If you turned on ESPN+ on Sunday, June 6^th and saw Union Omaha playing Forward Madison in Omaha, you’re TV was not playing tricks on you.  Yes, Union Omaha was in Madison, Wisconsin ten days prior.  Yes, Union Omaha was back for another match.  And most importantly – yes, this match finished with better results than the prior visit.  Union Omaha would end the six-game road tour with a 2-1 winagainst Forward Madison.

            The Flamingos entered the match on Sunday undefeated and eager to continue their climb up the USL League One standings.  Before kickoff, both teams were tied for third place with 11 points.  Despite limited capacity, over 2,000 fans showed up for the sold-out match at Breese Stevens Field.  The atmosphere was jovial before kickoff, but that’s probably because it was “Bring Your Dog Day” at the stadium and the four-legged friends were there in full force, as well.

            In Week 8, the two clubs met for their first showdown of the 2021 season.  Forward Madison scored the lone goal in the 58^th minute off of a defensive error.  The Flamingos utilized both sides of the field, incorporated many players in each possession, and showcased their calmness and organization while on offense.  Week 9 played out a bit differently.

            Forward Madison started the match and immediately looked to pressure the right corner, but Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu easily collected the cross into the box.  During Union Omaha’s following possession, Nuhu sent the ball far into the Forward Madison half and goalkeeper Philip Breno started another offensive series.  Fans of both clubs expected Union Omaha to send a lone disrupter, while the rest of the team sat back slightly and waited for Forward Madison to approach the Union Omaha half of the field.  Here’s where Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims changed his tactic for this visit to Madison.

            When the Flamingos had possession in their own half, the Owls pressed high, early, and aggressively.  The two forwards, Emir Alihodžić and Greg Hurst, set a high line for initial point of pressure.  Immediately behind them, the disruption duo of Nic Firmino and JP Scearce thwarted many attempts by Forward Madison to utilize their players in the middle to swing the ball and distribute the ball away from pressure.  Forward Madison still had a majority of the possession to start the match, but their possessions were shorter, under greater duress, and less organized.  Omaha’s tactic prevented Madison from settling into their possession, gaining confidence, and forced key central players like center midfielder Aaron Molloy and center forward Jake Keegan to the flanks to support their teammates.  This resulted in a lot of key turnovers for Union Omaha.  You know what else helps take a quality team like Forward Madison out of their rhythm?  An early conceded goal.  Let me be more specific: an early goal conceded via an own goal.

In the 7^th minute, Union Omaha had a throw-in inside of Forward Madison’s half.  Dámi Viader threw to Nic Firmino, who centered it to JP Scearce.  Firmino had the great presence of mind to make a run to the corner and Scearce rewarded him with a through-ball to the corner.  Not wasting any time, Firmino centered the ball into the penalty area, near the penalty spot, where Emir Alihodžić was tussling with Tyler Allen and Audi Jepson.  What happened next was a flurry of legs attempting to connect with the ball.  With the blink of an eye, the ball was in the net, but what happened?  While Forward Madison players and fans were trying to solve that puzzle, Union Omaha players and fans were whipped into a celebratory frenzy.  By the end of the match, the goal would be credited to Tyler Allen as an own goal.  An early goal on the road is a great way to throw a wrench into the home team’s game plan.  It’s also a great way to remove the home crowd from the match for a while.

      Within the next three minutes, Union Omaha had opportunities to double their lead, but none of them found their way home.  The Owls had a free kick in the 9^th minute and two corner kicks immediately afterward.  There was an improvement in set piece discipline, as services from Dámi Viader had greater success of connecting with a teammate.  The set-piece goal against Toronto FC II earlier in the week must have increased confidence in the Owls.

      The rest of the first half was a process of trial and error for Forward Madison.  Due to Union Omaha’s defensive setup, Madison players were being pulled out of position.  Center midfielder Aaron Molloy was camped out farther back than usual.  Under ideal circumstances, Molloy is the playmaker and maestro for the offense.  Molloy likes to play long passes to keep the defense unbalanced.  Against Omaha, he was often seen settling in his own half and providing relief to players on the right side of the field.  His absence in Union Omaha’s half came at a great relief to the Owl’s defense.  With his caliber removed from scoring opportunities, Forward Madison had to look elsewhere for inspiration.  Here are some numbers showing how Molloy was limited to maintaining possession, instead of exercising creativity in Union Omaha’s half:

Week 8		Week 9
Long Passes	Short Passes	Long Passes	Short Passes
12	66	3	78

            Other players were pulled into providing relief, as well.  Left midfielder Audi Jepson resorted to floating into the middle of the field, filling the void left behind by Aaron Molloy’s absence.  He still found opportunities to work along the left sideline, combining with left forward Tyler Allen to battle for possession.  No one on the left side of the field had a shot on target in the first half.  If you include left back Jiro Barriga Toyama into the stats, the three players lined up on the left side of the field only completed two long passes, both coming from Jiro.

            A ray of hope came for the Flamingos in the 35^th minute.  After Dámi Viader fouled Derek Gebhard, Forward Madison set up a set piece in a threatening position.  The initial threat was cleared by Union Omaha defender Daltyn Knutson, but Madison left midfielder Justin Suckow recovered the loose ball in the middle of the field, evaded Devin Boyce, and found Jake Keegan at the top of the 18-yard box.  Surrounded by defenders Daltyn Knutson and Jacob Crull, Keegan was still able to make his way between the duo and find a goal-scoring opportunity.  After turning over his right shoulder, he was faced with a clear window of the goal and slotted home a perfectly-placed shot.  Goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu wasn’t even able to make a genuine attempt at saving the shot.  The ball was placed too well and had too much pace.  The goal evened the scoreboard, was Keegan’s fourth of the season, and Forward Madison’s first goal scored in the first half.  The first half would end in a tie, just like every other matchup between the two clubs.

            The second half began and Union Omaha had to find a way to quash any momentum from Forward Madison.  That opportunity came during a free kick in the 51^st minute.  Dámi Viader was fouled inside the opposing half and opened the door for a goal-scoring opportunity.  The ball sat inside Forward Madison’s half, on the right side, and was soon passed down the sideline to Devin Boyce.  While carrying the ball, Boyce was able to pick out Emir Alihodžić near the top of Forward Madison’s goal area, the 6-yard box.  Boyce crossed the ball and Alihodžić was able to head the ball toward the near post.  Goalkeeper Philip Breno lept to his side, completely parallel to the ground, arm stretched out, and could only get his fingertips on the ball.  The net danced, but not to the tune of the winds.  This time, it was to the spirit and good fortunes of Union Omaha.  The players rushed into celebrations, fans jumped with arms held high, and vocal chords were pushed to their limit.  It wasn’t a last-second, Disney-style finish, though.  There were still 39 minutes, plus extra time, to be played.

            Forward Madison made some adjustments almost immediately upon the restart.  Right midfielder Justin Suckow floated in toward the middle and often paired-up with center midfielder Aaron Molloy.  The Flamingos were looking to keep Molloy more central and provide him the support he needed to be able to return to his strengths.  The pair of midfielders were able to push their positions higher up the field than they could in the first half, causing a lot more build-up play on the flanks. 

Right back Christian Diaz and right forward Derek Gebhard worked together quite a bit, as well.  Diaz covered a lot of ground in the second half in order to secure the right flank.  Gebhard made a positional concession and sat back much farther on the field than he would normally like.  His new positioning worked in his favor, as there were several moments in the second half when the quartet of Gebhard, Diaz, Molloy, and Suckow executed some effective combination play, got behind the Union Omaha defense, and could look to create chances.  By the end of the second half, the four players were only able to amass the following stats:

Goals	Shots on Target	Shots off Target	Unsuccessful Crosses	Successful Crosses
0	1	2	10	4

      Even with an extended extra time, the Flamingos were unable to earn a tying goal.  With the loss, Forward Madison lost their first match of the season and found themselves in fourth place with 11 points.  Their next match is another home match, this time against fifth-placed Richmond Kickers on Saturday, June 12^th at 7 PM (CST) on ESPN+.

      With the win and three points, Union Omaha is the temporary crown-wearer of the league with 14 points.  The Owls finished their six-match road trip and return home to Omaha for a matchup against ninth-placed New England Revolution II.  The match is scheduled for Saturday, June 12^th at 7 PM (CST) on ESPN+.  Make sure to arrive at Werner Park early and join the tailgate beforehand.  There will be food, beverages, games, music, and plenty of supporters to meet.

            Did you know that Greenland has never been able to become a member of FIFA, UEFA, or CONCACAF soccer federations?  The country is unable to grow grass for soccer fields due to the permafrost that covers the land.  You’ll have an easier time becoming a member of The Parliament, I promise.  We don’t require grass for membership, so you’re in luck.  Who Gives A Hoot Media doesn’t require memberships, either.  We’ll continue to dish out our finest content for all of you, free of charge.  Make sure to check back to the website frequently because we have regular updates of podcast episodes and articles for your reading pleasure.  Be sure to find us on social media, as well.  We appreciate your continued following and look forward to sharing more entertainment with you.

The season seems to be coming at us faster than we can keep up. I wonder if I’m only now thinking this because I didn’t walk into my apartment until 3:00 Monday morning after driving back from Madison? Maybe, maybe not, but my brain felt like it was floating in a wave pool when I logged onto work later that morning.

And here it is on Wednesday afternoon, and I’m still posting this column that I’m sure fewer people pay attention to than I would hope to see. And since I am all about that content, stay tuned for my first ratings column either Thursday or Friday. I promise it is everything you dreamed about, if you’re the kind of person that dreams about entering nested formulas into Excel that don’t produce #N/A errors.

At the time of this typing, I have also yet to receive Ben’s picks. Should I ping him again? Will he get his picks in before I hit publish in the upper right corner (He did, at 3:53 pm)?

	Ben	Jon	Liam	Luke	Rich	Riley	Ryan
Fort Lauderdale 2-2 Madison	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	3 pts
Toronto 1-1 Omaha	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts
Richmond 3-2 New England	1 pt	1 pt	1 pt	1 pt	1 pt	0 pts	0 pts
North Carolina 1-2 Fort Lauderdale	1 pt	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	1 pt	0 pts	1 pt
Tormenta 1-0 Chattanooga	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts
Tucson 1-1 Toronto	2 pts	2 pts	3 pts	0 pts	0 pts	3 pts	2 pts
Madison 1-2 Omaha	1 pt	0 pts	1 pt	1 pt	1 pt	1 pt	1 pt
Totals	5 pts	3 pts	5 pts	2 pts	3 pts	4 pts	7 pts

	Record	Points
Ryan	18-20	31
Jon	17-21	29
Riley	14-24	25
Liam	13-25	25
Rich	16-22	24
Ben	12-26	15
Luke	10-28	10

	Ben	Jon	Liam	Luke	Rich	Riley	Ryan
Toronto FC II v. South Georgia Tormenta (Wednesday, 18:00)	2-2	2-2	1-1	1-1	2-0	1-1	2-0
Forward Madison v. Richmond Kickers (Saturday, 19:00)	1-2	2-1	1-0	0-1	1-1 🏝	2-0	2-1
Union Omaha v. New England Revolution II (Saturday, 19:00)	3-1	3-1	1-0	2-0	1-0	2-0	1-0
FC Tucson v. Chattanooga Red Wolves (Saturday, 21:00)	1-2	1-1	2-1 🏝	1-1	0-1	1-2	1-2
North Texas SC v. Greenville Triumph (Sunday, 18:00)	1-1	2-1	1-1	3-1	0-2	1-1	1-2
South Georgia Tormenta v. Toronto FC II (Sunday, 19:00)	0-2	0-2	1-0	1-0	0-1	1-2	1-2

Are you ready to turn Madison, Wisconsin lightning yellow?  On Sunday, June 6^th, Union Omaha pays a second visit, in as many weeks, to the Flamingos of Forward Madison.  The first match didn’t fare so well for the Owls, losing 1-0.  The club looks to atone for the loss, return the kind gesture to Forward Madison, and provide a buffer between the two clubs in the standings.

            What happened last time?

            Forward Madison executed a well-balanced offensive game plan and kept numbers behind the ball on defense.  The Flamingos goal came off of an errant clearance, so awareness and focus will have to remain high for the full 90 minutes.  Union Omaha will also have to dig into the trenches in the middle third of the field.  The Owls disrupted a lot of the flow there in the last match, but couldn’t generate any quality offense off of turnovers.  A return from Evan Conway would spark some quality offense, as well.  The forward has been out of commission for the past two matches and there hasn’t been any release of information regarding his status.  If he’s able to get some minutes, keep your fingers crossed that the previous chemistry is still alive and well.

            What to expect:

1. Forward Madison possession.  Last time, the team looked strong, calm, and composed on the ball.  Their passes were efficient and purposeful.  The balanced distribution led to a balanced offense and kept Union Omaha unable to predict their next plan.
2. Battle for the halfline.  The middle third of the field is usually the battle ground to disrupt possession, establish dominance, and limit the opponent’s game plan.  There’s little doubt that Forward Madison did better to capture the territory and turn it to their advantage.
3. Set pieces.  There will be corners and there will be free kicks.  Lots of them.  We all know this.  The unknown is how many, if any, will be converted to goals.  Forward Madison use their ace for their set pieces, right midfielder Aaron Molloy.  He can place the ball well, so Union Omaha’s defense will have to be on their toes.  On the flip side, this past Wednesday, Union Omaha finally scored a goal off of a set piece this season.  Let’s hope that opened the flood gates.

What to watch for:

1. It was mentioned earlier, but bears repeating:  Will we see Evan Conway?
2. How will Union Omaha defend against the dangerous backfield duo of Barriga Toyama and Sukow?  Furthermore, how will Union Omaha contain Gebhard and Keegan?
3. What plan does Jay Mims have for breaking down the Forward Madison defense?

These two clubs have combined for three goals in three matches.  Small errors could lead to big dividends.  It’s going to be a fierce match, but expect to be entertained.  These are two very good clubs.  Forward Madison is in vaulted company with Greenville as the only teams remaining who are undefeated.  There are many reasons to want to beat the Flamingos, so add that to the list.  Madison ended Union Omaha’s undefeated streak, so it only seems fitting that Omaha should return the favor.

Whether you’re at home, at Rathskellar Bier Haus for the watch party, or made the trip to Wisconsin, everyone here at Who Gives A Hoot Media hopes you cheer loudly and passionately for the Owls.  This is the last away match of six, so next week will be a home match.  Cheer them on to victory against Forward Madison and welcome them home with enthusiasm next weekend.  As always, we’ll continue to give you the content you want and deserve about your favorite team, Union Omaha.  Keep an eye out for a new episode of the podcast, data breakdowns, updated predictions from all of us here at Who Gives A Hoot, and other articles to fill the void between matches.

Welcome to Week 9 of the USL League One season.  This week, Union Omaha gets to face an opponent for the first time: Toronto FC II.  The match will take place at Grande Sports World in Casa Grande, Arizona.  Kickoff time is set for 9 PM (CST) and will air on ESPN+.

            Toronto FC II is coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw against North Texas SC from last Saturday.  The Young Reds were ready to leave Texas with three points, but Alex Bruce decided to send Toronto home with a parting gift – a goal in the 90’+ 6 minutes into injury time.  The club has only played three matches this season and they are remarkably balanced in their results: 1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw, 4 goals scored, 4 goals conceded, and 4 total points in the standings.  I’m sure there’s a sticker or button out there somewhere they’d be honored to receive.

            Union Omaha is looking to put a painful 1-0 loss to Forward Madison behind them and get back to the standard of play and excellence with which they are familiar.  A goal from Justin Sukow in the 58^th minute was enough to carry the Flamingos past the Owls in the match and the standings.  Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims released a video on social media and voiced optimism, despite the loss.  In the video, he stated eagerness to let the players recover and prepare for tonight’s battle in Arizona.

            Toronto FC II and Union Omaha have never played one another, so tonight will be interesting.  After watching their matches and reviewing their stats, the Young Reds are pretty one dimensional.  Offensive production comes almost entirely from the left side.  Left back Luca Petrasso and left midfielder Themi Antonoglou generate a lot of traffic and produce chances for forward Garrett McLaughlin, the leading scorer for the team.  A hiccup in their offense is their central midfielders, Enric Bermat and Mehdi Essoussi.  When the team is advancing up the field, Essoussi likes to drive forward and penetrate the final third, while Bermat often seeks comfort in passing back to the backline.  This can, and does, create confusion and frustration for the topline because of the frequent mixed signals.

            Here’s three key areas to watch for during tonight’s match:

• Initial point of pressure:

You’ve read about their offensive tendencies, so how will Jay Mims look to counter those habits and turn them into opportunities for the offense?  The Owls have plenty of speed and endurance up top, a surplus of aggression in the midfield, and an unforgiving backline.  Union Omaha could easily organize a game plan that will allow them to corner Toronto FC II into a small area and force turnovers.

• Closing down the lanes:

This feeds off of the first area, but deserves to be discussed alone.  One of the biggest deficits in Union Omaha’s pressure is their lack of shape as the ball moves around the field.  Don’t get me wrong, the players keep their lines with great discipline, but I’m talking about taking the defensive pressure to another level.  Some coaches like to set up triangles, some like squares or diamonds.  Either way, as that shape is transitioned around the field and communicated among the players, the opposition has a greater level of difficulty finding passing lanes and opportunities to move the ball up the field.  If the Owls can tighten up this defensive procedure, look for Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu to have a lonely night between the posts.

• Recover that swagger:

Last week’s match was not fun.  There, I said it.  Last season, the team went undefeated through eight matches before losing for the first time in club history.  What happened after that first lost?  They lost two more before finding their winning ways again.  This year, the club went four matches before losing.  Sure, there are more matches this season, so a missed opportunity here or there is easy to excuse, but the team has to move past the loss and regain control of the season.  With the additions to the already-loaded roster, and the great coaching staff, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t be battling for the top two spots in the standings and playoff race.  Let’s hope the team can return to their winning ways.

            Tonight’s match is the last time Toronto FC II will play a match in Casa Grande, Arizona.  The next time the Young Reds have a home match, it will take place in Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.  The club has won and lost a match while in Casa Grande and look to close out their temporary residency on a high note.

            Union Omaha is still plugging their way through a six-match road trip and Toronto is the fifth match in that tour.  During the excursion, the club has racked-up three wins, one draw, and one loss.  A win tonight will see the club rise in the standings, tie Greenville for first place, and set up a high-profile matchup with Forward Madison on Sunday afternoon.

            Tonight’s match has the makings to be a demonstrative statement for both clubs.  A win for either side would cast away doubts currently looming over the club.  A loss for either side would double the doubts of the club’s direction.  Make sure to send your good vibes down to Casa Grande and the Owls.  They need your support, so show them some love.

            Who Gives A Hoot Media has been churning out material every week to fill your every Union Omaha-based desire.  Everybody involved continues to follow their passion for the Owls and make sure you are up to date with the club and the league.  If you’re enjoying the material and the podcasts, please make sure to send the goods to a friend and spread the word about our awesomeness.  Our content is only going to get better, so you might want to start wearing padding when you check in on the site because you’re going to fall in love with us faster than Neymar goes to ground.  You’ll want to spend more time with us than referees give Forward Madison injury time.  And you know what?  We’re okay with that. 

Thank God for the holiday weekend and the short turnaround. I can use it as an excuse to say that I don’t have much time to talk about last week. And there’s not much to talk about with last week, obviously, because we all sucked. How does a group of people go a combined 7-42? I honestly don’t know, and I hope I never have both the time and opportunity to find out.

	Ben	Jon	Liam	Luke	Rich	Riley	Ryan
Madison 1-0 Omaha	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts
Toronto 1-2 Tucson	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts
New England 1-2 Ft Lauderdale	0 pts	0 pts	3 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts
North Texas 1-1 Toronto	0 pts	2 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	3 pts	0 pts
Chattanooga 2-1 Richmond	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	3 pts	3 pts
Tormenta 1-3 Madison	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	1 pt	0 pts	0 pts
North Carolina 1-2 Tucson	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	1 pt
Total Points	0 pts	2 pts	3 pts	0 pts	1 pt	6 pts	4 pts

	Record	Points
Jon	15-16	26
Ryan	14-17	24
Rich	13-18	21
Riley	12-19	21
Liam	10-21	20
Ben	8-23	10
Luke	8-23	8

Here are the picks for week 9 (picks where somebody is all alone with a result are noted with 🏝):

	Ben	Jon	Liam	Luke	Rich	Riley	Ryan
Fort Lauderdale CF v. Forward Madison (Tuesday, 18:30)	2-1	1-2	1-0	1-0	1-0	1-2	2-2🏝
Toronto FC II v. Union Omaha (Wednesday, 21:00)	1-2	1-2	0-2	0-1	0-1	1-2	1-2
Richmond Kickers v. New England Revolution II (Saturday, 17:30)	2-1	2-0	2-0	1-0	1-0	1-1	1-1
North Carolina FC v. Fort Lauderdale CF (Saturday, 18:00)	0-2	1-1	1-1	1-1	0-2	1-0 🏝	0-2
South Georgia Tormenta v. Chattanooga Red Wolves (Saturday, 19:00)	1-3	1-3	1-2	1-1 🏝	0-2	0-2	1-2
FC Tucson v. Toronto FC II (Saturday, 21:00)	2-2	2-2	1-1	1-0	1-0	1-1	2-2
Forward Madison v. Union Omaha (Sunday, 17:00)	0-2	1-1 🏝	0-1	0-1	0-1	1-3	0-1

A week ago, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, SOUR, was released. It seems as if I’m not the only person in my age bracket to reallly like the album. If you have not listened, I’d encourage you to at minimum read that review and consider listening. As a Union Omaha fan, the songs will hit just a little bit harder after what happened on Wednesday at the historic home of the Madison Blues, a semi-professional baseball team, Breese Stevens Field. Time to relieve this horror show, so but put on SOUR and let’s dive in.

1) What went wrong?

So it definitely FELT like this was the worst game we’ve played in a long time. Personally, I drew the line back to game away to Tormenta FC on Sept 11, 2020 for the last time we had such a disjointed game. Visually, it seemed like we were incredibly wasteful in possession of the ball. I thought this would be easy to confirm by looking at a few metrics that might show we did not value the ball as much as our opponent: interceptions by Forward, low passing accuracy by Union Omaha, throw-ins by Forward, and recoveries by Forward. Let’s look at them in order.

Interceptions: defined by Opta as “where a player reads an opponent’s pass and intercepts the ball by moving into the line of the intended pass.”
Forward had 11 to our 16.

Passing Accuracy: our passing accuracy was 83.1%. That is 5% better than our season average which is 78% and the best single game mark we’ve achieved all season.

Throw-ins: According to FotMob, we had 18 throw-ins won to Forwards 13.

Recoveries: defined by Opta as “where a player recovers the ball in a situation where neither team has possession or where the ball has been played directly to him by an opponent, thus securing possession for their team.” The league (nor FotMob) does not provide Recovery totals, but this Chalkboard looks like we had more recoveries than Madison, maybe even dominating the category.

One other thing I considered was the possibility we piled up those stats in the final 30 minutes of the game, when we had to chase a result. But as you can see from the chart above, the rate of recoveries dropped slightly, but not dramatically after the 60′.

So, I’m a bit stumped honestly. If you have an answer, hit me up on Twitter!

2) Can data confirm the “slow start” narrative?

So I wasn’t able to find anything to indicate we were particularly wasteful in possession, so maybe we just had a “slow start,” which is definitely not a data-driven term. However, there is good data-based evidence that we dominated the game after they scored. Let’s start with the GameFlow data from American Soccer Analysis.

g+ GameFlow: USL League One Regular Season @ForwardMSNFC v @Union_Omaha on May 26, 2021. #FullMingo. #UpTheOwls #MADvOMA pic.twitter.com/8JtjOqTNir

— GameFlow (@GameFlowxPG) May 27, 2021

What a great representation of the flow of the game. We basically created no chances, nothing even above 0.05 xG, in the 1st half. Madison had one spell of pressure in the 2nd half when they got their goal, and then we dominated chances for the rest of the game with extreme pressure at the end. Madison was still the better team by the overall xG metric, but if that isn’t a slow start, I don’t know what is! Possession heatmaps back this up as well.

Union Omaha (before 60′)

Union Omaha (after 60′)

Forward Madison (before 60′)

Forward Madison (after 60′)

Looking through those four charts two things stand out to me: Just how much we had Madison on the back foot during the final 30′ of the game and how little we played down the left in the final 30′ of the game. (Speaking of things happening on the Union Omaha left, we’re getting closer to the “Is Dami Viader the best player in League One?” column, but not quite there yet.)

To put some qualitative analysis to these charts, it is clear that we had too little too late. And what we offered late didn’t play to our strengths. However, after these first two items, I’m not sure we played as badly as I thought we did.

3) How much did this game matter?

There are two aspects of this loss to be dealt with. The first is emotional. I started this column talking about the best breakup album to come out in years. You can tell my emotional state. The good news, emotionally, is we will return to the home of the Madison Radicals, Breese Stevens Field, next Sunday and have a chance to immediately, and brutally, turn the page. The bad news is, of course, that we could play that badly again which would hurt even more. We are after all a streaky team, in 21 matches we’ve gone undefeated for 8 matches (plus preseason), 3 losses in a row, undefeated for 9 matches (plus preseason), 1 loss.

The second is the affect it has on our goals of becoming Champions and the good news in that regard is this game had very little effect on our season long goal. According to SportsClubStats, we are now 2.6% less likely to make the playoffs. Not ideal, but pretty darn good for an emotional gut punch of a game.

That’s all I’ve got, grieve the loss, take a cleansing breath, remember to listen to SOUR, and have a great holiday weekend!

Even if last weekend’s games were kinda ho-hum, an analysis of our picks would suggest otherwise. The group combined to hit 25% of the exact scorelines (we had hit less than 9% before then), there was wild disparity amongst the group, and at the bottom was one unfamiliar face (Rich), and one very familiar face (Luke) merely being able to ascertain that Greenville are good. I know that I personally am running on borrowed time, so I’m going to keep applying the burns to them until they become undeniably cringe (for the record, they are only moderately cringe at the moment).

Speaking of which, I believe it is time to fade me. For those of you unfamiliar with gambling terminology, fading is when you start to intentionally bet against somebody’s predictions for whatever reason. I’ve correctly predicted 7 out of 10 matches the past two weeks, including two draws. So if you’ve been riding my train, a couple of things:

• First of all, you are bold. I’ve found a website that aggregates USL League One betting lines from a multitude of markets, and most of the ones offering USL League One matches are either in Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia. Most of these sites have, ummm, numerous warnings about likelihood of receiving payment.
• You’re welcome for the winnings, but there’s a reason I live in Omaha, Nebraska and am a BI developer by trade. So if you gamble on other sports, and would like me to make a selection so that you can go opposite, slide into those DMs.

	Ben	Jon	Liam	Luke	Rich	Riley	Ryan
Richmond 0-0 North Carolina	0 pts	2 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	2 pts	0 pts
Chattanooga 2-1 Fort Lauderdale	0 pts	3 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	3 pts	3 pts
Tormenta 0-1 Greenville	3 pts	3 pts	3 pts	1 pt	1 pt	0 pts	3 pts
Toronto FC II 2-1 North Texas	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts	0 pts
Week 7 Total	3 pts	8 pts	3 pts	1 pt	1 pt	5 pts	6 pts

	Record	Points
Jon	14-10	24
Rich	12-12	20
Ryan	12-12	20
Liam	9-15	17
Riley	10-14	15
Ben	8-16	10
Luke	8-16	8

Here are the picks for week 8 (picks where somebody is all alone with a result are noted with 🏝:

	Ben	Jon	Liam	Luke	Rich	Riley	Ryan
Forward Madison v. Union Omaha (Wednesday, 19:00)	0-1	1-2	1-2	0-1	0-1	1-3	0-3
Toronto FC II v. FC Tucson (Wednesday, 21:00)	2-1	2-1	1-0	1-0	2-0	2-0	2-2 🏝
New England Revolution II v. Fort Lauderdale (Friday, 16:00)	1-3	1-3	1-0🏝	1-1	0-2	0-0	1-2
North Texas SC v. Toronto FC II (Saturday, 17:30)	3-2	2-2	2-0	1-0	0-1 🏝	1-1	2-1
Chattanooga Red Wolves v. Richmond Kickers (Saturday, 19:00)	1-1	1-1	2-2	0-1 🏝	1-1	2-1	2-1
South Georgia Tormenta v. Forward Madison (Saturday, 19:00)	0-0	2-1	1-0	1-0	0-2 🏝	1-1	2-0
North Carolina FC v. FC Tucson (Saturday, 19:00)	0-0	1-0	2-1	1-1	1-0	1-0	0-1 🏝

On Wednesday, May 26^th, Union Omaha and Forward Madison will take the field at Breese Stevens Field and face off for the first time this season.  The regional rivals have only played two matches, but they remain undefeated.  The last time Madison played was in Saturday, May 15^th, defeating North Carolina FC 1-0 at home.

In 2020, the two clubs faced one another twice and both contests ended in draws: 1-1 in Omaha and 0-0 in Madison.  Both of the goals scored last season came as a result of set pieces.  Madison scored a header off of a direct kick within the first ten minutes and Omaha converted a penalty kick twenty minutes later.  The second match turned into a messy match, as the center ref awarded five yellow cards.

            Wednesday’s match could easily blend the previous two matches together.  Both clubs play a fast and furious style, both are physical, and yet both clubs are capable of settling the ball and executing a technically sound match.  It’s anyone’s guess as to whether that happens.  What can we expect from the upcoming match?  Let’s consider a three things:

1. Set pieces.  They were touched upon earlier, but it’s important to reconsider the issue.  The first match saw 19 fouls and the foul count in the second match increased to 25.  With the average foul happening every 3-4 minutes, there will be plenty of opportunities for both teams to rehearse their designed set pieces.  These plays become more important as the spot of the foul edges closer to the goal.  A possible play design for the set pieces leads me to next topic.
2. Aerial battles.  When the two teams first met in Omaha, the Owls won 75% of the aerial battles.  Later in the same season, Forward Madison was able edge the percentages closer to a 50/50 split.  Union Omaha has done a good job of controlling the airspace, but Forward Madison will take the field tomorrow with a concerted effort to establish control of the air in order to vary their attack options, which leads to the third point.
3. Final third possession.  There’s no doubt that both teams play it fast and loose.  What’s more in doubt, especially for Forward Madison, is how they look to solve the stingy Union Omaha defense.  Teams have had a tough time working through the Owls defense.  Case in point: Union Omaha has only conceded one goal so far this season.  They’re fast, physical, and cover one another’s back when needed.  When facing a highly-calculated Greenville offense, Union Omaha was able to limit the Triumph’s shots on goal to 3.  Forward Madison faces a tall task, but not one that’s impossible.  Of the three points discussed, this one will be the most entertaining to watch.

There are a lot of unknowns with this matchup and that makes it all the more enticing.  The points discussed above may be few in number, but may also prove to be crucial to a victory for either side.  With neither side able to take three points from either match, Wednesday’s match could break that streak.  Add to that the fact that both sides went scoreless during last season’s match in Madison, Wisconsin and you may witness another streak breaking before your eyes.

Kickoff is set for 7 PM (CST) and will air on ESPN+.  Settle in for a two-hour broadcast filled with plenty of drama and intrigue.  You can be sure the match will be fast-paced, physical, and full of emotions.  What’s less sure is the combined total of yellow cards and goals during the match.  For that, there’s no other way to find out than by tuning in.

Remember that time I encouraged you to continue visiting the Who Gives a Hoot Media website?  Me, too.  What sparked that memory?  The fondness that all of us here at Who Gives a Hoot have for our readers and listeners.  While we won’t ask you for money like any PBS broadcast, we will continue to profess our love for Union Omaha, USL League One, and supporters of our efforts.  Let’s be honest, though: if you decided to send money our way, we’ll gladly accept it and make the most of it.  Anyways, your support is appreciated.  Whether it’s our articles or our podcast, you’re a good person for your continued support.  Thank you and we look forward to your continued support.

Another week of USL League One action is in the books and it had some truly entertaining moments.  We’ll highlight those, and more, below.

Richmond Kickers

0-0

North Carolina FC

            As difficult as Richmond tried to make their homestand, North Carolina FC fought every minute of the match and returned to Cary, North Carolina with their first point of the season.  That single point carries greater value, though.  It may only be one point, but the tenacity of NC FC shined on Saturday night and this may be the start of good things to come.  They’ll surely cherish the point for the time being.

            Both sides had great opportunities on net, but Richmond was relentless with their attacks against North Carolina FC.  Jake McGuire had a busy day in net for NC FC, but the stats would show otherwise.  Of the 16 total shots from Richmond Kickers, McGuire only had to save four shots.  Richmond’s goalkeeper, Akira Fitzgerald, earned his second straight clean sheet, his third of the season.

Chattanooga Red Wolves

2-1

Fort Lauderdale CF

            This match was a tale of two opposites.  Chattanooga, saving a good performance for their first home match, looked like a team on a mission.  They had a purpose, a drive, and a passion that whipped the fans into a fervor.  When on offense, they looked well-connected and their build-up play was fun to watch.  Because they spent so much time pressing Fort Lauderdale, they didn’t have to worry too much about a major defensive effort.  Despite the strong offensive effort, it looked as though this match was going to end in a draw, but the arduous finish gave the fans quite the delight: a game-winning goal in the 90+4^th minute.

            Fort Lauderdale, coming off a great display against FC Tucson, looked disjointed and uninspired.  Though they split the possession with Chattanooga, there wasn’t much to speak of regarding their offensive efforts.  For the entire match, Fort Lauderdale was limited to a total of four shots and this is a team that scored five goals last week.  They seemed to lack a chemistry and cohesiveness that was rather disappointing.  All of that aside, the fact that they were able to hold off a highly-motivated Chattanooga offense until the game-winning goal deserves some credit.

South Georgia Tormenta FC

0-1

Greenville Triumph SC

            This turned out to be quite an entertaining match to watch.  Tormenta FC put in a good defensive effort against the Triumph and was able to make Greenville goalkeeper Dallas Jaye nervous a few times.  While Greenville handled most of the possession, Tormenta forced more saves.  The first half almost ended in their favor, with a shot from Azaad Liadi in the 35^th minute that Jaye was able to parry with the slightest touch from his fingertips.

            Greenville extended their undefeated streak, thanks to a goal in the 71^st minute.  Don Smart fed a long ball to Marios Lomis, who was able to bend the ball to the back post and into the net.  Dallas Jaye secured another clean sheet, his third of the season.  The three points keeps Greenville in first place, but separates them from Union Omaha.  The Triumph now have a rest period of 22 days.

Toronto FC II

2-1

North Texas SC

            Three goals in less than ten minutes of game time were enough to separate these two clubs.  Just before halftime, both teams suffered from converted penalties following handballs in the box.  After halftime, Toronto was able to break the deadlock when Themi Antonoglou sent a long ball to Garrett McLaughlin, who scored the goal with a shot to the far post.

            In typical fashion, North Texas dominated possession and moved the ball well.  The sides were mostly even, but the Young Reds led the stat that mattered the most and finished their first match of the season with three points in the standings.  They’ll have a short turnaround before their next match, but the win should help to motivate them.

Individual Awards

Golden Boot

            When Marios Lomis scored his goal on Saturday night, he separated himself from the pack of contenders.  Angel Espana and Thibaut Jacquel kept the pressure by scoring goals of their own.  Since Lomis will have nearly a month off before his next opportunity to score, he’ll have some catching up to do, assuming the other players take advantage of the opportunity at hand.

Name (Club)	Goals
Marios Lomis (Greenville Triumph SC)	5
Shaan Hundal (Fort Lauderdal CF)	4
Angel Espana (Chattanooga Red Wolves)	3
Thibaut Jacquel (North Texas SC)	3
Venton Evans (Fort Lauderdale CF)	3

Golden Glove

            The Golden Glove award is going to be a very entertaining race.  Three quality goalkeepers share first place after Week 7.  Akira Fitzgerald and Dallas Jaye both have three clean sheets through five matches, while Rashid Nuhu has three clean sheets through four matches.  Aside from the shared clean sheets, each of the goalkeepers has only faced a total of ten shots this season. 

Name (Club)	Clean Sheets
Akira Fitzgerald (Richmond Kickers)	3
Rashid Nuhu (Union Omaha)	3
Dallas Jaye (Greenville Triumph)	3

Overall Standings

	Club	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1)	Greenville Triumph	4	0	1	9	2	7	13
2)	Union Omaha	3	0	1	6	1	5	10
3)	Fort Lauderdale	3	4	0	11	11	0	9
4)	Richmond Kickers	2	2	1	6	3	3	7
4)	Chattanooga Red Wolves	2	0	1	5	3	2	7
6)	North Texas SC	2	3	0	7	10	-3	6
7)	Forward Madison	1	0	1	2	1	1	4
7)	New England Revolution II	1	2	1	3	6	-3	4
9)	Toronto FC II	1	0	0	2	1	1	3
9)	South Georgia Tormenta	1	5	0	4	9	-5	3
11)	North Carolina FC	0	2	1	1	3	-2	1
11)	FC Tucson	0	2	1	3	9	-6	1

            Week 8 is a busy one for USL League One, so make sure to keep checking in with Who Gives a Hoot Media for more news and updates.  As an added dose of greatness, the podcast “Who Gives a Hoot” will keep the laughs coming.  Podcast, data analysis, previews, recaps…are you not entertained?!

It’s Week 7 in the 2021 USL League One season, so chronologically speaking, we’re just about a quarter of the way through the season.  Someone must have finally told Toronto FC II that playing matches helps your chances at winning the league.  Welcome back to league action, Toronto.  It’s been almost 900 days since they’re last league match.  Disney+ was released a month later, so we know what they’ve been doing in their downtime.

            All of the Week 7 matches are on Saturday evening, so cancel the gender-reveal party and graduation parties.  It’s time to settle in for another exciting week of League One action.

Richmond Kickers

vs.

North Carolina FC

5:30 PM (CST)

City Stadium Richmond, VA

ESPN+

            Despite finding themselves in fourth place, Richmond has had a strong start to the 2021 season.  The only losses they have suffered came at the hands of Greenville (1^st place) and Fort Lauderdale (3^rd place), both losses by a single goal.  Emiliano Terzaghi has been a welcome addition to the team, having scored a third of the teams goals.  The Kickers have been offensive creators, especially with the trio of Zacarías Morran Correa, Jonathan Bolanos, and Matthew Bolduc.

            North Carolina hasn’t had the start they dreamed of after changing leagues from USL Championship to USL League One.  Winless after two matches, they look to change their fortune with a short visit to their northern neighbors.  Both losses came under difficult circumstances: an early penalty kick and a late header against Greenville and an extra-time goal against Forward Madison.  NCFC has shown plenty of heart to match their skills, so the trip home could be a fun celebration.

Chattanooga SC

vs.

Fort Lauderdale

6 PM (CST)

CHI Memorial Stadium Chattanooga, TN

ESPN+

            It’s been a long wait for Chattanooga fans, but they’re being rewarded with the first home match of the season.  The downside: they host the formidable Fort Lauderdale club.  Ricky Ruiz has been creator on the right side and Angel Espana has shown the league that he is a super sub, coming off the bench last week against New England Revolution II and scoring two goals in seven minutes.  Tune in to see if the Red Wolves can continue their current undefeated streak.

            Fort Lauderdale has seen their own fair share of highs and lows.  Their record so far this season has gone like this: loss, win, loss, win, loss, and win.  I’m no genius, but I’m sensing a pattern to their results.  Shaan Hundal and Venton Evans are a high-scoring duo for the south Florida club.  While the team has scored the most goals, they’re tied for allowing the most goals, too.  Look for this match to be highly competitive and thoroughly entertaining.

Tormenta FC

vs.

Greenville Triumph

6 PM (CST)

Erk Russell Park Statesboro, Georgia

ESPN+

            It’s been a tough season for South Georgia Tormenta FC.  Entering the seventh week of the season, Tormenta has won once and lost four matches, letting in eight goals.  Luckily, their record at home is a little bit better: one win and one loss, allowing a total of only two goals.  They’re going to need every advantage on their side as Greenville Triumph comes to town.  The reigning League One Champion will enter Erk Russell Park looking for redemption after their nationally-televised match against Union Omaha didn’t go quite as well as they had hoped.  The Triumph don’t like ties, especially when it’s in the spotlight.  On the other hand, Tormenta FC could take advantage of that anger and force enough errors to bring home a result that gives them at least a point.  Because of that storyline, this one could be an interesting match to watch.

Toronto FC II

vs.

North Texas SC

9 PM (CST)

Grande Sports World Casa Grande, AZ

ESPN+

            Yes, they are from Toronto.  Yes, their home matches are being played in Arizona.  You read everything correctly.  Remember that thing called COVID-19?  Well, apparently it’s made things difficult for Canadian sports team to cross the border into America.  We should all be thankful for Casa Grande allowing the club to make a temporary home out of their city.  The Young Reds will only play three home matches in Casa Grande before relocating to Florida, where they will be closer to the MLS squad.  Since the club is starting so late in the season, they’ll be playing one weekend match and one midweek match every week until June 30^th.  Despite their scheduling, the team has been staying at a resort in Arizona where they have had access to several soccer fields, a gym, a pool, and many other amenities.  The team looks to start the season strong and they’ll do so against a very interesting North Texas SC club.

            North Texas SC is a lot like a recipe you find online: the pictures and ingredients make it look good, but then you try it and something seems off kilter and you don’t know why.  The club has a roster full of quality players, but the results have been puzzling.  After opening the season with a big win in Week 3, the team turned around and suffered a big loss in Week 4.  Since then, the club suffered a close, one-goal loss and returned the favor the next week to win by a single goal.  The team has moved the ball well, but hasn’t turned their possession into a lot of chances on goal.  Despite allowing four goals in Week 4 against Greenville, they haven’t allowed more than a goal scored in a match since then.  So who will show up on Saturday evening: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?  Tune in to find out.

            Regardless of the match, or matches, you decide to watch, there’s plenty of entertaining storylines to follow.  Way better than cleaning up the pink or blue powder at the gender reveal party, or seeing someone celebrate finishing a school and starting another.  Trust me, it’s not coming from a state of pessimism.  It’s more like an eye-opening rationale to help you embrace what makes you happy this weekend.  You’re welcome and have a great weekend.

            Are you looking for the best source of USL League One entertainment?  Congratulations, you’ve found Who Gives A Hoot Media.  We focus on Union Omaha, but we still add a healthy dose of League One awesomeness.  Keep coming back for more articles, data breakdowns, and updates on our prediction thread.  If you’re looking for some aural pleasure, look for new episodes of the Who Gives A Hoot podcast every week.