While the goal of sports is to win a championships, sports are so much more than that. As I was driving home from the game, I really wanted to share my thoughts on what this win meant to me. In wondering how I should do that, I eventually recalled that I’m technically the editor of this website. So I asked all of the WGaH contributors to share their thoughts with me, just so I could share mine.
Luke Opperman
The win last night was the dream culmination of the amazing work of everyone from Gary, Jay, the FO, players, fans, and technical staff. The win means everything, the exhale of relief was real, so much time and effort went in to this and you could feel it in the stadium. Personally, this win meant the future of this club will continue to burn brightly and bring opportunity to so many people in the metro and beyond. The result is idyllic and I’m not too proud to say that the tears I shed upon winning were amazingly cathartic. There’s a long road ahead for this club but the support from ownership, fans, and staff are there to see Omaha become a destination for young talent on the field and fans in the stand. To all the players who won’t return, once a Búho, always a Búho.
Jon Ryan
Words can’t really describe the feeling of your local club winning a championship. The accumulation of individual moments over the course of an entire season, even the tiniest of both highs and lows, leads to feeling every possible form of emotion immediately. But after having time to absorb it all, the most dominant emotion is pride. Pride for the players, technical staff, front office staff, and all of the supporters that lived and died with this team nonstop this season.
Ryan Legrande
When it was announced that a professional soccer team would be in Omaha, I immediately dreamed of a team that I could watch win a championship. At the time I thought it would take years to build to that. There is nothing quite like watching a club you’ve poured your energy, your time, and your emotions into win a championship. The fact that they got to do that at Werner Park and in such a convincing way was icing on the cake.
Rich Flemings
Being able to witness Union Omaha winning the title isn’t just about the superficial appearance of a sports team winning a title. After being a season-ticket holder since the beginning, the team has taken on a different level of meaning to me. It’s no longer a means for me to go out and watch live soccer. When you attend home matches on a consistent basis, go to watch parties when the team is on the road, hang out with wonderful people at tailgates week in and week out, that seed of emotional connection has already been planted. You no longer root for the brand of the club. You root for the players, who you share moments with after matches, at public appearances, and off-the-book outings with fans. You root for the club because of the amazing Front Office workers who are there to answer your questions, provide assistance when you least expect it, and to joke with whenever they aren’t busy racing around the stadium. The level of fandom elevates itself to something unfamiliar to a lot of people who follow pro sports in a different metropolitan area. Union Omaha isn’t shelling out millions of dollars on players who are looking to expand their individual media empire. The players on the team are established professionals who have bright futures. Watching young players grow and develop, especially under Jay Mims and Co., leads me to believe that Union Omaha has just as bright a future as each player does individually. Union Omaha doesn’t have multiple barriers, literally and figuratively, between itself and the fans. They want to embrace the fans, they want to welcome them into Werner Park, and they want to grow roots in the area for years to come. Omaha has seen sports teams come and go, but the way that Union Omaha has run their club so far, I have no doubt this club will be around for a long time. Rooting for Union Omaha isn’t just rooting for a team or a brand. It’s rooting for a community of which I’m proud to call myself a member. #OneMeansAll
Bryan Daily
Union Omaha are Champions of USL League One. It feels great to say. After a crazy pregame of watching Liverpool beat up on my brother’s favorite team; Arsenal; sitting right next to him none the less, we then moved our attention to the real game on our minds. The one that had been there since the inception of the team three years ago.
When it was announced that Omaha was going to be getting a professional soccer team it hit me at the perfect time in my fandom. I had been watching the Premier League for a year or two, had chosen a team and was still in the process of learning all the little intricoes of the beautiful game. I felt connected to the game through the Omaha Liverpool Supporters group. Being so far away from the team itself it gave me the feeling of being there without having to be there. They were so welcoming to a newcomer, and genuinely wanted to hear about me and my journey that led me to their supporters’ group. I am a part of the group and will continue to be for as long as I am able to.
As someone that always only watched Nebraska athletics, I did not really have a powerful sense of pride about the city. Matter of fact, I had a strong dislike of the city itself. My father, Grandfather, and future Father-in-law all worked for the city of Elkhorn before the annexation. We did not know if any of them would have jobs if the annexation went through. And the way the city went about it left a bad taste in the mouth of everyone who lived and worked in Elkhorn. But everything worked out in the end, with my father and to be father-in-law getting jobs with the city of Omaha and my grandfather retiring finally. That and with the city putting in the work to make sure Elkhorn had the same quality of care for the roads and public works it made me take pride in the city, but I was still no fan of the athletic teams in the city. That was until Union Omaha came about.
I remember being so excited when I heard about the team. Wanting to know more about them immediately and wanting to know how to be a supporter. I got all the emails and sent my input into the club in the naming of the club and the crest design. I bought my season ticket day one, was ready to be involved day one. I was devastated to learn that the crest unveil was taking place during a time that I could not attend. So, I fired up the livestream, when I saw the black tarp drop down, I was in awe. It was perfect, everything from the colors to the crest itself was perfect. You could see that the people involved really knew the city and how to incorporate everything into it. We were building something incredible.
The people I’ve talked to, the events I’ve attended, the games we won, and the games we lost have given me a sense of pride in a city I did not consider my home city, even though I grew up in a suburb of the city itself. Union Omaha has changed that for me. Parliament has changed that for me. I am and will be forever grateful for this club and this supporters group. I may not always be around for the events the amazing supporters groups throw, I am a family-oriented person first, but I am always there in spirit. Thank you to everyone involved with this club. From the Owner of the club all the way down the the first time fan attending the match, I appreciate you, more than words can express. Thank you Union Omaha.
Ben Turner
When I left the game, I was focused on how satisfying this was to celebrate with my friends. How satisfying it was to hug the people that I’ve been on this journey with. After hanging out at Switch with Parliament and the team for a few hours, I realized it was more than just the relationships with my friends that meant so much.
The beauty of soccer at this level is that the players are so accessible to us as fans. If you want to, you can build a relationship with them. Riding home from the celebration it struck me just how ridiculous, amazing, and satisfying it was to have just one player, let alone multiple players, from my favorite soccer team know my name.
Speaking of conversations, I ended up talking to a player at the end of the night who thanked me for still supporting the team after everything that happened with my job last year. I sort of laughed it off and gave my standard answer: “I was never going to let anything stand between me and the pro soccer team in my hometown.” It wasn’t until the next day that I realized just how much hearing this person say that, to me, meant to me and just how badly I needed to hear that. It was like something inside me that had broken when I was laid off and has been taking its sweet time to heal had finally knit itself back together.
Besides my professional journey Winning the USL1 Cup (does it even have a name?) brought so much closure to the journey as a fan that I’ve been on since May 1st, 2019, when the team was announced. I was just one guy wishing he could watch pro soccer in his adopted hometown. But I’ve been swept along by the excitement and on the way I’ve joined in fellowship with so many people who mean so much to me now. Winning the final, doing the double, it brings an incredibly satisfying end to this phase of the journey for all of us.
I’m going to savor this for myself, but watching those I’ve come to care about deeply: the players, the fans, and the staff savor it as well makes it just that much sweeter. We can’t know what the future will hold, but what ever it does hold, these are our moments and memories to cherish and like the star above the crest, we never have to give them back.
Can you feel the electricity in the air? No, I’m not talking about the electricity from all of the people hanging their Christmas lights early, or the ones taking up space in the Werner Park’s parking lot. I’m talking about the USL League One Championship. Today will be the deciding moment for both Union Omaha and Greenville Triumph as they take the field at Werner Park to decide who gets the belt and the USL1 Cup.
These two clubs were at set to face each other last year in the USL League One Championship, but due to COVID concerns, the match was cancelled on October 29th, 2020 – mere days before kickoff. Greenville was awarded the cup as a result of their superior points-per-game average. But today, there won’t be any last-minute scramble to determine the winner based on statistics. This year, the winner will be decided on the field.
Union Omaha, and their fans, had to wait 177 days from the day the Championship was cancelled last season to the start of the Búhos season this year. That’s a long time to have that nagging sense of incompleteness. Now, 210 days later, we find ourselves with another round of the budding rivalry between Union Omaha and Greenville.
Greenville coach and US Soccer Hall of Famer John Harkes brings his disciplined, technical, and cerebral squad to Omaha looking to confirm their belief of being the better club. This is a team that hasn’t lost a match since August 28th. They were one of the hottest teams as the regular season ended and they kept that momentum going into the playoffs.
One reason for the continued success of the club has to be the backline, as well as they’re depth at goalkeeper. With a defensive backline consisting of Tyler Polak, Brandon Fricke, Evan Lee, and Abdi Mohamed, Greenville has maintained their success, even despite midseason woes, injury spells, and lineup fluctuations. The Triumph have only allowed six goals more than Union Omaha, but also racked up 14 clean sheets. If the number of clean sheets doesn’t jump out to you, consider this: each club played 28 matches in the regular season. That means Greenville was able to prevent their opponent from scoring a single goal against them in half of their matches this season. That’s incredible and deserves recognition.
Another reason for the sustained success is Greenville’s depth at goalkeeper. Dallas Jaye had been the man in the net for the Triumph since 2019. He won the 2019 and 2020 Golden Glove award, as well as the Goalkeeper of the Year after last season. As the 2021 season rolled on, John Harkes started noticing increased competition on the training ground from backup goalkeeper Paul Christensen. At some point this season, Harkes made the difficult decision to bench Jaye and start Christensen. [Editor’s note: was it really that hard after Jaye cut his hair?] It would have been easy for Harkes and Greenville to continue riding the coattails of Jaye for another season, but Harkes showed he is capable of making tough decisions and ones he feels are necessary for the continued success of the club. After Jaye was able to accumulate six clean sheets, Christensen filled his shoes perfectly and continued on to earn eight clean sheets.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Greenville’s prolific goal scorer, Marios Lomis. So far this season, Lomis has scored 15 goals in 27 appearances – good enough for second place in the Golden Boot race. When Greenville takes the field, they basically reserve the attacking third for him, let him loose, and watch him rack up the goals. The next highest goal scorer on the team is midfielder Aaron Walker with five goals, followed by forward Lachlan McLean with three goals. The strength of Lomis is also the weakness of Greenville. With proper planning and execution, Lomis’s role on the field could be diminished and with it goes Greenville’s scoring security blanket.
These two clubs have faced each other three times in the past two seasons and both clubs have a win, a loss, and a draw. Each club has scored three goals in the series, as well. The last meeting between the two came on October 9th, 2021 and Greenville returned home with a 1-0 win, thanks to an early 12th minute goal from Marios Lomis. Not to make excuses for that match, but neither Evan Conway nor Greg Hurst started that match and Union Omaha played a very passionless first half. As soon as the second half began, which involved both Conway and Hurst being subbed on, Union Omaha controlled the entire second half, peppering the Greenville goal with shots and creating one-way traffic in their half of the field.
Greenville is a very patient team who loves to play out of the back. They also love square passes and drops, seeming to choose those passing routes over pushing the ball forward. Whenever the goalie has the ball, whether it’s a goal kick or the result of a drop pass, you’ll notice that the entire team immediately spreads out to the dimensions of the field. They aren’t going to bomb the ball up the field and take their chances. Instead, they’re going to stay calm, look for an open teammate, and not take a risk. As a result, this means they take their time to build their attacks. It’s a very calculated maneuver. With the field dimensions inside Werner Park, they won’t be gifted that kind of time and space. It will be interesting to see how they plan for their second overall visit to Werner Park.
If Union Omaha players want to set themselves up for the best chance of winning today’s match, they have to keep this condensed. Greenville is comfortable with time and space, so Union Omaha has to jump on that and make them uncomfortable for the entire match. This “condensed” word also pertains to Union Omaha players. They need to keep their lines close, force repeated duels, and elicit irrational decisions from Greenville players due to panicking from constant pressure. This increased pressure will also work toward defending against Aaron Walker, who has been very successful at orchestrating the Greenville offense. If Union Omaha can limit his influence on the flow of the match, they’ll have a greater chance of success, as well.
On offense, Union Omaha needs to keep Evan Conway and Greg Hurst involved. With the strong cast of supporters in the midfield, this is bound to happen. Also, continue crossing the ball as much as they have been all season. Paul Christensen has a lot of confidence right now and is not afraid to leave the goal line in favor of punching away crosses. If enough bodies can fill the box and the cross can draw him out, Union Omaha is in prime position for more tap-ins.
At the end of the day, today is about celebration. It’s been a great season for both clubs and these two are creating a rivalry that any soccer fan would appreciate watching. The production from both sides is at a high level, the coaches operate with high tactical intelligence, and the fans seem to have taken a liking to one another, as well. Make no mistake, though: Union Omaha wants the Cup and the Belt and are ready for today’s match. It’s going to be a good one, so if you aren’t at Werner Park, sit back and relax. If you are in Werner Park, don’t ever let your pants touch your seat. Stand up, get vocal, and make sure Union Omaha knows they have the full support of every fan in attendance.
Today’s tailgate will be starting extra early, so head over to Werner Park for the 11 AM start. This week features BBQ, which is bound to disappoint no one. On the way to the stadium, get yourself even more hyped by listening to the latest episode of the “Who Gives A Hoot” podcast. They fellas had a live episode last night, which you can find on Instagram. If you forgot your scarf, or are in the mood to continue collecting more merchandise, there will be a booth set up with discounted prices on all of its items. We can’t wait to see you at the stadium. ¡Viva Búhos!
Happy Friday, Búhos Nation! We here at Who Gives A Hoot Media hope you’ve had a wonderful week. It’s nice waking up every morning knowing that your local club is gearing up for the Championship. Just as you wake up every morning to prepare for the workday, know that Union Omaha players are waking up with the same sense of purpose. Let those good vibes continue to carry you into Werner Park as you support Union Omaha one last time in 2021.
I think we can agree on one thing: no one ever told the Owls, “Never force anything in your life. If it’s meant to be, it will be.” Nope. Union Omaha took the field at Werner Park last Saturday knowing full-well they were going to force the issue and take what they deserved. After an eventful 90 minutes, they succeeded in doing just that. So before we turn our attention to the Championship, let’s take one more look at the semifinal against FC Tucson.
Before the opening kickoff, there were a few interesting roster decisions made by Union Omaha coach Jay Mims. Defender Jake Crull was chosen to start at the left back position, which is usually designated for Damiá Viader. In lieu of that decision, Mims opted to push Viader up to left side of the midfield. Interesting decision, but the rationale makes perfect sense: maintain stability on the backline and push Viader further up the field, allowing him to get involved in more of the action via an advanced offensive position. Also, with as much space as FC Tucson gifts their opponents, it was really smart of Mims to let Viader take ownership of more space on the field. He’s been a great addition to the offense, knows how to score goals, creates plenty of opportunities in the box with his crosses, has the speed to make up any lost ground, and has the awareness to float into threatening spaces.
The other roster adjustment was moving midfielder Conor Doyle to the middle. Because Damiá Viader moved up to the left midfielder position, Jay Mims decided to slide Doyle inside. Again, this is an intelligent move. By pairing Doyle up with JP Scearce in the midfield, Mims is assuring quality defense in the middle of the field, while relying on their combined passing acumen to generate quality offense on the other side of the field. With FC Tucson lining up in a 4-3-3 (even if they didn’t maintain it), having two dependable, defensively-gifted midfielders to pressure the lone opposing midfielder in the middle of the field was the right call. You can look at just about any offensive and defensive statistic from the regular season and you won’t have to read much before you come across both of these names. They are most reliable with their aerial duels on defense and have a look-forward-first mentality when holding possession. While the duo may not be your scoring options in the midfield, they don’t have to be. With the amount of offense they generate, it’s perfectly okay for them to let scoring goals take a back seat.
Jay Mims and his coaching staff did a masterful job of preparing for this match. They positioned players to flourish and impressed upon the team three simple ideas that would lead to success:
Cooler heads prevail.
Crash the goal.
Limit your touches, move the ball quickly.
From the opening whistle, Union Omaha let it be known that there was going to be no space granted and no respect for play development afforded to FC Tucson. Case in point: the video below. This play happens within the first 30 seconds of the match. After FC Tucson wasted their opening kickoff, Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu, in expected fashion, launched the ball up the field. Watch as Union Omaha forward Evan Conway and FC Tucson midfielder Mohamed Kone prepare for the impending duel. You’ll see that as those two come together, FC Tucson defender Luca Mastrantonio abandoned his defensive post to assist Kone. As Union Omaha midfielder Devin Boyce picks up the loose ball, the damage has already been done. FC Tucson central defender Kaelon Fox and his right back Noah Franke could have been in a man-up situation, but were suddenly facing man-to-man coverage. FC Tucson left back Maximiliano Schenfeld had to scramble toward the middle to apply pressure on Boyce. The play was developing too quickly for Schenfeld to be impactful, so Fox and Franke had to set a high line of defensive pressure, losing their defensive markings on Damiá Viader and Greg Hurst. Another result of Schenfeld’s movement inside was the real estate that was suddenly available for Union Omaha midfielder JP Scearce. Without hesitation, Scearce sprinted into space and directly toward the back post. With a simple through ball by Boyce toward the goal line, Viader was all alone to make a low, driving pass to the back post. Unfortunately, Scearce was just out of reach of the pass and the ball continued toward the sideline. It very easily could have been a 1-0 scoreline inside of 30 seconds, but Búhos fans wouldn’t have to wait long to celebrate another attack.
In the second minute of play (yes, you read that correctly), Doyle was able to collect the second ball from an aerial challenge. Instead of looking backward to pass and settle into possession, Doyle pushed the ball up to Union Omaha right back, and team captain, Ferrety Sousa. What you’ll see next is an example of great combination play among the three teammates. By committing to one-touch passing, you can see how quickly the FC Tucson’s defense, namely Maxi Schenfeld, get lost in the dust. After Boyce sent the pass into the corner, you can already see Sousa picking up his head and looking into the penalty area for an offensive opportunity. While he’s doing that, Schenfeld has no option but to put on the afterburners to merely keep up with Sousa. Schenfeld didn’t have the option of maintaining composure in the corner. He needed to get there as quickly as he could. Realizing Schenfeld had only forward momentum, Sousa performed a simple cutback to evade him again. Since Schenfeld was caught over-committing again, FC Tucson forward Kevin Rodriguez was next in line to apply pressure. Rodriguez was originally marking Boyce, but had to leave him and divert to Sousa, instead. All Boyce had to do was pull up on his run into the attacking third, provide an option for a drop pass and he could suddenly drive at the goal. After yet another quick exchange of passing between Boyce and Doyle, Boyce had a window of opportunity to take a shot on goal. Boyce’s shot careened off the near post and was redirected to a perfectly-positioned Evan Conway ready for the easy tap in. Let the onslaught begin.
Those 1-2’s, sometimes called wall passes, that you’re seeing in those videos are highly effective ball-movement techniques to cut through the defense quickly, take advantage of space, and eliminate defenders from the rest of the play. Union Omaha did a great job of planning for FC Tucson because, while they respected the speed of their defensive adjustments, the Owls utilized a great strategy to limit the time they have to move personnel, limit pressure, and capitalize on open space.
In the 31st minute, Luca Mastrantonio tried to force the ball up the middle to Daniel Bedoya, but his pass wasn’t handled well by Bedoya. In his defense, it’s tough to settle a slow-moving lob with two defenders, in this case Devin Boyce and JP Scearce, in hot pursuit. It looks as though Bedoya was trying to split Boyce and Scearce with a pass to Mohamed Kone off his thigh, but couldn’t get enough power on it. Either way, the ball was given up and Scearce was able to jump on it with a toe-touch pass to Evan Conway before Kone could make a proper attempt at a clearance. When Conway turned, Kaelon Fox was there to usher him toward the sideline. If Maxi Schenfeld had kept his positional discipline and remained at left back, Conway wouldn’t have anywhere to go. Given his absence, Conway was able to carry the ball further into the attacking third. You can see Conway thinking about cutting across Fox to get inside of him, but Kone was making up ground quickly. Instead, Conway continued on course toward the goal line. Greg Hurst was wide open between the goal area and the penalty spot, but there were too many defenders and the window was too small to make a viable attempt to pass to him. As the angle on goal was getting tougher and tougher, Conway sent a low ball toward the back post. Even goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley thought Conway was going to make attempt on the near post, so when Conway aimed for the back post, Lapsley’s momentum was carrying him away from the shot. Conway didn’t put his laces through the ball, but countered with accuracy. The ball gently tucked itself just inside the far post and Union Omaha’s lead doubled.
After the goal was scored, the Union Omaha players came together to celebrate and Maxi Schenfeld became irate. Just two minutes prior, Schenfeld earned a yellow card after a physical challenge on Devin Boyce. Despite this knowledge, Schenfeld walked toward the celebrating players, gesturing toward them, and filing his grievances with the referee. In his approach toward both the players and the referee, he became enmeshed with Union Omaha players, quickly resulting physical altercations. While attempts were made to separate the players, the referee awarded Schenfeld with a straight red card. For those that are unaware, it is possible for a player to have a yellow card and still receive a straight red card. Two yellow cards do equal a soft red, but a single yellow card can be followed up with a hard red, if the referee deems the offence is worthy. If you look closely and slow down the video, Schenfeld seems to punch Damiá Viader in the face. It’s hard to see in real-time, but seeing how the referee was within an arms reach of both Union Omaha players and Schenfeld, he clearly saw the retaliation. The red card was awarded for violent conduct, Schenfeld was sent to the locker room, and FC Tucson was forced to play down a man for the remaining 59 minutes of the match. The replay clearly shows Boyce taunting Schenfeld after the goal, which is why Schenfeld was so upset. As a result of Boyce’s actions, he was deservedly awarded a yellow card.
There’s no doubt that Maxi Schenfeld had a case against Devin Boyce, but by getting himself in the thick of the Union Omaha post-goal celebration, he was baiting a physical altercation. He could have eschewed himself away from the celebrations, raised his concerns with the referee, and come out of the incident still carrying a single yellow card. Schenfeld then made an even worse decision: throw a punch. He knew he was sitting on a yellow card, so it was already risky behavior to get as mad about the situation as he was, but to throw a punch? That’s just plain inexcusable. As a result of his red card, he took himself out of the match and set his teammates up for failure. There was still an hour left in the match, his team was down 0-2, and now FC Tucson was expected to generate a comeback? Schenfeld showed obvious disrespect toward Viader for punching him, but also toward his teammates. As a professional athlete, he has to control his temper better than that. That was Schenfeld’s fourth red card of the season. His other three red cards all came in the 86th minute or later and never resulted in a goal for the opposition. His previous red cards may not have cost his teammates a match, but this one sure did.
I will give full credit to the FC Tucson players and coach Jon Pearlman – they didn’t give up. If anything, they sped up their play, restarted play as quickly as possible, and carried themselves with the belief that even though the odds were slim, they still believed they had a chance. Pearlman deserves credit for his adjustments following the incident. It would be easy for a coach to panic, make immediate substitutions, and overreact. He didn’t. He gave his players instructions and watched the remainder of the half to see which players he could depend on. The players that were still going all out deserved to stay on the field in the second half. He also took time to consult with his coaching staff before halftime, and during it, to formulate their next moves. He kept his cool, looked for options, received ideas from his staff, and reacted accordingly. Good job, Pearlman.
To open the second half, Jon Pearlman opted to substitute midfielder Manu Ferriol on for Mohamed Kone. This was a smart move. Ferriol is a speedy and fierce competitor who likes to move up the field. Kone, whether by design or personal preference, likes to sit back. By subbing on Ferriol, Pearlman was sending a message that his team wasn’t going to look to absorb Union Omaha’s attacks. They were going to press hard and look for fast breaks.
Fortunately for fans inside Werner Park, they wouldn’t have to wait long for the first goal of the second half. In the 49th minute, Rashid Nuhu sent a goal kick into FC Tucson’s half. Evan Conway was able to get up for the aerial duel and get a glancing header on the ball. Not only does the glancing header move the ball up the field, but it gets the ball to the ground sooner. This was perfect because Greg Hurst had already started his run through the FC Tucson backline. Because the ball was directed to space and falling quickly, Hurst was in a great position to pounce on the loose ball and continue toward the net. Hurst took one touch to settle the ball before sending a shot on goal. Wallis Lapsley did a good job of advancing beyond the goal area as a response to Hurst as he advanced on goal. He was trying to limit Hurst’s shooting angle and possibly force him into more touches on the ball. Unfortunately for Lapsley, the shot didn’t deflect off his hands the way he wanted it to and the ball was served on a silver platter for Damiá Viader to slot into the lower corner. If you’re looking for a textbook case of why you crash the goal whenever a teammate is taking a shot, consider this video an early holiday gift to you and yours. The Owls were now leading 3-0, with 41 minutes remaining in the match.
On the resulting kickoff, FC Tucson took a shot on goal. It wasn’t a great attempt by any measure, especially since Rashid Nuhu was able to settle the ball of his chest. FC Tucson’s message was clear: they were in desperation mode. That desperation would turn to further misery when Union Omaha was awarded a corner kick in the 53rd minute. Damiá Viader was able to send in a threatening cross, but Luca Mastrantonio successfully won the aerial battle and got his head on it. Threat averted, or so he thought. Waiting outside the 18-yard box was Devin Boyce, zeroing in on the falling clearance. Executed with perfect technique, Boyce sent an absolute rocket of a volley into the lower corner of the goal. This kind of a shot is incredibly difficult to make, but Boyce made it look easy. Almost identical to Nick Firmino’s volley against Greenville on May 16th, Boyce showed how much confidence he’s riding on at the moment. He had multiple defenders closing in on him very quickly, but he committed to the shot, leaned forward, watched the ball come off his laces, and had the perfect balance of power and precision.
In the 60th minute, Jay Mims decided to make a couple of smart substitutions. Austin Panchot was subbed on for Evan Conway and Toby Otieno came on for Devin Boyce. The result was already in hand, so Mims was smart to let Conway start his rest and recovery early. Removing Boyce was also smart because he was sitting on a yellow card. It was unnecessary to keep Boyce in the game and let each passing minute be another possible opportunity for him to earn a second yellow card, forcing him to miss the Championship.
In the 63rd minute, Kaelon Fox made a throw-in to Manu Ferriol, who continued the run down the line. Ferriol’s door to the corner was shutting quickly, so he split Conor Doyle and Ferrety Sousa to feed a pass to Shak Adams. Illal Osumanu was riding closely on Adams, so Adams did well to the shield the ball from Osumanu and open himself toward the middle. All it took was a single glance to realize that there were a lot of black jerseys advancing quickly from the middle, so Adams was forced to direct the ball back toward the sideline. Without hesitation, Ferriol sent a curling cross-field pass to midfielder Charlie Dennis. Jake Crull was able to beat Dennis to the ball, but instead of immediately clearing the ball, Crull tried to make a cut and play out of the back. Dennis saw through this and lodged a physical challenge against Crull. After a balanced duel, involving pushing and pulling from both players, Dennis won the ball and dribbled into Union Omaha’s box. He was able to deke Daltyn Knutson and found extra space closer to the penalty spot. Not wanting to waste any more time, Dennis let loose a shot that not even Rashid Nuhu could defend. It was a great individual effort by Dennis and showed his determination, even in the face of obvious defeat.
Not wanting to give any sense of hope to FC Tucson, the Owls went back on the hunt. In the 70th minute, FC Tucson was given a corner kick. Greg Hurst was able to bring the ball down and start dribbling up the field, but couldn’t get too far before Manu Ferriol provided a challenge worthy of putting Hurst on the ground. The resulting loose ball was quickly picked up by Toby Otieno and immediately fed forward to Emir Alihodžić. Before even taking a touch on the ball, Alihodžić had already picked out a sprinting Austin Panchot on the other side of the field. As a result, a long ball was fed over the FC Tucson backline and Panchot was on goal with time to spare. I’m pretty sure Panchot was able to book FC Tucson’s flight back home in the time he took to line up his shot. Panchot’s celebration afterward was enough to tell the FC Tucson players that their airline tickets were already confirmed.
At first glance, it looks as though Austin Panchot is well offside, so I decided to do a little bit of work. In the screenshot below, you’ll see that Panchot is onside. The grounds crew for Werner Park mowed the grass such that there were different shades of grass, depending on which direction the mower traveled across that grass. The stripping mowers and rollers, assuming these are the tools used by the grounds crew, bend the grass in opposite directions, making it easier to gauge distance and where the second-to-last defender held the line. I used a quick photo-editing tool to simply draw a line along the delineated shades of grass closer to the half line from Panchot. By doing this, I’m actually giving FC Tucson the benefit of the doubt because it will be a shallower line, but even using this angle between the two players shows Panchot is onside. Because Charlie Dennis is putting on the brakes at the exact moment Panchot is continuing his run, he looks like he’s offside. The Assistant Ref made the right call in keeping their flag down.
In this moment, Búhos fans were treated to witnessing Union Omaha score the most goals they’ve ever scored in a single match. During the 2021 Regular Season, Union Omaha tallied four goals on four separate occasions. With five goals under their belt, there was only one remaining record to break: win differential. The Owls have never won a match by more than four goals. After Panchot’s goal, Union Omaha was sitting at four goals. With 20 minutes left in the match, challenge accepted.
Union Omaha fans and players would have to wait until the 83rd minute before witnessing the last record being broken. Toby Otieno carried the ball into FC Tucson’s half and spotted John Murphy waiting for the pass on the outside. Murphy showed good technique at widening the field as much as possible because his heels were on the sideline as he waited for the pass. This ensures the entire ball will not go out of bounds, opens the field, and he has his hips ready to either cut back toward the half line, or to let the ball roll across his body and attack the corner. After taking his first touch, Murphy does just that: takes the corner. Gio Calixtro went in for a challenge, but Murphy’s touch was too quick and Calixtro was left out of the play. Kaelon Fox, who had been marking JP Scearce, had to quickly shift toward the corner so as to not give away the goal line. As a result, JP Scearce was wide open at the top of the box. Murphy passed the ball to Scearce, who let his first touch take him toward the goal line and Murphy’s cut inside the box toward the penalty spot acted as a pseudo-basketball pick. From here, Scearce aimed for the upper 90 of the far post, but Wallis Lapsley was able to parry the shot away, only for it to fall right at the feet of Emir Alihodžić, who sent the record-breaking ball into the net.
For the first time in club history, Union Omaha was able to tally six goals in a single match and set a record for win differential with five goals separating the two sides. Oh yeah, and Union Omaha punched their ticket to the Championship. For the second straight season, Greenville Triumph and Union Omaha are lined up to decide the champion of USL1. This time, however, the match will actually occur and it will be in Werner Park.
I need to give props to FC Tucson, though. With as much vitriol as I caste their way in the semifinal preview, this match did not do them justice. The players fought hard and turned their season around, so it’s unfortunate that one player decided their ultimate destiny. The FC Tucson players have every right to feel robbed of a grand opportunity. They have every right to harbor resentment toward Maxi Schenfeld. However, any possible resentment needs to be quickly assuaged. The match is over, the season is over, and there’s no better time to look forward to next season than now.
Ultimately, FC Tucson should be proud of how far they were able to make it, especially when there were plenty of dark days early in the season. There are a lot of changes to come in the offseason and the FC Tucson we saw on Saturday will not be the same team we see compete next season. For that reason, FC Tucson should bring the players into the locker room and celebrate together one last time. You never you know when you’ll see your teammates again, so live it up.
Union Omaha (14-9-5, #1 seed) vs. FC Tucson (11-7-10, #4 seed)
Werner Park, Papillion, Nebraska
4 PM (CST), ESPN+
If you have a ticket to this evening’s match, the entertainment will be worth every cent spent. The “Desert Kings” of FC Tucson have arrived and they have no intention of restoring any love lost between the two clubs after the fiasco at Morrison Stadium in late September. I’ll address that a little later, but let’s take a closer look at FC Tucson’s season.
John Galas was given the nod to manage the club again in 2021, after only winning six matches in the shortened 2020 season. The team didn’t start the 2021 season strongly, seeing a placement no higher than seventh place in the first twelve matches. After the Week 12 loss to Union Omaha, the then 11th-placed club decided to part ways with Galas and Jon Pearlman was promoted to Interim Head Coach while the club looked for their next leader. By the end of Week 26, FC Tucson had climbed the standings all the way to fifth place and the club felt comfortable naming Pearlman as Head Coach for the rest of the 2021 season and 2022 season. He’s no stranger to the club, though. A decade ago, Pearlman helped found the club. He’s done an incredible job of righting the ship, keeping the club competitive, and reinvigorating a home fan base. For this reason, he is deservedly in contention for USL1 Coach of the Year.
Another reason for the club’s turnaround is the hiring of Amanda Powers as the club’s first president. She’s no stranger to the soccer landscape. Powers was the Chief Operating Officer at New Mexico United, a USL Championship side, and helped the club set the standard for expansion club attendance, merchandise, tickets, and general fan support. Phoenix Rising purchased FC Tucson in 2018 and helped elevate the club from USL2 to USL1. Powers used to be a member of the USL Board of Governors, but has turned her passion toward enhancing the fan experience in Tucson.
As far as the on-field product is concerned, the compliments stop here. I know some of the other guys here at Who Gives A Hoot will disagree with me, but I feel confident in saying that FC Tucson is the dirtiest club in the league. I’ve spent some time recently watching several of their previous matches and there’s plenty to speak of tactically and related to their “gamesmanship.” If you were at Morrison Stadium on September 25th, you saw how reprehensibly they represented their club. Whether it was late tackles, going in studs-first, off-the-ball confrontations, challenges aiming to hurt their opposition, egging on the home fans, and total lack of regard for their behavior, FC Tucson has nothing to be proud of between the whistles. If this club is truly dedicated to a family-friendly environment at their home matches, their on-the-field product is about as far away from that as you can get. There’s playing the sport with respect for competition, and then there’s FC Tucson’s vile display of instigation toward their opposition. I get that these are professional athletes and winning is another way for them to earn their paycheck and livelihood, but young soccer players shouldn’t be motivated to play the way FC Tucson plays. Enough said. [Editor’s note: Somehow Rich made it through this paragraph without mentioning they had 8 red cards this season with 3 going to a single player alone, both good for first in the league.]
From a tactical standpoint, FC Tucson’s overall approach is based on their ability to cover the field very quickly. The club usually lines up in a 4-3-3, but once the opening whistle is blown, there is very little attention paid to their shape. Players quickly swarm near the ball and don’t seem overly concerned about all of the open space they created in their absence. For example, the midfield is usually comprised of Charlie Dennis, Mohamed Kone, and Joao Delgado. If you pay attention to their movement, these three are never in a disciplined line and are constantly overlapping one another.
Charlie Dennis will most likely line up on the right side of their half, but he’ll cover vast distances to provide support for his team. Dennis is one of the most valuable players on the team and there’s a strong argument to be made that he is, in fact, the most valuable player on the team. When he’s not orchestrating attacks, he’s one of the first players to confront the opposition and often initiates skirmishes through petty off-the-ball actions. In all honesty, he’s lucky to have not received a straight red card for his off-the-ball deliberate elbow in last week’s match against the Richmond Kickers. Mohamed Kone usually lines up in the middle, but he typically sinks back far enough to look like a defender. Kone isn’t particularly fast, doesn’t track players well, and doesn’t react all that quickly, but serves his purpose by shepherding attacks to the outside. Joao Delgado isn’t as flashy as his teammates, but does well at getting up and down the field, especially providing support to right back Noah Franke.
I’ll do a quick shoutout to Noah Franke because he played his collegiate years at Creighton University (2014-2017). In his four years, he started in 57 matches, scored 6 goals, and provided 14 assists. There is a lot of hype surrounding Franke and there are those who believe that he is the best right back in the league, which is supported by the fact that USL Championship teams are showing interest in his abilities. He joined FC Tucson in April of this year and has been a tremendous source of stability in their defense. While he is playing for the opposition, it’s still nice to see someone familiar with the area finding success beyond his collegiate career.
The starting forwards will likely be Deri Corfe, Shak Adams, and Kevin Rodriguez. These three do a fairly good job of minding their sides of the field, but can still be found providing assistance wherever needed. Deri Corfe is a creative attacker and a consistent instigator. He knows how to get under the skin of his opponents and he capitalizes on every given opportunity. Shak Adams is a pure striker. He’s explosive, loves to dribble at opponents, and loves to put on a show. This frontline is fast, eager, and physical.
There are going to be some matchups that will provide nonstop entertainment throughout the match. The matchup I’m looking forward to the most is between FC Tucson’s Shak Adams and Union Omaha’s Damiá Viader. Both have plenty of speed and skill to go 1v1. Another matchup will be the duo of Union Omaha’s Greg Hurst and Evan Conway against FC Tucson’s backline. Kaelon Fox and Maxi Schenfeld are the equivalent of hockey enforcers on a soccer field. It’ll be nice to see how much Hurst and Conway can embarrass them from start to finish. After the deplorable behavior between Fox and Schenfeld at Morrison Stadium, a little humbling could serve them well.
Union Omaha has a great opportunity before them. FC Tucson plays open and disregards a lot of space in doing so. The Owls should be salivating at the offensive opportunities they’ll be gifted this evening. These two clubs have played one another six times over the last two seasons and Union Omaha won five of them. They know how to beat FC Tucson. They’ve done it before and they should be able to do it again today. Assuming they don’t get sucked into too many skirmishes and retaliations, they should be able to send FC Tucson home with more than a plane’s cargo hold full of broken dreams.
Before you head to Werner Park, make sure you check out the updated parking arrangement. With the holiday lights occupying a large portion of the parking lot, Union Omaha announced alternative parking and entrances. If you are willing to join the carpool caravan, Omaha Parliament will be having a pregame get-together at Pint9 from Noon to 3 PM. There will be plenty of beverages, discount merchandise, a food truck, and a chili cook-off. Multiple people will be vying for your vote during the cook-off, so bring all of the loose change you have and use the coins as your votes. At the end, prizes will be handed out and all of the money used in the voting process will be donated to Football for the World, a charity with a quality mission and who is active in the Omaha area. It’s going to be a great day of USL1 playoff soccer, so don’t forget to check out the latest episode of the “Who Gives A Hoot?” podcast, featuring an interview with the man, the legend, Greg Hurst. You’re not going to want to miss out on his conversation with Luke, Ryan, and Ben. See you at the stadium. ¡Viva Búhos!
Momentum is a funny thing, one second you have it, and poof, the next it is gone. It is the difference in winning and losing. Hitting the shot, and missing it wide left. When I think of momentum building moments in sports, I am struck by visions of Divok Origi scoring 6 minutes into the second leg of the Champions League vs Barcelona, igniting Anfield and starting the 4-goal thriller to win 4-3 on aggregate. Watching the Nebraska football team go up 3 points on Wisconsin only to watch them give it all away on the very next play. What did those two games have in common? Fan engagement. What the fans felt the players felt. Momentum is built with the fans of the game; we can be the difference.
You see examples of it everywhere you look in sports. The chanting, the union, the passion. The players can hear it, and they feed off it. It is that extra spark of energy when down to find that next gear. To finish the game out with the same intensity they started with.
Nebraska; and specifically, Omaha is a city of passion. We work hard, we put 100 percent of ourselves into whatever we are doing. That same passion carries over to our sports. You see it in the supporter’s sections on both ends of the pitch. You see it in the random guys in section 105 yelling at the guys in long sleeves. The players see it too. They acknowledge us when they hear us, they give a nod or a grin on the throw in, and end the match saluting all sides of the pitch. And you better believe that passion seeps into their muscles and fuels the extra effort they put in. Conversely the fans not being engaged and being down and pessimistic in the stands has the exact opposite effect. Which you see when a tough goal is given up and some fans deflate.
Union Omaha recently put out a question-and-answer session with Coach Mims, and I asked about how the fans feed into the energy of the team. His response was genuine and complementary of our fans. He starts by acknowledging the challenges we all face playing in a dual-purpose stadium. “We all know it can be challenging; but for how challenging it is we’ve done an amazing job here. And that’s a credit to you fans and the supporters groups” said Mims. We all know that the acoustics are not on our side with how open the stadium layout is, being that it is a baseball stadium. But with that being said he also said that it has been “really, really good”. The noise is constant and is heard by the team and coaching staff. “Its amazing, it doesn’t stop, it just keeps on going and going” They hear everything from the drums to the chants and the constant noise, and Coachs and the players appreciate it. “Weve taken a challenging environment and made it amazing”.
Coach Mims then talked about how well we as fans have done to come to the game every week. “We won the attendance title again” He said while pumping his fist into the air, “It has to do with a lot of you supporters so thank you for that”. It is a huge accomplishment for this club and this culture we are cultivating in Omaha. With Werner Park being a baseball stadium and well established in the minor league baseball system the stated capacity is 9,000 fans. Union Omaha in only its second season has averaged more than 1/3 the capacity with 3,177. This figure is also better than 14 of the USL-C sides, according to Soccer Stadium Digest.
With the product that is being put onto the field and the strength and passion that our supporters continue to show week in and week out this club can truly grow into something even greater than it already is. The team now needs out continued support to go into these playoffs strong and bring that title home where it belongs; To reward this team that’s worked so hard and these fans that have given their lungs and vocal cords week in and week out.
So it seemed like the entire second half of the season for the middle of the table was a giant knot in a fishing line that you have to go in a million different directions to untangle. Toronto FC II’s win over New England Revolution II on Friday made the actual Decision Day a little less dramatic, but we were all given a little bit of a treat as the final game of the season was played on an island and did have an impact on finalizing the bracket for the USL League One playoffs. And of course, some of these team’s seasons have finished on a rollercoaster ride similar to that of the entire mid-table collectively, making the first round of the playoffs this year incredibly competitive. Let’s go over each of these matchups and see what we need to watch out for.
Match 1: #3 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC v. #6 North Texas SC CHI Memorial Stadium Saturday, November 6: 18:00
If not for Nicolas Firmino’s goal from the spot during stoppage time of their 1-1 draw against Union Omaha, North Texas would be hosting a playoff game against FC Tucson. Instead, one of the hottest teams in the league, that can also rotate its roster at the drop of a hat, travels to play a Chattanooga team that as recently as a month and a half ago had no reason to believe they would even have to play a match this weekend. On September 20 Chattanooga were top of the table and had a nine point cushion between themselves and Greenville Triumph with only six matches remaining for each. Chattanooga would only net four points out of those six matches, with three of their four losses in that stretch coming from teams that failed to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, North Texas grabbed 14 out of a possible 21 points in their last seven, and have corrected the course from their early season struggles on the road. North Texas haven’t lost a match on the road since a 2-0 defeat at South Georgia Tormenta on September 11.
These two clubs played four times this past season, with Chattanooga holding the advantage with two wins and two draws. Their last match ended 1-0 in Chattanooga, and it was practically a bookend for each team’s midseason stretch. For Chattanooga, it was the last of their league best 15 match unbeaten streak, after which they lost at home to Greenville and haven’t been the same since. North Texas’ next match was the before mentioned loss at Tormenta, which was followed by a draw in Omaha that started their successful season ending stretch. Everything appears to be coming full circle with this one.
So, what can we expect in this match based on what we saw during the regular season? An incredibly physical game. Chattanooga finished second in the league in bookings this season at 73 (not quite 3 per game), but it was North Texas that drew the official’s ire more often when these teams played. 19 cards were shown in their four matchups this season, and 12 of them were shown to North Texas. It will be interesting to see if North Texas start any of their players that have experience in MLS with FC Dallas this season. Only five players have made appearance for both teams this season, and Eddie Munjoma and Kalil ElMedkhar have been the only two players that have consistently been playing for North Texas lately. However, going against the grain of North Texas typical rostering strategy, the two have been playing both home and away matches these past few weeks.
Because this is the first match of the weekend, we will know how the playoff bracket is distributed by the end of it. If Chattanooga wins they will play at Greenville in the semifinal, and Omaha will host the winner of the second match. If North Texas wins they will head to Omaha, and Greenville will host the winner of the second match.
Match 2: #4 FC Tucson v. #5 Richmond Kickers Kino Sports Complex Saturday, November 6: 21:00
Over the course of the entire season, FC Tucson essentially experienced streak, after streak, after streak. After a 4 game winless stretch before the end of June, John Galas was out as head coach and replaced with Jon Pearlman. A Pearlman led squad went three matches without a loss before freefalling and dropping four straight. They immediately followed that with a stretch that ultimately allowed them to be in the position to qualify for the playoffs, a 5-2-0 stretch (of which five matches were on the road) and they outscored their opposition 16-6. They beat Richmond at home in the very last match of the season to qualify for the playoffs, a Richmond Kickers team that embodied the very definition of a mid-table club virtually all season. Along with Union Omaha, they were the only club this season that never had a winless stretch of more than three matches. However, In Richmond’s case it took them a while to win back-to-back matches. They didn’t win a second consecutive match until October, but they made that part of a five game winning streak that helped earn their playoff safety before decision day.
Richmond and Tucson played each other twice this season, splitting the difference in two matches that reflected how Richmond essentially lived and died by the performance of goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. The first match was a 1-0 victory at home for Richmond back in July, where their lone goal came from an Emiliano Terzaghi penalty. Richmond’s overall effort managed only one additional shot on target that night, while Richmond’s defense allowed Tucson to pepper the frame with shots, all eight of which were saved by Fitzgerald. The season-long matchup found balance in the end, as Tucson would put four of their seven shots on target past Fitzgerald the next time in their 4-2 victory this past weekend.
While the first playoff game on Saturday has a strong likelihood of being a physical grind, this one could possibly be a full throttle shootout. 86 goals were scored in FC Tucson games this season, second most in the league behind Fort Lauderdale CF. Nine Tucson games had at least four goals, including each of the last three. Richmond’s defense performed much worse on the road this season than at home, giving up 25 goals in away matches this season vs. only 11 at home. Signs point to a huge Tucson advantage here, but these teams played each other just this past weekend, and rematches like this tend to be more competitive as teams are more familiar with each other’s recent form. How Richmond responds to all of the traveling will likely be the most important factor that determines how this match will go.
North Texas SC (10-8-9, 5th place) vs. Union Omaha (14-5-8, 1st place)
Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas
7:30 PM (CST), ESPN+
Isn’t it nice to be able to sit back, relax, and not worry about tonight’s results? Even though Union Omaha plays North Texas, it sure feels like a bye week. Both clubs have clinched a spot in the playoffs, Union Omaha has clinched first place, and Búhos Nation is in high spirits. North Texas still has a chance to rise as high as third place tonight, so they have a reason to compete tonight. Tonight’s match could be the last time these two clubs compete against one another, so Union Omaha has an opportunity to remain undefeated against them.
North Texas has only lost once in their last five matches, as well as once in their last five matches at home. This club has been hot and cold all season, though. One week, they’re in 11th place. Another week, they’re in 3rd place. Despite the ups and downs, the club has gravitated close to the 5th-7th place mark. Their current placement doesn’t come close to describe the kind of club they are, though. They are young, eager, aggressive, and highly disciplined. Most of the club’s troubles have come as a result of being on the road. At home, the team has only lost twice. Tonight could very easily be their last home match in the USL, so you know they are looking for a reason to set off some fireworks tonight.
Union Omaha comes off a great effort against Richmond. The 2-0 win was sparked by Toby Otieno’s magical free kick in the second half. Not long after, Greg Hurst filed the insurance policy with a goal of his own. The team battled hard, finished strong, a deserved every second of their celebration in the locker room afterward. Depending on coach Jay Mims’s focus, tonight could an opportunity for other players to get more playing time. By resting the starters, or players carrying heavy minutes on their back, Jay Mims affords his players respite for the next couple of weeks before they host the semifinals on Saturday, November 13th.
These two clubs have faced each other five times and Union Omaha has never lost to North Texas. In fact, since the first match they played (a Union Omaha win), every match has resulted in a draw. This season has seen three draws – two at Werner Park and one at Globe Life Park. The last time Union Omaha played in Globe Life Park, it looked like North Texas was on their way to victory, but a late opportunity from Damía Viader to Evan Conway saved a point for the Owls. Every contest between Union Omaha and North Texas has been a battle of will. They’ve all been fiercely contested and full of impassioned challenges.
This sounds like an insult, but I promise it isn’t: North Texas doesn’t have any stars that really shine in their squad. Instead, they truly work together as a team. They are very controlled, disciplined, and rooted in their fundamentals. When the defense wins the ball, they are meticulous in their effort to play out of the back, advance the ball up the field as a unit, and develop their chances after establishing themselves in the attacking third. North Texas likes to cross the ball into the box, but are just as happy attempting to dribble the ball through a couple of players. They do have two large weaknesses: defensive windows allowing opponents to shoot on goal and containing their emotions. Their defense has allowed far too many shots on goal, even shots in general. They haven’t quite figured out how to fill the windows, step up to shooters, and take a load off of the goalkeeper’s hands. As for their emotions: they ride their emotions too often and it gets them into trouble. While they don’t concede a lot of fouls, the fouls they do commit make it easy for the referees to hand out cards. I don’t anticipate too much feistiness from them tonight, though. They’ve already clinched the playoffs. There’s no need to get themselves in trouble and have players missing next week’s playoff matches.
Since Halloween is tomorrow, break out your costume a day early and head over to a Union Omaha watch party to join the costume contest. At Rathskellar, there will be prizes handed out during their costume party. The watch party will be outside, with some room inside available, as well. The “Who Gives A Hoot?” podcast has had some great banter, so make sure you are up to date on those episodes. Parliament will have merchandise available for purchase and there are some truly nice pieces to buy: scarves, stickers, buttons, etc. If you haven’t purchased your tickets to the November 13th match at Werner Park, make sure you do that. Don’t be afraid to spread the word to all of your friends, family members, neighbors, Uber/Lyft drivers, and DoorDashers. We need to fill Werner Park and make sure the Owls feel the love that night. Have fun at your watch parties. ¡Viva Búhos!
Union Omaha (13-8-5, 1st place) vs. Richmond (11-7-8, 4th place)
Werner Park, Papillion, Nebraska
6 PM (CST), ESPN+
Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, Union Omaha played poorly during the match on Wednesday against Forward Madison [editors note: you can say that again]. We don’t need to dwell on it. Instead, we need to turn our attention to the next opponent: Richmond Kickers. If you’re wondering whether or not you should attend Saturday night’s match, stop thinking. Just go. It’s the last match at home in the regular season and unless you’re traveling down to Texas next week, you won’t be able to see the Owls play live for a few weeks. Richmond is a good club, too. They haven’t locked up a spot in the playoffs yet, so they’re hungry for some points, but you know what? Union Omaha is mad beyond words. You saw it on the field, you saw it on their faces walking to the locker rooms, and in the post-match video with coach Jay Mims, you could see on his face, too. This match is about more than Richmond. It’s going to be a crystal clear message to the rest of the playoff teams about playing in Werner Park. Inspired by Dante’s “Inferno”: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”
Richmond is undefeated in their last five matches, outscoring their opponents 8-3. Entering Week 25, the Kickers were in 11th place. Of all the clubs who haven’t qualified for the playoffs yet, Richmond is the hungriest of them all. Throughout those five matches, they took down playoff contenders left and right: Toronto FC II, Chattanooga, Forward Madison (twice), and North Texas. That’s no walk in the park. They’re hot and nobody can seem to slow them down. At this point, only three clubs can catch them in the standings, but Richmond isn’t looking back with caution. They’re looking up the standings with reckless abandonment. No matter what happens in other matches, if Richmond wins, they’re the new occupier of third place. While they may not be the strongest opponent on the road, they are certainly hungriest.
Union Omaha is a club out for redemption. How can the top club in the league drop three home games in their last five and expect to win the championship? Nevermind that. Don’t dwell on the past. Instead, get excited for one heck of a match to be played in Werner Park. We’ve all seen the action movie where the protagonist gets knocked to the ground, gets up, gives a simple shrug of the shoulders and a shake of the head, and dives back into the melee. That’s exactly what you’re going to see Saturday evening. Other clubs need a bulletin board full of material to get pumped up for a match. Union Omaha simply takes the field ready to break loose of their warm-up chains. The stadium lights are on and the crowd is there supporting them. Once that whistle blows, it’s game time.
These two clubs have only faced each other twice in the past two seasons. Last year, Richmond dealt Union Omaha their first home loss in franchise history (1-0, September 26th, 2020). In their meeting on June 19th of this year, the two sides fought to a 1-1 draw in Richmond, Virginia. Don’t walk into Werner Park and expect to see a lot of goals. This match is going to be a major test of mettle for both sides. Challenges will be physical, tactics will be cerebral, and the fans will receive a great gift in return – a truly fun soccer match to watch.
In order to plan for Richmond, there are two enormous factors you have to consider: forward Emiliano Terzaghi and goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. Terzaghi has the most goals (17) and most shots (61) in the league. He’s pretty much locked up the Golden Boot at this point. The next closest count for each category on the Kickers is Jonathan Bolanos with 4 goals and 34 shots. Fitzgerald, on the other end of the field, has the most clean sheets (10) and most saves (84) in the league. While the offensive scheme seems to work through only one man, Fitzgerald has two stalwarts in front of him: defenders Ivan Magalhaes (6’1”) and Jalen Crisler (6’4”). These two don’t seem to care one bit about playing out of the back. As soon as they get ahold of the ball, rest assured that they are going to kick it high, wide, and away from their goal. It’s an old-school approach to defense: as long as the ball is far away, I’ve done my job. Their style of play is a direct compliment of Union Omaha’s style of play. Let’s discuss.
First off, when you look at Terzaghi’s goals, he’s not flashy. What he is very good at is taking advantage of a ball-watching defender, slipping to the back post, and positioning himself for a far-post feed or a loose ball in the goal area. He’s the clean-up crew. A lot of his goals are simply picking up the loose ball and slotting it home or simple tap-ins. If Union Omaha can put a spy on him (have someone mark him wherever he goes) and body up to him closely, I have high confidence that the Owls can make him disappear.
Richmond is used to playing in low-scoring affairs, but that’s not good news for them. The Kickers have played 12 away matches and 8 of them were determined by a goal or less. Of those eight matches, they were only able to win one match and draw twice. Union Omaha has played 13 home matches and 9 of them were decided by a goal or less. Of those nine matches, the Owls won twice and drew four times. Union Omaha has fared much better in close competitions, which is due in part to Richmond’s defensive strategy.
As stated earlier, they like the dump the ball back down the field at the earliest threat against their goal. By doing this, they’re essentially giving the ball back to their opponent, allowing them to reset, and have another go at the goal. This is good news for the Owls because it will generate more opportunities on net and increase their confidence and creativity. Even on offense, Richmond doesn’t make a lot of passes. They play a very direct style of soccer, where everything plummets downhill very quickly. If Union Omaha can stay composed and move the ball around, they are sure to have bountiful shots on goal. The Owls may have to lower the number of crosses they put into the box. Instead, if they can take control of the middle of the field and create havoc in front of the goal, they may have more opportunities versus crossing the ball into the box. In all honesty, they didn’t look too good in the air on Wednesday, so more possession in the final third might be a better route. If you see Union Omaha loading the front line, you know that they’re going for crosses. If they could overload the front line while making overlapping runs, they could confuse the Richmond defense into thinking a designed air-based play is coming up, when a thru-ball is actually about to be played. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Now we have to consider a possible pitfall for the Owls. Richmond like to foul and when I say foul, I mean foul. They’ve conceded 403 fouls (1st in the league), been awarded 74 yellow cards (1st in the league), and also been awarded 3 red cards (tied for 4th in the league). I bring this up because Union Omaha hasn’t fared well against clubs that foul so much. This is why Union Omaha’s mettle will be tested on Saturday evening. The playoffs are just around the corner and each opponent is going to be fighting tooth and nail to better their chances of victory. The Owls absolutely need to step up to the challenge, without losing focus of the score line. It’s okay to get into very physical challenges, as long as the focus is the ball and not the opponent. As Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Never wrestle with a pig. You just get dirty and the pig enjoys it.”
As you make your way to Werner Park, start to think about how you’d like to spend your November weekends. The first playoff match for Union Omaha will be on Saturday, November 13th. If you’re a season ticket holder, log onto the Union Omaha ticket website and renew your tickets. Here’s the crucial part: how many other people can you encourage to come to the matches? Think of anyone you’d like to bring with you. Groups of 15 or more can get tickets for $10/each. If you’ve been to Werner Park for Union Omaha, you’ve likely walked out after the match was finished and thought, “That was fun. I should do this again.” Why not share the wealth with people who are soccer lovers? Or maybe those that like the sense of community amongst fans? I also address this issue because Union Omaha has a very good chance of hosting a semifinal match, as well as the championship. The team needs every bit of our support as they strive to finish on top. Every person that walks through the gates is another voice of support for the squad. We need to be there for them, so start looking at your calendars and spreading the word. One Means All!
Make sure you get to the stadium early on Saturday evening. Another well-supported tailgate is already in the works. It seems like a lot of people have made recent purchases, so make sure you’re able to pick those up at the tailgate, as well. If you aren’t caught up with the podcast, make sure to listen to whatever episodes you can. There’s been some fun action going on with that lately. It’s going to be another chilly evening, so please dress accordingly. We want everyone to have a good time and stay warm while doing so. See you at the stadium. ¡Viva Búhos!
Union Omaha (13-8-4, 1st place) vs. Forward Madison (6-11-8, 10th place)
Werner Park, Papillion, Nebraska
7 PM (CST), ESPN+
You know how there are things you do that will instantly give you a bad day, like spitting into the wind or spilling your coffee? Well, you should add this to that list: being the second opponent to play Union Omaha after their latest loss. This season, Union Omaha is undefeated in the second match after a loss, outscoring their opponent 9-2. Forward Madison, notable gluttons for punishment, fell victim to this very statistic earlier this season, losing 1-2 at home after defeating Union Omaha two weeks prior. Well, Forward Madison limps into Werner Park for a midweek match against Union Omaha (again, two weeks after the Owls’ last loss). Don’t call it a comeback because there’s not one to happen here.
The Flamingos are currently in their longest drought without a win (6 matches). In this drought, they’ve been outscored 4-8. Just a few weeks ago, the club still had a beacon of optimism when looking at their schedule. They controlled their own destiny. Now, the light has faded so much, they might as well be a character in the musical “Les Misérables”, singing about how there is no hope left in their life. In order for them to have any semblance of a playoff chase, they have to win the match tonight. Not draw. Win.
Union Omaha has already locked up a playoff spot, but a win tonight would clinch first place in the regular season and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This is due to the fact that the Owls have been very productive in recent matches. Three of their last four matches have seen Union Omaha score four goals each, while only conceding three goals in the same time frame. No other club in the league has scored four goals in a single match as many times as Union Omaha has this season. Let’s hope that tonight is another notch in that same column.
These two clubs have faced off three times this season, five times in the past two seasons. This season has seen each club win one, draw one, and lose one. The only other match that Forward Madison played in Werner Park this season was a 1-1 draw, back on July 16th. The two clubs were in a hurry to finish a match during Week 18 (August 7th), but the torrential downpour prevented the second half from finishing. As a result, the match was rescheduled for tonight. The weather looks to be far more cooperative for tonight, so knock on wood to prevent any jinxes happening in that regard. Aside from a slight chill and some wind, the evening should proceed without any concern.
Tonight’s tailgate will start at 5 PM, so bring your own food and prepare yourself for some good drinks, provided by Omaha Parliament. You’re not going to want to miss tonight’s match, so make sure to get to the stadium early to have some fun with the fans before the 7 o’clock kickoff. There are new items of merchandise to purchase from Parliament, including some awesome scarves (just in time for cold weather). Also, there is a new episode of the “Who Gives A Hoot?” podcast, so make sure to check that out, as well. Last week’s episode was fun to listen to, so you know that this week’s episode won’t disappoint. Have they ever let you down? I mean, really. They haven’t. Bring the noise, bring the passion, and cheer on the Owls to another great victory and ensure that you’ll see more of them at home in November. See you at the stadium. ¡Viva Búhos!
Union Omaha (12-8-4, 1st place) vs. North Carolina FC (6-4-15, 12th place)
Werner Park, Papillion, Nebraska
6 PM (CST), ESPN+
Good morning, Búhos Nation, and welcome to another exciting week of USL League One action. It’s Week 28 and your beloved Owls face off against North Carolina FC tonight at Werner Park for the first time ever. North Carolina FC, who has already been eliminated from the playoffs, has nothing to lose. Union Omaha, on the other hand, has everything to gain, so make sure you are in the stadium to cheer them on to victory.
North Carolina FC is looking to finish off the week as strongly as they started it: with a win on the road. On Wednesday, the club visited FC Tucson and finished the match with a 2-0 win. The win proved to be their sixth of the season and their second on the road. North Carolina FC currently sits in last place in the league and out of playoff contention. Under a very rare circumstance, the club could see itself rise up to 9th place by the end of the regular season. This would require North Carolina FC to win their remaining matches, while watching Fort Lauderdale, Forward Madison, and South Georgia Tormenta FC lose their remaining matches. The odds are extremely low, but at least the club has a reason to play.
Union Omaha has a lot more to play for today and three points would be a crucial step toward attaining those goals. Last week’s loss to Greenville Triumph took a little bit of wind out of their sails, but the squad has already moved past the loss and remains focused on finishing in first place before November arrives. A win tonight would move Union Omaha up to 13 wins and 47 points, which means they would essentially lock up a top-two spot in the playoffs (first-round bye, home field advantage in the semifinals). The Owls aren’t looking to settle for a top-two finish. It’s first place or bust for them. As long as Union Omaha matches results with Chattanooga Red Wolves for the rest of the season, they’ll be in first place and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After looking over attendance records during the same weeks as a Union Omaha home match, there has only been one match (Forward Madison vs Richmond) that surpassed a home crowd at Werner Park. This goes to show how great Búhos Nation is and how consistent you are at supporting their home team.
These two clubs have only faced one another once in the past: a 3-0 win for Union Omaha back on September 4th. Tonight will be a true test for North Carolina FC because they haven’t played in front of a bigger crowd this season than 2,552 people. Union Omaha’s smallest home crowd attendance this season was 2,722 people, so if Búhos Nation fills up Werner Park the way they have this season, North Carolina FC will face its two toughest opponents this season: Union Omaha and Búhos Nation.
If Union Omaha wants to keep a clean sheet tonight, they’ll have to keep an eye on players like midfielder Jay Tee Kamara (leads the team in assists and chances created, tied for team lead in goals), forward Robert Kristo, and midfielder Selmir Miscic. Their offense operates like a committee, sharing the goals and opportunities pretty evenly across the board. On defense, Max Flick likes to be the conductor for the orchestra in front of him. Flick leads the team in passes and shows a lot of patience playing out of the back. In goal, North Carolina FC has seven clean sheets on the season and Jake McGuire has six of those clean sheets. McGuire has also made 60 saves this season. Don’t be surprised if North Carolina FC plays a bunker defense and then spends a lot of time spreading passes around the field. They aren’t a team that likes to cross the ball into the box too often. This means a lot more on-the-ground, individual battles. They also like to take chances at dribbling the ball up the field, which plays right into Union Omaha’s preferred method of defense. As the Owls shift personnel side to side, a player attempting a long dribble up the field won’t bode well for successful chances. Union Omaha should be pretty successful at shutting down their offense. It’s an interesting matchup, though.
If you haven’t heard yet, the tailgate before tonight’s match will feature roasted hog from our very good friends at Blek Omaha. There will be a spit roast and all of their delicious spices to go with the main dish. They’ve been at multiple tailgates in the past and have never failed to deliver amazing tastes. Bring your family and friends to the tailgate and enjoy games, music, drinks, food, and all of your Búhos friends, as well. If you’re on the way to the stadium, switch over to the newest episode of the “Who Gives A Hoot?” podcast. You know the names, the faces, and the voices. Now get to know more of their takes on various topics. This week’s episode doesn’t disappoint either. See you at the stadium. ¡Viva Búhos!
Who Gives A Hoot? 