League 1 Elo Explainer

Who Gives a Hoot’s exclusive League 1 Elo Rankings are created by local wizard and Union Omaha fan, Jon Ryan. We will be releasing updated rankings each Monday as part of the Data Dump column or when Union Omaha doesn’t play as a standalone. What follows is a full explanation of the work he is doing in his own words.

The Elo rating system (named after its developer, Arpad Elo) was originally designed to determine the skill levels of individual players in what are known as zero-sum games, in this case chess was the game Elo was most interested in.  However this formula can be adapted to consider other games and sports, soccer of course being one of them.  While not officially used by FIFA, Elo ratings are still calculated to this day in international soccer.  As of the writing of this document (August 12, 2020) Belgium is currently the highest rated team, and have been since November 16, 2019.

The “zero-sum” aspect of an Elo rating system is still respected regarding soccer in that at the conclusion of a match, one team’s rating will increase a specific amount and their opponent’s will decrease by the exact same amount.  Numerous variables go into calculating a team’s rating after the result of a particular match:

  • Their rating prior to the match
  • The rating of their opponent prior to the match
  • The location of the match (home vs. away vs. neutral)
  • The result of the match (including goal difference)
  • The importance of the match (friendly, tournament, final, etc.)

Using the elements above, a formula can be calculated to determine the adjustment to a rating from the results of an individual match.  The basic formula used is:

Ro + P = Rn

The variables above are defined as:
Rn = New team rating
Ro = Old team rating
P = Change in points

The “P” variable has a formula of its own: P = KG (W – We)
The variables above are defined as:
K = Weight applied based on the match importance (see table below)
G = Number from an index applied based on goal difference (see table below)
W = Match result (1 for a win, 0.5 for a draw)
We = Expected result (see formula below)

How to determine “K”
Table for variable labeled “K”:

Match TypeK
Regular Season30
Postseason40
League Final50

How to determine “G”
The variable listed as “G” will simply have a value of 1 if a match ends in a draw or a one goal difference.  If the result of a match is a two goal difference, the value of “G” is 1.5.  For all other results, the following formula is used, where “N” is the goal difference of the match:

G = (11 + N) / 8

Using the above formula, the index that determines “G” looks like this:

Goal Difference01234567
G111.51.751.87522.1252.25

How to determine “We“
Finally, we need to determine win expectancy.  This formula looks complicated, but when you have a spreadsheet to do all of the work for you it’s not so bad:

We = 1 / (10 -dr/400 + 1)

“dr” is the difference between the two team’s ratings.  If the match is not at a neutral location, add 100 points to the home team’s rating before calculating.

It’s as simple as that! 
A team with an Elo rating of 1500 is considered to be an average team, so in order to calculate these ratings each team started with an equal rating of 1500 at the beginning of the 2019 season.  Here is an example of how the match on March 30, 2019 between Orlando City B and FC Tucson (both club’s season openers) was calculated, a match won by FC Tucson 3-1:

Orlando City B (Home)

We = 1 / (10 -dr/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-((1500+100)-1500))/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-(100/400) + 1)

We = 1 / (10-.25 + 1)

We = 1 / 1.562

We = .6401 (64.01%)

P = KG (W – We)

P = 30 (1.5) (0 – .6401)

P = -28.8029

Rn  = Ro + P

Rn = 1500 – 28.8029

Rn = 1471.1971

FC Tucson (Away)

We = 1 / (10 -dr/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-(1500-(1500+100))/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-(-100/400) + 1)

We = 1 / (10.25 + 1)

We = 1 / 2.778279

We = .3599 (35.99%)

P = KG (W – We)

P = 30 (1.5) (1 – .3599)

P = 28.8029

Rn  = Ro + P

Rn = 1500 + 28.8029

Rn = 1528.8029

As you can see above, everything that is not a constant is in direct relation to the opponent due to the zero sum nature of Elo rankings. For example, each team’s chances of winning the match are combined to equal 1, and the winning team gains the same number of points that the defeated team loses.  Naturally these ratings fluctuate over the course of the season, leading to the following ratings right before the 2019 USL League One final played between North Texas and Greenville Triumph (rounded to the nearest point):

TeamRating
North Texas1635
Greenville Triumph1576
Lansing Ignite1562
Forward Madison1556
Chattanooga Red Wolves1503
South Georgia Tormenta1475
Toronto FC II1471
FC Tucson1453
Richmond Kickers1450
Orlando City B1318

Let’s look at an example from one more match from last season, the 2019 USL League One Cup Final (for the sake of simplicity, ratings are rounded to the nearest whole number for display purposes only, results below are from the calculation of the actual ratings):

North Texas Soccer Club

We = 1 / (10 -dr/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-((1635+100)-1576))/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-(159/400) + 1)

We = 1 / (10-.3975 + 1)

We = 1 / 1.4004

We = .7141 (71.41%)

P = KG (W – We)

P = 50 (1) (1 – .7141)

P = 14.2907

Rn  = Ro + P

Rn = 1635 + 14.2907

Rn = 1649.2907

Greenville Triumph

We = 1 / (10 -dr/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-(1576-(1635+100))/400 + 1)

We = 1 / (10-(-159/400) + 1)

We = 1 / (10.3975 + 1)

We = 1 / 3.49747

We = .2859 (28.59%)

P = KG (W – We)

P = 50 (1) (0 – .2859)

P = 14.2907

Rn  = Ro + P

Rn = 1576 – 14.2907Rn = 1561.7093

So, that’s the 2019 season in a nutshell.  Now, how do we handle the start of the 2020 season? 
Should roster churn account for anything?  What about new teams?  So, obviously, just because 2020 is Union Omaha’s first season doesn’t mean we should pretend 2019 didn’t happen.  That’s why in order to begin tracking how Union Omaha compares to the rest of the league, the 2019 season needed to be calculated first.  Then, I arbitrarily decided to reduce all team’s gains/losses over the course of the previous season by 50% to account for roster churn, venue changes, and coaching changes.  So, each team moved closer to 1500 (that base position representing an average team) while all new teams were assigned a new value of 1500 to start the 2020 season.  These adjustments can be seen below:

Team2019 final rating2020 opening rating
North Texas16501575
Greenville Triumph15621531
Lansing Ignite1562R.I.P.
Forward Madison15561528
Chattanooga Red Wolves15031502
South Georgia Tormenta14751488
Toronto FC II1471¯\_(ツ)_/¯
FC Tucson14531477
Richmond Kickers14501475
Orlando City B13181409
Fort Lauderdale CDF—1500
New England II—1500
Union Omaha—1500

With this as the baseline we’ve been testing our model each week and are ready to go live at the end of Matchweek 5.

3 Questions: Chattanooga Red Wolves (Away)

Juan Mare pondering if he will score against his old club. Photo by Simon Asher

1) How do we slow down Greg Hurst?

Greg Hurst has four goals on six shots (all of which were on target) and one assist with two crosses. Even in this small sample size season, it seems unlikely he will keep up his rate of one goal per 62.5 minutes for the whole season, but he will be the hottest player the Union Omaha has faced to date. No player on the Red Wolves has more than one assist, but two players have created four chances each while three other players have created three chances each. As such it should take a team defensive effort to shut down the Red Wolves attack.

League One’s best defense should be up to the challenge though, and as a bonus it looks like we will find out what happens when an unstoppable object meets a brick wall.

2) How does Jay rotate the midfield?

We saw a brand new midfield combo on Saturday night in Tuscon with JP Scearce coming in for Tyler David. The midfield didn’t seem to miss a beat with the rotation of players. Will Jay show us a combination we’ve seen before or rotate players again and give us a new lineup. This game is going to be the first real fitness test for the players and I have no idea what Jay thinks about load management. Hard to see changes on the back line and we’ll talk about player selection in the attack next, but I could see any of six midfielders starting (Devin Boyce, JP Scearce, Tyler David, Sebastian Contreas, Christian Molina, Austin Panchot) in three spots in almost any combination.

Note: I’m unwilling at this time to explore what position Evan Conway is actually playing right now and equally unwilling to speculate on whether we are playing a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. When it becomes an issue we’ll address it.

3) Who generates the offense?

Ethan Vanacore-Decker, Elma Nfor, and Evan Conway memorably combined for the first goal in club history. But did you know that in the 82 minutes they have been on the pitch together, Los Buhos have scored all of their goals? (Ethan has been involved directly in all three. Please consider this the official kickoff of the ‘Uncle Rico for MVP’ campaign.) How long will we get the Triple E offense (spelled offEEEnse) in this game? Does JP finally score from outside the box after forcing amazing saves in each of his last two appearances? Will Juan Mare break out against his old club?

TUNE IN AT 4PM CST TO FIND OUT!

The Journey: Illal Osmanu

Source: Illal Osmanu Facebook

At the age of 18 what would you have been willing to do to pursue your dreams? Could you have imagined getting on a plane, traveling for almost 27 hours, traversing across three continents, and showing up in the middle of the night, with no cell phone, in a place you’ve only heard of recently? In 2016, that was what it took for Union Omaha defender Illal Osmanu to continue to pursue his soccer dreams. Recently I chatted with Illal about his soccer journey to learn more about what led him to become an Owl. 

Every player’s journey starts with the first kick of a ball, and Illal remembers first playing soccer around the age of six with his friends in the yard in Accra, Ghana. During his childhood, his favorite player was Zinedine Zidane and he loved wearing his blue #10 France kit around the house and even to bed.

Source: USL League One Twitter account

His first organized play was for Strong Tower FC, in Accra, a club he would be a part of for almost ten years. Due to his love for Zidane, he started out playing forward, but his love of aggressive play and hard slide tackles led his coaches to move him to the backline. He first played right back before settling in as a center back around the age of 14, a position he currently plays for Union Omaha. 

Growing up a part of Strong Tower FC, Illal played with two players currently in the Ghanian national team player pool: Mohammed Kudus (Ajax) and Majeed Ashimeru (Red Bull Salzburg). It was with those budding superstars that Illal would run 20 laps around the field after losses. Illal recalled that the laps would need to be run if the team did not play hard enough, and that the punishment was a vital part of him learning to play hard at a young age. So when you are admiring Illal’s workrate for the Owls be sure to thank his coaches at Strong Tower FC.

FC Tucson vs. Union Omaha 8/8/20 in Tucson, Ariz. Photo by Simon Asher

At the age of 16, Illal joined the Rising Stars of Africa Academy (RSA) in Accra. To date he remains one of their most impressive success stories. Having begun playing center back full time a few years before, he played center back at the RSA. It was at there that Illal honed the skills in the classroom that he would later put to use in becoming an Academic All American at Marshall. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

According to their website RSA is a “sports development charity whose vision is to offer coaching, education and financial support to talented young people in Ghana and ultimately to give them the chance to fulfill their sporting potential and to unify their local communities through sport.” At the RSA they seek “to create sporting and educational opportunities for those individuals who may otherwise be limited by circumstance.”

Union Omaha v. North Texas SC. 08/01/2020. Photo: Union Omaha

At RSA, Illal played alongside future pros such as KingLord Safo (FC Vizela) and Abu Sanunu (Kokkolan Palloveikot). A highlight of this stop on his journey was the first time he left Ghana. The RSA team traveled to a tournament in Benin to play against older opponents. Although they would go on to lose in the final, the two weeks spent hearing a different language and eating different food left a mark on Illal.

Due to RSA’s close relationship with University of Charleston head coach Chris Graisse, Illal became the first RSA graduate to receive a scholarship offer to continue his education in the United States. So, armed with no cell phone, Illal packed his belongings in a suitcase and flew from Accra to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Atlanta, and Atlanta to Charleston, West Virginia, all the while hoping that when he arrived in the middle of the night, someone would miraculously be there to pick him up. 

Source: University of Charleston Soccer

Thankfully for him, and us, someone was. In Charleston, Illal enjoyed a fantastic freshman season at D-II powerhouse soccer program, University of Charleston. Playing with future Pittsburgh Riverhound Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Illal played left back and of course, his usual center back. In his freshman season, University of Charleston made it all the way to the D-II championship game to face off against another Union Omaha favorite, Elma Nfor. 

Illal recognized Elma as soon as he arrived at practice because “Elma looks exactly the same,” but acknowledged that he had grown a bit since 2016. Elma’s Wingate University won a national title that December day outside of Kansas City, but the success on the pitch led Coach Grassie to Marshall University. Upon Coach Grassie’s return to the school where he had been a grad assistant and received his masters degree, he brought one player with him from University of Charleston: Illal Osmanu.

Source: Illal Osmanu Facebook

Illal’s three years at Marshall were capped by a sensational senior season in which the club went 16-3-3, won the regular season Conference USA title, won the Conference USA tournament, earned an eleven seed overall in the NCAA soccer tournament, and had a delicious first round matchup against regional rival West Virginia. That 2-1 victory for the Thundering Herd was Illal’s favorite memory of his time in Huntington, WV.

During his last two collegiate summers, Illal played in USL2. In the summer of 2018, Illal played nine games for the mighty Flint City Bucks and memorably won a game 14-1 at Derby City Rovers. In 2019, Illal was interning for West Virginia Alliance FC as part of earning his sports management degree when he was pressed into service at the end of the season to play center back for six games as other players drifted home for the summer. 

FC Tucson vs. Union Omaha 8/8/20 in Tucson, Ariz. Photo by Simon Asher

Illal piled up many accolades at Marshall. Of note, a 2019 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Team award, and a 2019 All-Conference USA First Team award as well. Finishing his senior season with such recognition and such success should not diminish his whole career, though. At Marshall, Illal missed only two matches and started 58-of-59 matches during his career, playing an average of 88 minutes and 24 seconds per game. For those curious who the next star from Marshall may be, Illal spoke highly of rising senior Pedro Dolabella as a player to watch for the Thundering Herd next season. 

Obviously, the next stop on Illal’s journey was Union Omaha. So how did he get here? After signing with an agent, Union Omaha was the first place that offered Illal a trial. He arrived and immediately impressed everyone. At one point while scouting Union Omaha during their first intrasquad scrimmage at the Omaha Sports Complex, the Creighton coaching staff expressed amazement that he was not already signed to a contract. Illal signed a contract on return from the team’s preseason trip to Utah, and has started all three regular season games at right center back for Los Buhos. Three starts into his professional career, Illal is anchoring the best backline in League One. It is safe to say we should expect big things to come from Illal.

Source: Illal Osmanu Facebook

As for what is next, Illal told me he doesn’t like setting anything more than short term goals. So what are those goals? To win as much as possible right now and focus on winning a championship. His theory is that the better you do as a team, the more folks are watching you and the more opportunities will emerge. Anyone who has watched Illal play at Union Omaha knows we’re just one stop on what is sure to be a much longer journey full of successes.

Data Dump: FC Tuscon v. Union Omaha

League One is kind of enough to provide us fans with some serious data on every game from Opta. Here are three insights I’ve gleaned last night’s game. This is Data Dump.

1) Our full backs are providing a lot of our wing play.

If you look at the heat maps for our full backs (Dami Viader and Luke Hauswirth):

Heatmap for fullbacks (Dami Viader, Luke Hauswirth)

And compare them to our wide midfield players (Evan Conway, Sebastián Contreras, Austin Panchot, Christian Molina):

Heatmap for wide midfield players (Evan Conway, Sebastián Contreras, Austin Panchot, Christian Molina)

You can see that Dami and Luke are providing a lot of the play along the sidelines in our opponents half.

You can also see that our full backs provided all but one of our successful crosses in the game.

Union Omaha successful crosses.

2) Brick walls can pass, too.

Looking at player stats for our backline we can see that our center backs were two of the most prolific passers on the team.

Backline general stats.
Backline individual defensive stats.

We can also see that our center backs were successful in completing passes in areas where turnovers would be disastrous.

Successfully completed passes by Jake Crull and Illal Osmanu.

Additionally, we can see that Jake, the former left back, was more willing to try attack oriented passes than Illal was. Many of these passes were unsuccessful, but they were from reasonable positions to try risky passes.

Unsuccessful passes for Jake and Illal.

3) Elma was everywhere.

If it felt like Elma Nfor, (just one part of the now potent Triple E Offense (Elma, Evan, Ethan) was everywhere last night, he sort of was. He was involved in a match high 20 duels (defined as 50/50 balls).

Triple E general stats.

He also had measurable contributions all over the pitch.

All of Elma’s measurable actions, successful and unsuccessful.

When compared to Juan’s game against North Texas (a bit of apples to oranges here), it seems like Jay Mims once again played the right card.

All of Juan Mare’s measurable actions, successful and unsuccessful, against North Texas.

Preview: Union Omaha vs FC Tucson

The Owls head to Arizona to face FC Tucson on Saturday, August 8th at 9:30 PM CST. 

Union Omaha

The Owls earned their first win in club history thanks to Evan Conway’s late goal to see the Owls knock off North Texas SC. A great environment for the host club as they played counter attacking football to defeat the 2019 Champions. 

This week, we may see new faces enter the starting lineup as Union Omaha plays two game in five days. JP Scearce may see the starting lineup, the substitute looked strong in possession for the Owls against North Texas. 

All eyes will be on the duo of Conway and Ethan Vanacore-Decker. Decker set Conway up for the lone goal against North Texas. Decker was really explosive and created loads of chances for the Owls, but could not find the back of the net. He could be a player to get off the mark for the Owls against Tucson. 

Union Omaha will be expected to  dominate possession throughout the whole game. The Owls’ fluid passing and control of the game out from the back will ensue that Tucson will not be able to create many chances. 

The defense led by center back  Illal Osumanu and keeper Rashid Nuhu will be hoping to make their game against Tucson their third clean sheet in as many games. Communication has been key for the Union Omaha backline as they have been able to deal with set pieces by clearing them in a no nonsense matter.  

FC Tucson

The team from the desert struggled to create chances against Chattanooga last week where they lost 1-0 to the Red Wolves. 

Striker Azaad Liadi earned a yellow card early in the game for Tucson. His 22’ yellow card led him to be not as aggressive as he would have liked in their pressing style of football. He was subbed off for Joshua Coan. 

Coan failed to equalize for Tucson in the 68’ as he was called upon to take a penalty. He lacked confidence as he stepped up to the spot as the Red Wolves keeper made the easy save. 

Tucson are going to need their forwards and attacking midfielders to be more creative and dangerous in the Owl’s third if they want to take all three points. Right back, Elivelton Oliveira may be the man for Tucson to whip in long balls over the top of Union Omaha defense. 

My Prediction

Union Omaha 1-0 FC Tucson

I see this game playing out just as the New England Revolution II game played. An ugly first half where both teams struggle to keep the ball. But, Mims’ super sub, Elma Nfor comes onto the pitch and provides a much needed spark. A breakthrough from the Owls will come late in the second half as they earn all three points. 

When

Saturday, August 8th, 9:30 PM CST

Where

Kino North Stadium

Watch

ESPN +

Owl Props 08/06/20

Well folks, we did it. Last week our Union Omaha SC Owls defeated defending USL League One Champions North Texas SC in an all out cage match that was undecided until the 75th minute when Evan Conway scored a wonderful goal with a beautiful, basically perfect pass from my man Ethan Vanacore Decker.

It was a night to remember, for both a fan of Union Omaha, but also for a gambling man such as myself. We had a lot of hits in the prop bet contest last weekend, but the win train ain’t stopping there! Welcome everyone to week 3 of everybody’s favorite segment, Owl Props!

Just a friendly reminder to everyone, Who Gives a Hoot is an independent podcast, and we have no affiliation with Union Omaha. I know just as much information about players as you all do: Zero. Zip. Nada. So when you read this article please only read this article coming from somebody who has gambling experience. No bets are guaranteed.

Now without further ado lets get down to nitty gritty. Week 3 is here everybody, and after coming off that huge victory against North Texas, you better expect that Union Omaha is going to bring that same fire and energy when they visit FC Tucson this Saturday at 9:30 PM CST. The weather is expected to be 92 degrees Fahrenheit by kickoff, however there will be a nice 7 mph breeze and very low humidity throughout the match. I don’t expect the weather to affect the players whatsoever.

FC Tuscon is having an interesting season thus far, coming off a late come back victory to Fort Lauderdale FC, but then suffering a loss at Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. Tucson didn’t play awful at Chattanooga but its definitely hard to get a win on the road. Now going to back home to play Union Omaha I suspect this to be a pretty good game, but knowing my owls I know they are going to come out of this victorious.

And know its time for the picks:

  • Juan Mare, 0.5 Goals, Over 130
    • Juan Mare has had 2 really good outings for the owls and have had plenty of chances against North Texas SC especially. Its tough to score a goal against the champions, But against a team like FC Tucson who has given up 2 goals thus far in the league, I got a pretty good feeling that Juan is going to show up this game and score his first for the owls.
  • Rashid Nuhu, 3.5 Total Saves, Under 120 points
    • Last week we saw Rashid once again come up strong and have another impressive 2 save performance, but as I have said week after week, this defense is a brick wall, and if only 2 shots were on target against North Texas SC, I am extremely confident that this defense will show up against FC Tucson and I can guarantee that Rashid will have another clean sheet performance and won’t see more than 2 shots.
  • Damia Viader, 0.5 Goals + Assists, Over 135
    • Damia has truly been having a great season so far. The Theo Hernandez of USL League One has been doing such a great job of creating chances for the owls and been dishing out deadly crosses for our attacking front. I know I tell you guys to bet the over every week on Damia but he seriously deserves it. Its only a matter of time before Damia gets himself a goal or an assist and I believe that this is the game he is going to get the credit he deserves.
  • Sebastian Contreras, 0.5 Assists, Under 70
    • In week 1 of the USL League One Season, the midfield looked very discombobulated (shout out to me for spelling that right). There was no cohesion, no team work, it was a disaster and lead us to unfortunately not scoring a goal against New England Revolution II. Last week we saw massive improvement in the midfield and Sebastian had a lot to do with that. Completed almost 50% of his passes, including a very important interception that lead to a good counter attack for the owls. I still think there is improvement to be had for the midfield which is why I don’t suspect Sebastian to be very involved in the attack, especially being on the road.
  • Evan Conway, 0.5 Goals + Assists, Over 130
    • If you read last weeks Owl Props, and you decided to ride with me, then it definitely paid off for you because our winger scored the first goal in the clubs history at Werner Park. The flash made his mark that game and you better believe that he will do the same going up against FC Tucson.
  • ICEY-HOT PICK Ethan Vanacore-Decker, 0.5 Assists, Over 135
    • Ethan Vanacore Decker. Thats it. Thats the pick. The Uncle Rico of USL League One made a beautiful assist that confused the North Texas keeper and just barely missed Elma Nfor but ended up being dished up the Evan Conway. I tell you week after week that Ethan Vanacore-Decker is the G.O.A.T when he’s on the pitch. But now your thinking “Well if Ethan Vanacore-Decker is the best why is he your ICE?” Well folks, this is why I am now introducing my new ICEY-HOT pick. EVD is a good, solid choice but there is a chance he might be starting the bench and Elma getting a shot at the starting XI. But if EVD is starting he will be easy points.
  • ICE PICK Jacob Crull, 0.5 Goals + Assists, Under 65
    • Jacob Crull ended up getting the start over Daltyn last week against NTSC, but I don’t think anyone had any complaints over that. The dude was better than a brick wall. My issue with picking Jacob Crull is that I have no idea if he’s starting or not. Its almost better if Jay did a 3 in the back defense but have Jacob, Daltyn and Illal because those 3 have proven to be top notch. Just like the game last week I suspect Jacob Crull will stay more back so don’t expect him to be up there in the attack when it comes to corners.

Here we have it folks, my picks for the upcoming Union Omaha match against FC Tucson. If you would like to follow along with these picks or make your own suggestions than head on over to thrivefantasy.com or download the ThriveFantasy app now and use promo code HOOT when you create your account. When you use promo code HOOT and you deposit a minimum of $10 or more you will receive $10. That’s free money folks so head to over to ThriveFantasy and #PropUp on the Union Omaha Match.

USL One Week 3 Roundup

Week three of USL One’s slate completed this weekend with each game ending in a clean sheet. 

Here is the week three roundup: 

South Georgia Tormenta FC 0-0 Richmond Kickers 

Poor finishing and fantastic goalkeeping kept Tormenta and the Kickers scoreless throughout the match. 

Tormenta attacker, Marco Michaletto had numerous chances to give South Georgia the full three points, but Kickers goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald delivered with numerous saves. Fitzgerald finished with 8 saves including the match decider in the 79’. 

Michaletto received the ball from his teammate at the top of the box then curled one around the defensive players that was headed for the top bin of the goal. But, Fitzgerald was able to tip the ball the over bar for an incredible save. 

Tormenta Next Game: 7/5 @ Greenville Triumph SC

Kickers Next Game:  7/8 vs Forward Madison FC

Forward Madison FC 0-0 Greenville Triumph SC

The Triumph will remain undefeated on the season, but they have finally dropped their first points. Madison and Greenville ended goalless as Forward Madison had their first home game of the season. 

Very little opportunities were available as Forward Madison did not produce a shot on goal. The Triumph’s five shots on goal were pedestrian. Philipp Marceta was troubled very little as the Flamingos goalkeeper helped keep a clean sheet even though his team had 52% of the possession. 

Madison Next Game: 7/8 @ Richmond Kickers

Triumph Next Game: 7/5 vs South Georgia Tormenta 

Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 1-0 FC Tucson 

The Red Wolves opened their brand new stadium in style by defeating FC Tucson. Chattanooga stands with four points in two games as they have started the 2020 season off strongly. 

Chattanooga’s lone goal came in the 53’ as Ricky Ruiz delivered a cross from the right edge of the box. The cross was flicked on high into the air by Ricardo Zacarias.FC Tuscon cleared the high ball extremely poorly which then found the foot of striker, Greg Hurst. Hurst calmly put his shot past the keeper to give the Red Wolves the win. 

Red Wolves Next Game: 7/8 @ North Texas SC

Tucson Next Game: 7/8 vs Union Omaha

South Georgia Tormenta 2-0 Orlando City B

Tormenta played their second game in the week as they faced Orlando City B. South Georgia dominated the game as Nil Vinyals earned a brace. 

Vinyals’ two goals came in the second half as they both sizzled past the keeper from the top of the box. His first goal will be up for USL One Goal of the Week as he rocketed a shot past the goalie which knocked off the cross bar and into the net. Vinyals’ quality was the difference maker in their victory over the MLS II side. 

Tormenta Next Game: 7/5 @ Greenville Triumph 

Orlando City Next Game: 7/7 @ New England Revolution II

Union Omaha 1-0 North Texas SC

The Owls opened their stadiums’ inaugural home game against the defending champions. The possession based North Texas squad saw the majority of the ball with 61% possession. But, this could not stop North Texas from giving Evan Conway his first professional goal. 

Conway received a great cross from Ethan Vanacore-Decker that slipped behind the Texas defense. Conway slotted the ball home for the game winner in the 74’ to give Union Omaha their first win in club history. 

Omaha Next Game: 7/8 @ FC Tucson

North Texas Next Game: 7/8 vs Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

Bye Week: New England Revolution II & Fort Lauderdale CF

Revolution Next Game: 7/7 vs Orlando City B

Lauderdale Next Game: 7/8 @ South Georgia Tormenta FC

USL One Table

ClubMPWDLGFGAGDPTSFORM
1Greenville Triumph SC32105237WWD
2South Georgia Tormenta FC31204225DDW
3Chattanooga Red Wolves SC21101014DW
4Union Omaha21101014DW
5North Texas SC21012203WL
6FC Tucson21011103WL
7New England Revolution II10100001D
8Richmond Kickers201123-11LD
9Forward Madison FC201123-11LD
10Orlando City B100102-20WL
11Fort Lauderdale CF200214-30L L

Union Omaha triumphant over North Texas

Fireworks and cheering sounded in the 74’ as sports returned to the Omaha Metro area. Union Omaha defeated North Texas SC 1-0 to give them three points at their first home game in club history. 

Forward Evan Conway scored the lone goal for the Owls as teammate Ethan Vanacore-Decker delivered a delicious ball across the box which found the foot of Conway at the box post. 

“I looked away from the ball and got lucky because I was so excited,” Conway said.

The Owls were on the front foot the entire night as North Texas struggled to to gain any momentum. This is the second clean sheet in a row for Union Omaha who have yet to concede this season. Head coach Jay Mims was proud of the work rate and effort that his squad delivered in tonight’s match. 

“It was a great feeling, you want to win your games at home, get results on the road,” Mims said. 

Head Coach Jay Mims and Nathan Aune prior to their game against North Texas SC. Photo Credit: Liam Keating

The midfield for the Owls played a strong role in the victory. Devin Boyce looked outstanding as the young player produced energy throughout the pitch. 

“His [Boyce] best quality is the amount of ground he covers and the amount of work rate he puts in which really compliments Tyler [David] well,” Mims said. 

Devin Boyce applauding the fans prior to taking a corner kick against North Texas SC. Photo Credit: Liam Keating

The defense was without Daltyn Knutson who picked up a knock in training this week. Knutson played very well for the Owls against the Revolution II, but was unable to go due to a hamstring issue. Jacob Crull collected his first ever professional start against the Texan club. Crull won six duels in the air while losing none. Mims was impressed with his debut sharing it was an “outstanding” performance. 

Jacob Crull playing in his first professional game against North Texas SC. Photo Credit: Liam Keating

The 2,000 plus socially distanced fans created a fantastic environment for the new club.  

“Felt like the stadium was packed, we were excited to just get out here,” Conway said. 

The atmosphere was electric from start to finish as the Owls were able to defeat North Texas SC 1-0 for the first win in club history. 

“Last week wasn’t our greatest performance,” Conway said. “To come out here and beat the Champs is definitely a confidence booster.” 

Union Omaha is on the road against FC Tucson next Saturday, August 8th at 9:30 PM CST. 

Preview: Union Omaha vs North Texas SC

The 2019 USL One champions travel to face the newcomers on the block, Union Omaha. North Texas SC takes on the Owls for Union Omaha’s first home game ever at 7pm CST on Saturday, August 1st. 

Union Omaha

Last week, the Owls drew with New England Revolution II 0-0 in a drab affair. Newly signed midfielder, Devin Boyce filled in for injured JP Scearce and preformed excellently. Boyce was named to USL One’s Team of the Week for his work in last week’s match. Head Coach, Jay Mims will have a hard decision on his hands for this week’s game against North Texas. The Owls have many midfielders capable of performing including Scearce who is expected to return against the defending champions. 

The defenders of the Owls were excellent against the Revolution which earned Union Omaha a clean sheet. Goalkeeper, Rashid Nuhu was strong between the posts which saw him earn a crucial save in the final 15 minutes of play. Centerback Illal Osumanu was credited for man of the match by the Owls’ social media page for his clearances and strength on the ball against the New England II side. 

The defense will be crucial to gaining points against North Texas. The former champions will enjoy holding possession and control of the game’s tempo which will be difficult for the Owls in open play without the help of Osumanu or defensive midfielder, Tyler David.  

North Texas SC

The offense for the Texan club goes through forward, Beni Redzic. Last week, Redzic was influential in the North Texas win against Forward Madison. Redzic scored the opening goal in the 11’ after great buildup play which came from possession based football. Redzic had a great cut back at the top of the box and his shot was deflected into the back of the night. Redzic is the go to man on the wings for North Texas, Union Omaha will have their hands full from the 17 year old American. 

The offensive and defense for North Texas flows through center defensive midfielder Juan Alverez. Alvarez controlled the game with ease against Madison. His passing and tempo kept the Wisconsin club on their toes. His fluid football was much needed for North Texas’ offense to perform. 

Earlier this week, North Texas signed 2019 club captain Brecc Evans. The former club captain came from Austin Bold where he was on loan. The Texan club and Austin Bold agreed to terminate the defender’s loan. It is unclear if Evans will be in the squad against Union Omaha, but he will add experience to a very young club this season. 

When 

Saturday, August 1st , 7pm CST

Where 

Werner Park, Omaha, NE

Watch 

ESPN+

Listen

Mav Radio

Owl Props 7/30

Here we go again. The return of Owl Props! For those who are new to this series I will be presenting you all my favorite prop bets in the upcoming fantasy contest presented by ThriveFantasy.

Just a friendly reminder to everyone, Who Gives a Hoot is an independent podcast, and we have no affiliation with Union Omaha. I know just as much information about players as you all do: Zero. Zip. Nada. So when you read this article please only read this article coming from somebody who has gambling experience. No bets are guaranteed.

Now lets get down to the nitty gritty. North Texas. The 2019 USL League One Champions. This Saturday at 7:00 Pm CT, at the luxurious Werner Park in Omaha, Nebraska. Current weather forecast depicts partly cloudy but mostly sunny at 80F degrees.

Everybody understands how important this game is, but nobody more important than the players. Last week we saw Union Omaha going up against first time USL League One team New England Revolution II at Foxboro, the church that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick built. Nerves might have played a role in their first ever match in the USL League One, but one thing still remains: their fire and their ever growing hunger for goals.

Without further ado, here are my picks for the upcoming Union Omaha contest:

  • Ethan Vanacore-Decker, 0.5 Goals + Assists, Over 135
    • EVD had an outstanding performance in the LW role and almost grabbed a great assist trying to dish it up to Evan Conway. There is no doubt in my mind that Ethan is going to be involved in the attack this weekend.
  • Rashid Nuhu, 4.5 Saves, Under 120
    • Last week that brick wall defense I preached about SHOWED UP! Nuhu had 2 saves, including a great save in the 82nd minute. That performance, powered by the 3 man defense, resulted in the clubs first ever clean sheet, and I expect the same type of performance when they head into the clubs first home game.
  • Daltyn Knutson, 0.5 Goals, Under 55
    • Daltyn Knutson was our man in charge of the back 3 brick wall defense. He had 4 clearances and 3 tackles of the Owls. Going up against North Texas I think majority of his time is going to be providing rock solid defense. We weren’t able to see his aerial threat on the pitch last weekend and I expect him to drop back on the corner kicks.
  • Evan Conway, 0.5 Goals, Over 135
    • Evan Conway had a great performance last weekend with 2 really good chances at making the first goal in Union Omaha history. Last week I made the comparison that Evan Conway was the DC comic book hero The Flash, and make no exception that Evan Conway, the Call of Duty over Fortnite, Green Bay Packer fan looked like the Flash out there. You better believe that Evan will be a real threat at home.
  • Tyler David, 0.5 Goals + Assists, Under 65
    • It goes without question that one of the biggest struggles we had in the game against New England was cohesion in the midfield, but the one bright spot I found in that midfield was Tyler David. The former first round draft pick for Minnesota United was the smartest player on the pitch by a mile. He had 32 passes and completed 84% of them, not to mention he won 2 crucial fouls for the Owls. Tyler David is our playmaker, our maestro, our most integral piece. There is without a doubt in my mind for the next game our midfield will be in a better place, and there is no one I trust more to get the job than Tyler David.
  • ICE Pick: Damia Viader, 0.5 Goals, Over 150
    • Damia Viader did a tremendous job in curling it in the ball on the offensive, completing 60% of his crosses. Not to mention he had a free kick that was close to going in goal. Without a doubt the Theo Hernandez of Union Omaha will be getting a goal in this game, and believe me it will be a beauty.
  • ICE Pick: Sebastian Contreras, 0.5 Goals and Assists, Under
    • Sebastian had a good outing last week have 1 chance created, but it doesn’t doesn’t go without saying that there was no cohesion in the midfield. Another thing that strikes me was his yellow card he received in the 2nd half of the game. This will definitely affect his play going into North Texas SC game.

Here we have it folks, my picks for the upcoming Union Omaha match against North Texas SC. If you would like to follow along with these picks or make your own suggestions than head on over to thrivefantasy.com or download the ThriveFantasy app now and use promo code HOOT when you create your account. When you use promo code HOOT and you deposit a minimum of $10 or more you will receive $10. That’s free money folks so head to over to ThriveFantasy and #PropUp on the Union Omaha Match.