that if player awards were Pokemon, he collected just about every single one of them.  Even as a freshman, he earned Conference USA All-Freshman team honors.  To further hit that point home, his very first goal with the 49ers was a game-winner in the Conference Tournament semifinal against FIU, who was ranked 8^th in the national polls.  The next year, he helped Charlotte earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, made an appearance in the C-USA Tournament Championship, and lofted the 49ers into the national ranks for a majority of the season.  In 2019, his lore grew even larger when he scored game-winning goals in two consecutive matches, separated by a mere three days.  Oh, and he assisted two game-winning goals in the C-USA Tournament.  Two years later, he scored the game-tying goal against 5^th-ranked Kentucky with less than five minutes remaining and then assisted the game-winning goal in extra time of the first period of overtime.  By the time his collegiate career came to a close, he had earned two First-Team All-Conference USA awards, Offensive Player of the Week, and named to the All-State Men’s soccer team by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA).

            In the Union Omaha press release, head coach Jay Mims stated his excitement for Brito’s signing:

“Joe is a two-way midfielder who works hard defensively and can create opportunities in the attacking third. I am excited to help Joe grow as a player and look forward to his development.”

            Brito expressed equal excitement in his quote that was also included in the press release:

            “It’s a dream come true to sign my first professional contract with a club like Union Omaha.  I’m excited to play in front of our passionate fans and help defend the championship!”

            The 2022 Union Omaha midfield will be an exciting unit to watch, especially with Brito joining the club.  Keep an eye out for the third part of this four-part series as we look at the new players joining the Union Omaha roster.

The 2022 Union Omaha continues to grow and yesterday’s announcements were no let-down for Búhos Nation.  The club announced four additions to the roster and each player brings a wealth of experience, grit, and in some cases, a little pizzazz.  This will be part one of four that will focus on the new players.  First up, let’s welcome Gabriel Claudio.

            Standing tall at 6’2”, Claudio bolsters an impressive-looking backline for the upcoming season.  Even though fans will see him playing defense, don’t be surprised to see his jersey advancing up the field and making a difference on the other side of the midline.  Claudio loves to make plays on defense, but is just as eager to push up and add some spice to the offense.  This mindset isn’t a new tool to his arsenal.  He’s been living on both sides of the ball and receiving awards every step of the way.

            Gabriel Claudio started his playing career at Junior College powerhouse Yavapai College (editor’s note: JP Scearce was a star at Yavapai) in Prescott, Arizona.  Fitting into an elite group didn’t take long for Claudio and he quickly made a name for himself.  By the end of his sophomore season, he was racking up awards, like being named to the 2019 NJCAA First Team All-Region, United Soccer Coaches All-West First Team, and even runner-up for the 2019 Region Player of the Year.

            After spending two years at Yavapai College, Claudio transferred to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV).  Again, he wasted little time in making an impact on his new team.  In his first season with the Rebels, he had already started in 11 matches and even scored the game-winner vs Houston Baptist.  His second year with the program only pressed harder on the gas pedal, as he started all 18 matches, scored 1 goal, and earned 3 assists.  For his hard work, he was recognized as a 2021 All-WAC Honorable Mention.

            In the Union Omaha press release, head coach Jay Mims recognized his abilities and praised his potential, saying:

            “Gabe is an athletic defender who is excited to come in and learn and develop.  He is a competitor who loves to be challenged and fight for the team.  I’m so happy to have Gabe joining our team as I know he is ready to learn and develop.”

            Claudio released a quote for the press release, as well.  In it, he said, ““I’m excited to get started in Omaha and give everything I have for the organization!”  Once the announcement was released on Twitter, he couldn’t contain his excitement there, either.  Claudio responded with, “Blessed with this opportunity!  Excited for the journey!!!”

            When you watch the highlights below, you’ll see exactly why Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims was so keen on Claudio joining his squad.  He’s a quality defender who is fast, strong, and extends plays.  While not a primary scoring threat, he shows eagerness to be cog in a scoring machine.  Back on defense, you can see that he’s not afraid to get physical and often wins those battles, too.  One specific item to watch for in his highlight reels is how he works the set pieces.  He likes to feign non-involvement in the play, waits for the defense to forget about him, and then throws himself into the mix right as the ball comes into play.  Oh, if you thought you were going to miss out on any dance moves due to the absence of former-Owl Devin Boyce, Claudio has you covered.  Take a look at his highlight reel and you’ll see that the world is his dance floor.

            Stay tuned for part two, where we take a look at the next Owl to join the club.

Week 2 of the USL Championship concluded over the weekend and with it came several appearances from former Union Omaha players.  In this edition of “Owls Away,” we take a glance around the league to see how each former Owl performed.

John Murphy (New York Red Bulls II): Wore the captain’s armband, started and played 80 minutes, and assisted the game-winner in the midweek 1-0 victory over Atlanta United 2.  In the weekend match, also wore the captain’s armband, started and played 90 minutes in the 0-3 loss to Loudon United FC.

Nicolas Firmino (Atlanta United 2): Started and played 90 minutes in the 0-1 loss to New York Red Bulls II.

Devin Boyce (Memphis 901 FC): Started and played 90 minutes in a 2-1 victory over Oakland Roots.

Greg Hurst (Phoenix Rising FC): Dressed, but did not play in the 1-2 loss to Las Vegas Lights FC.

Ferrety Sousa (Sacramento Republic FC): Started and played 74 minutes in the 0-2 loss to San Diego Loyal SC.

Evan Conway (San Diego Loyal SC): Subbed-on and played 6 minutes in the 2-0 victory over Sacramento Republic FC.

Damià Viader (Sacramento Republic FC): Did not dress in the 0-2 loss to San Diego Loyal SC.

            Week 3 of the USL Championship is under way, so if you want to see these very same players continue to achieve greatness, make sure to tune in and watch their next matches.

            As for Union Omaha, the US Open Cup starts tonight and the implications determine who Union Omaha hosts on April 5^th at Morrison Stadium.  Soon after that midweek match, Union Omaha hits the road to start their 2022 USL League One season in Madison, Wisconsin.  If you haven’t purchased your season, or individual match, tickets, make sure to head over to the club’s website and cement your place in the stadium as the Owls look to defend their 2021 USL League One title.

            Who Gives A Hoot has some exciting content coming your way in the near future, as well.  Whether it’s new episodes of the podcast, articles on the website, or content shared on social media, make sure to follow Who Gives A Hoot to keep up-to-date on the latest happenings surrounding Union Omaha.  If you want to make life easier for yourself, subscribe to the podcast on your favorite streaming network to receive alerts when a new episode is released.  On that same note, you can also subscribe to the articles posted on the website and have the articles sent directly to your inbox.  ¡Viva Búhos!

There’s no doubt that Union Omaha has some great fans, so Who Gives A Hoot is always looking for new and better ways to keep fans connected to the club and its players.  As the club continues to grow, it’s only natural that former players will spread their influence across other clubs, leagues, and even countries.  With that being said, we are proud to announce a new series of articles on the website called “Owls Away.”  Inspired by a common phrase you hear from Union Omaha fans (“Once an Owl, Always an Owl”), we are highlighting former players as they extend their playing careers elsewhere.  Each week, we’ll take a look at former Union Omaha players and give you a brief look at their performances.  So, without further ado, welcome to the first edition of Owls Away.

Of all the clubs and leagues in which former Union Omaha players find themselves, the only active league is USL Championship.  As other leagues kick off their season, we’ll have more players and achievements to highlight.  Until then, here’s how former Owls looked in the opening week of the USL Championship regular season:

Greg Hurst (Phoenix Rising FC): Started, scored a goal, earned an assist, and played 62 minutes in Phoenix Rising FC’s 4-2 win against Monterey Bay.  * Also named to USL Championship Team of the Week (Week 1). [Editors note: Greg claims he has lots of dimensions to his game, but that assist looked very familiar to me (miss you champ).]

Ferrety Sousa (Sacramento Republic FC): Started, assisted the late game-winner, and played 90 minutes in Sacramento Republic FC’s 3-1 win against El Paso Locomotive FC.  *Named to USL Championship Team of the Week (Week 1).

John Murphy (New York Red Bulls II): Wore the captain’s armband, started, and played 90 minutes in New York Red Bulls II’s 0-2 loss to The Miami FC.

Devin Boyce (Memphis 901 FC): Started and played 90 minutes in Memphis 901 FC’s 0-3 loss to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Nicolas Firmino (Atlanta United 2): Started and played 71 minutes in Atlanta United 2’s 0-1 loss to Liousville City FC.

Evan Conway (San Diego Loyal SC): Did not dress in San Diego Loyal SC’s 2-1 win against LA Galaxy II.

Damià Viader (Sacramento Republic FC): Did not dress in Sacramento Republic FC’s 3-1 win against El Paso Locomotive FC.

Union Omaha is in the thick of their preseason schedule, which means that there are still more roster announcements to come.  On top of that, the club is preparing for the US Open Cup match at Morrison Stadium on April 5^th and the start of the USL League One regular season on April 9^th.  Who Gives A Hoot has you covered for everything related to the club, so keep checking back for more of your favorite Union Omaha content.  If you are looking to streamline your access to Who Gives A Hoot, you can subscribe to the website and our articles will be sent directly to your inbox.  You can also subscribe to the Who Gives A Hoot podcast and receive updates whenever the latest episode is released.  We’re also active on social media, so be sure to follow us for content on those channels, as well.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!

St. Patrick’s Day may be next week, but today’s signing from Union Omaha seems to show the club is harvesting four-leaf clovers.  Earlier today, the club announced the addition of American centerback Alex Touche to the 2022 roster.

The 6’3” defender played three seasons at the University of Pennsylvania.  While with the Quakers, Touche started in 43 of his 44 appearances, scored 8 goals, and helped his team earn 14 shutouts.  He was also named the team captain as a Junior in 2019.  Due to the COVID outbreak, he was unable to finish his collegiate career in 2020, but that didn’t stop him from racking up numerous awards before leaving the team. 

As a Freshman, Touche was named to the Second-team All-Ivy in 2017.  During his Sophomore and Junior seasons, he was mentioned in the First-team All-Ivy, Third-team United Soccer Coaches, and All-Region in the Northeast.  His biggest award came in 2019, earning All-ECAC and Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.

 In between collegiate soccer seasons, Touche played three seasons with USL League Two-side, and hometown club, Albuquerque Sol, appearing in 23 matches and scoring three goals.  Last year, he spent time with USL Championship-side New Mexico United, playing three matches.

Union Omaha’s press release included a generous quote from coach Jay Mims about Touche’s mettle:

 “Alex is a tough, hard-working, honest player who has fit in extremely well with our group.  He will be an important part of our defending group as he defends with purpose and can pass out of the back.”

Alex Touche returned high praise for the club in the same press release, stating, “I am incredibly excited to get started here in Omaha.  The club has a well-established winning culture and I look forward to building on everything the players and coaches accomplished last year.”

The highlight reel for Touche is exciting to watch because he brings a lot of quality to the Union Omaha defense.  He is very confident in the air, winning many of his aerial duels, and uses his arms well to battle for space and protect himself.  In the clips, you can see him often lined up directly behind an opposing player, cleanly jumping straight up, and still managing to get his head in a good position to win the 50/50 ball.

When he’s not winning in the air, he’s winning on the ground.  He shows a lot of intelligence with his slide tackles.  His fierce and punishing slides are equally balanced with technique to extinguish threats.  Another quality to notice is the immediacy of his transition from backtracking to initiating a challenge.  His movement is highly calculated, waiting for the precise moment to jump in and steal the ball.  Once he wins the ball, he does a great job of scanning the field for open players and feeding the ball to the right players.  An aspect of his passing that will benefit Union Omaha greatly is his ability to sense and anticipate his teammates while playing out of the back.  He cuts out the middle man, streamlines the distribution, and quickly puts the other team on their heels.  Whether his passes are by ground or by air, he seems to have very accurate passing to contribute to the Owls.

If you aren’t psyched-up for the coming 2022 USL League One regular season, Who Gives A Hoot can helped you.  We have routine articles getting posted on the website and frequent episodes of the Who Gives A Hoot podcast.  In fact, an episode was just released this morning.  Go check out the latest episode on your favorite podcast-streaming service and subscribe to our articles so they can be sent directly to your inbox.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!

Yesterday was another exercise in the “Thursday is the new Tuesday” for Union Omaha and with it came another dose of excitement for the 2022 roster.

            Chavany Willis was announced as the newest signing for the Owls.  In signing Willis, the club ventured into new territories as the 24 year-old became the club’s first international transfer market signing.  The defensive midfielder also brings experiences ranging from the Jamaican National Team, CONCACAF Champions League, USL Championship-side Bethlehem Steel, and Jamaican Premier League powerhouse Portmore United FC.  Willis started his professional career as a teenager in Jamaica and expressed his excitement in adding Union Omaha to his resume, stating, “I am very excited to join such a great club.  I look forward to the season and helping to bring more success to this club.”

            All credit for the discovery and scouting of Willis goes to Union Omaha Assistant Coach Bobby Murphy.  While on a trip to Jamaica, he was able to watch Willis play and open the discussions which ultimately brought the Jamaican to Omaha.  In the club’s press release yesterday, Murphy was quoted as saying:

            “During my trip to Jamaica, I saw a lot of talent on the island.  I immediately recognized that Chavany stood out and the more I watched him over the course of the match, I thought he’d be a great fit for our style and our club.  After speaking with him, I recognized his humility and desire for success.  I’m excited to see him succeed with us this season.”

            Even Union Omaha club General Manager Peter Marlette expressed his happiness with the newest addition to the Owls.  “We recognized a need on our roster and Bobby went and found that player in Jamaica.  Chavany is a full Jamaican international and we were thrilled to reach an agreement with Arnett Gardens to get him here to Omaha.”

            It’s easy to see why the coaching and management staff is excited about adding Willis to the club’s title defense this season.  In the highlight reel, the defensive midfielder does a great job of finding space on the field, sinking back on attacks to open lanes for the top line, picking his head up and scanning the entire field, threading the needle with tough passes, and facilitating a quality transition from defense to offense.  Even while receiving passes with pressure on his back, he seems to find a way to make the 180-degree turn, and moving the ball up the field.  Not many players are able to succeed in that skill, but Willis makes it look easy.  Oh yeah, and he has the right skills to score goals.  Across his entire career so far, he’s scored 19 goals, which is impressive considering he’s a defensive midfielder.

            Chavany Willis joins Union Omaha as the club continues on with preseason training and scrimmages.  The Owls are working hard to prepare themselves for the 2022 USL League One regular season, as well as their first appearance in the US Open Cup.  There’s plenty of excitement ahead for the club, so make sure you have your tickets secured for all of the action that is quickly approaching. 

Speaking of club-related action, Who Gives A Hoot has you covered for all of your Union Omaha commentary, news, and fun.  We’re working hard to give you the coverage you deserve, so sign up for our articles to drop directly into your inbox, follow us on social media, and check your favorite podcasting service for the latest episode of the Who Gives A Hoot podcast.  ¡Viva Búhos!

Even though we are on the precipice of Union Omaha’s third season, and Union Omaha has already won a championship, the club is still in its infancy and still experiencing a plethora of “firsts”.  One that many diehard fans have been waiting for, yet many casual fans are possibly not aware of, has finally arrived.  I am, of course, talking about the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  And, the 2022 iteration of the tournament will be Union Omaha’s first chance to participate. 

Playing in the tournament itself isn’t an accomplishment for Union Omaha.  All senior level teams that play in professional leagues recognized by the United States Soccer Federation are required to participate.  While most MLS teams don’t prioritize the event and might consider only starting their strongest lineup once they hypothetically reach the semifinal, virtually every other team participating in the tournament will do their absolute best to advance as far as possible.  This tournament is as close as American soccer gets to replicating tournaments that are beloved and respected elsewhere around the world. So, here’s a little background on how it works and what Union Omaha fans can expect from it.

The U.S. Open Cup has been played for over 100 years, and has seen numerous different formats that have adapted along with the changing landscape of American soccer.  In its more modern version, a majority of the participants are professional teams (71 for this year’s competition), while the rest are amateur and semi-professional teams (32 this year).  Teams enter the tournament at different stages; amateur and semi-pro teams (that had to previously qualify) enter during the opening round, and professional team’s entrances are staggered between the second and fourth rounds, at which point only 32 teams will remain.  Think of it as the Royal Rumble, but a whole bunch of wrestlers enter at the same time and those entering close to the end are still likely to get the biggest pop.  The talent gap between teams in this tournament can be massive, ranging from MLS teams with world class players, to Southern States SC, an academy club 1.5 miles from my old house in tiny Hattiesburg, Mississippi. 

If you’re only familiar with American tournament style sporting competitions, another quirk of this tournament is its randomness.  While tournament organizers attempt to set matches that are as regional as possible to help defray travel costs, there are still elements of random draws that take place throughout the tournament.  You will almost always never be 100% certain of who you can possibly play from one round to the next.  Union Omaha is currently in the position of knowing who their next possible opponent is, but if they win their match they will likely have to wait for the entirety of the round to be complete before being able to guess their next potential opponent, and will still have to wait for a drawing to confirm it. 

So, who could our first opponent be?  Union Omaha enters the tournament in the second round, along with all teams from USSF’s second and third divisions (which includes USL Championship from division II, and NISA and newly created MLS Next Pro from Division III).  By rule, in the second round teams from the same division can’t play each other, which means Union Omaha were either going to be paired with a USL-C club, or an amateur or semi-pro club that wins its first round game.  Ultimately, Union Omaha were drawn to play the winner of a match between Des Moines Menace, the defending USL League Two national champions, and Minneapolis City SC, a rumored landing spot for Union Omaha Original XI, Tyler David.  This match will be played in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 23, and the winner will come to Omaha for a match scheduled to be played at Morrison Stadium on the campus of Creighton University.  The match date hasn’t been determined at the time of publication, but will be played sometime between April 5-7, the same week Union Omaha kicks off the 2022 campaign.  A win in this match would be the first of seven that Union Omaha would need in order to lift the trophy at the end.

We’ll dive deeper into Union Omaha’s potential matchup once it’s official.  For now, here is a rundown of the rest of our USL League One brethren as they enter the tournament.  Some interesting matchups to look forward to, and we’ll be providing coverage of the tournament as long as Union Omaha lasts!

• Charleston Battery (USL-C) v. South Georgia Tormenta
• Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL-C) v. Northern Colorado Hailstorm
• El Paso Locomotive (USL-C) v. Central Valley Fuego
• FC Tucson v. Las Vegas Lights (USL-C)
• Greenville Triumph v. Oakland Roots (USL-C)
• Louisville City (USL-C) v. Chattanooga Red Wolves
• North Carolina FC v. Rio Grande Valley (USL-C)
• Richmond Kickers v. Lynchburg FC OR Northern Virginia FC v. Richmond Kickers
• Charlotte Independence v. South Carolina United/North Carolina Fusion U23
• Forward Madison v. Cleveland SC/Chicago FC United

For anyone predicting the starting lineup for Union Omaha’s midfield, coach Jay Mims made that task even more difficult with his latest signing.  Yesterday, the club announced the signing of Junior College Champion Ryen Jiba.

            The South Sudan national played for Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and helped lead the men’s soccer team to its first national championship in 2021.  If that’s not impressive enough, Ryen scored the game-tying goal and sent the game into extra time.  It should probably be noted that the opponent was number-1 ranked Iowa Western Community College, where alum-and-current-Owl Damià Viader played.  Salt Lake Community College has only had a men’s soccer program for five years, so the young program was looking for a leader, but the search didn’t take long.  Mark Davis, the founding coach at SLCC, had very high compliments of Jiba after the season.  “He prepped at East, and I always knew I wanted him there, with how dynamic he is,” Davis said.  “He can do so much.  Ryen’s been ‘that guy’ for the last two years, when our backs are against the wall, he always steps up.”

            Jiba didn’t start receiving praise last year, though.  Back in 2019, Jiba earned the NJCAA Region 18 Player of the Year while playing with the Bruins of SLCC.  That same year, he was named to the Best 11, an honor specific to the 11 best players at the United States Youth Soccer National Championship Series.  When he wasn’t playing youth soccer or Junior College soccer, he was still earning awards, but this time it was with USL League Two-side Park City Red Wolves SC.  During his short time with the club, he was still able to capture first-team honors on three separate occasions.

            Union Omaha coach Jay Mims has had his eye on Jiba for a while and mentioned as much in the club’s press release yesterday.  “I first saw Ryen about four years ago and have been tracking him ever since,” Mims said.  “He is a dynamic player who can attack and defend.  I am excited to put Ryen in a learning environment where he can grow as a player, and I cannot wait to get started coaching him.”

            Both coaches mentioned the word “dynamic” in their praise of Jiba, but SLCC coach Davis also mentioned Jiba’s leadership in a different form.  “The kid is just phenomenal, and that left foot is absolutely lethal.  Once he scored, he’s our emotional leader and we knew it was ‘game on,’” Davis said.  Remember that left foot Davis mentioned?  According to stats provided to me by Who Gives A Hoot’s very own, Ryan LeGrande, Jiba’s career has seen him score 25 goals in 48 appearances, along with 20 assists.  LeGrande’s math produced another stat: 1 goal for every 1.92 games.  That’s some high-quality production.

            If you’d like a little flavor of what you’re going to see in a couple of months, check out this highlight reel:

            In the video, you can see Jiba commanding the space around him, fending off defenders, keeping keepers honest by taking shots from outside the box, and sending nasty curlers inside of the far post.  He should be a great addition to the club for his play, but also emotional leadership.  He already has the word “Champion” on his resume, but hopefully his time with the Owls will add the words “USL League One” before it.

            With Jiba’s signing, Union Omaha’s roster is now up to 13 players, which means there are still several more signings to come in the near future.  If you’d like our articles sent straight to your inbox, make sure to subscribe to Who Gives A Hoot.  There’s a new episode of the podcast coming out very soon, so you can always subscribe to our media via your favorite podcast-streaming service, as well.  As, always…¡Viva Búhos!

With each passing day, the USL League One regular season approaches and Búhos Nation become more eager to hear news of the next Union Omaha player signing.  Yesterday, the club gifted its fans just that and this gift was well worth the wait.

            Union Omaha announced the signing of forward Hugo Kametani.  The 23 year-old from Kashima, Japan has made waves in the soccer community and those waves carried him to the United States.  While in Tucson, Arizona, Kametani played for Pima Community College and scored the game-winning goal in extra time of the National Junior College Men’s Soccer Championship final.  After helping the Aztecs lift the trophy, Kametani found himself to be the recipient of multiple honors and awards, including 2018 United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division I National College Player of the Year, First Team NJCAA All-American, and First Team United Soccer Coaches All-American, just to name a few.  By the time the next collegiate soccer season began, Kametani had already made his way to Omaha, Nebraska, where he would suit up and represent the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).

Kametani ended up playing his last two years of collegiate soccer with the Mavericks in Omaha and was bound and determined to never let his hype overshadow his potential.  During his two seasons at UNO, Kametani played in 28 matches, scoring 11 goals, 3 game-winners, and one assist.  In both seasons, his shot-on-goal percentage was at 50% or higher, while taking a total of 79 shots.  His efforts resulted in many honors and awards, such as 2020 Summit League Newcomer of the Year, 2020 All-Summit First Team, 2021 Academic All-League, and multiple Offensive Player of the Week awards.  Before the 2021 season, Kametani was placed on the watch list for the Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the top men’s soccer player in the nation.

            Union Omaha coach Jay Mims recognized his talents and complimented the coaching staff at UNO in the press release for Kametani’s signing.  “It has been so great to follow Hugo’s development over the last year locally in Omaha,” said Mims.  “Coach Warming and UNO have done such a great job with him and we are so thrilled to continue his progress and help him reach an even higher level.  He will fit in so well with our current group.”

            Kametani expressed excitement for the coming season in the press release, as well.  “I’d like to thank Union Omaha for giving me such a great opportunity,” he said.  “I’m so excited to start my professional career in Omaha.  I can’t wait to play in front of the Union Omaha fans!”

            If you think Hugo’s only connection to Union Omaha comes from playing in the same city, you may be surprised to learn of another connection: he played alongside Tyler David, a former Owl, last season at Des Moines Menace, the 2021 USL League Two Champions.  Kametani played in six games, scored two goals, and even received some playing time in the USL League Two Championship.

            And speaking of career stats, Who Gives A Hoot’s very own Ryan LeGrande sent me his current career stats.  He’s played a total of 60 games, scoring 27 goals, and added an assist along the way.  That comes out to one goal for every 2.22 games.  If he can continue on with that level of production in League One, he’ll be at 13.5 goals across 30 regular season games, matching almost perfectly with 2021 Union Omaha scoring leaders Greg Hurst (14 goals) and Evan Conway (13 goals).

            Alongside his experiences, Kametani brings the mentality of a champion.  He’s been on that stage multiple times in his career, knows how to make it happen, and can foster that same mentality in the locker room of the current USL League One champions.  As far as what he brings to the club, this short clip from his highlight video should tell you plenty about him as a player:

            The video shows that he has plenty of weapons in his arsenal: accurate heading, runs off the ball, ability to find space, soft touches under pressure, pulling defenders away and creating space for teammates, dropping back into a defensive role, the ability to switch the field accurately, and holding the ball for an offensive buildup.  He’s a great addition to Union Omaha and will only see his stock continue to rise during his time with the club.  It’s no wonder why Union Omaha fans are excited to see him join the Owls.

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