Who Gives A Hoot?

Owl Props 7/23/2020

As you all have recently learned, we at Who Gives a Hoot have recently partnered with ThriveFantasy for the upcoming Union Omaha season in the USL League One. (If you’d like to learn more please click here.)

With the new announcement of this partnership, we are also announcing a new segment to the podcast and the blog, Owl props! Before each game I am going to announce my favorite prop bets of the week and share what I believe you all should want to look for if you were me.

Now that being said, I want to make it very clear, and remind everyone that 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. That also being said, both Pierce and Luke, cohosts from the podcast, will not participate in any of this section, I am the only one who will give you tips on what to expect for each game.

Now lets get down to the nitty gritty. Union Omaha’s FIRST EVER GAME is going to be this Saturday on the road at Foxborough, Massachusetts as they go up against New England Revolution II (NER2). Now I don’t think its crazy to think that Union Omaha is going to be HUNGRY for goals given they are going to be playing their ever game.

There is not a lot I can say about NER2 considering they are joining USL League One along with us this year, but if they are anything like their MLS side who conceded 57 goals in the 2019 season, we can expect the League One side to be no different.

The weather in Foxborough, Massachusetts is expected to be fairly nice. 85 degrees with a little bit of wind and mostly sunny. So you can honestly say everything is looking good for Union Omaha’s start to their inaugural season.

Now that we’ve got the setting all figured out lets get down to the meat and potatoes of this article: The Prop Bets!

If you have never been to ThriveFantasy before, I will give you a quick run down of how it all works. Each contest you enter you are given a choice of several prop bets. You can choose up to 5 prop bets and 2 ice picks per contest. An ice pick an emergency pick in case a bet is not usable, like for example if Elma takes the wing over Evan Conway and Evan Conway has a bet, that bet is nullified and therefore an ice pick would take its place.

Without further ado, here are my picks for the FIRST EVER Union Omaha match against NER2:

Juan Ignacio Mare – Total Goals 0.5 – OVER 130
- Like I said over and over again in this article, Union Omaha is HUNGRY for goals, and no better to lead this attack than my man Juan Ignacio Mare. Choosing the under on Juan not scoring a goal would be blasphemy.

Evan Conway – Total Assists 0.5 – OVER 135
- Evan Conway, The Call of Duty loving Vine over TikTok stan winger for Union Omaha, is the fastest player on the squad. Think of the DC comic book hero The Flash, and thats what you get when you see Evan Conway. Not to mention he also has great technical skill with the ball. There is without a doubt in my mind Evan will dish up an assist in one way or the other this match.

Sebastian Contreras – Total Assists + Goals 0.5 – OVER 120
- Sebastian is truly the veteran on the team and has built an amazing relationship with Juan Ignacio Mare in the attack. From what I have seen from this duo during the preseason and in Union Omaha’s scrimmage a couple weekends ago, there is without a single doubt in my mind he will grab either an assist or a goal in this game.

Damia Viader – Total Goals 0.5 – OVER 150
- For those who may know me, I am a huge AC Milan fan, and whenever I can make a player comparison I get all giddy about it. Damia reminds me the most of Theo Hernandez, the LB for Milan. He has an amazing ability to not only defend, but to make smart interceptions and create devastating counter attack, not to mention he has a sensation free kick ability. If you think there is any doubt Damia wont want to be on that score sheet for Union Omaha’s first game you are about as crazy as I was when I challenged him to FIFA.

Rashid Nuhu – Total Saves 6.5 – UNDER 100
- Now a lot of you are looking at this pick and thinking “Wow you think Rashid is not going to be able to save 7 shots?” Well before you start thinking that way, let me explain something first: have you ever tried to kick a soccer ball through a brick wall and it just bounces back to you? Well that’s what its going to be like for NER2 going up against this Union Omaha defensive line. Its not a matter of Rashid not blocking 7 shots, I just don’t think New England Revolution II is going to get 7 shots off, or at least on target, which is why taking the under is the smart bet here.

ICE PICK – Ethan Vanacore Decker – Total Goals + Assists 0.5 – OVER 115
- Ethan Vanacore Decker. My man. My guy. He is without a doubt my favorite player on Union Omaha. He’s tall, coming in at 6 feet 1 inch. He has a rocket boot. Looks great in a Union Omaha jersey. Comes from the Swope Park Rangers. He could kick a soccer ball over the mountains, as Uncle Rico would put it. The ONLY reason I have him as my ice pick is because I think there is going to be only one striker upfront, and I think that its going to be Juan. But on the off chance that I am wrong and Ethan is on the pitch Saturday, you can guarantee that EVD will score a ZILLION goals.

ICE PICK – Jacob Crull – Total Goals + Assists 0.5 – OVER 0.5
- As I mentioned in my Rashid Nuhu pick, the defense is going to be a brick wall, and its going to start with Jacob Crull leading the impenetrable wall. Not to mention Jacob is tall and can be a real aerial threat when it comes to headers from the corner. Be on the look out for either a long ball assist to Juan or EVD, or a header goal from a corner when he takes the pitch on Saturday.

And there you have it folks. This is my prop bet list heading into Union Omaha’s first ever USL League One match. If you want to ride with me to victory, then download ThriveFantasy on the App Store or Google Play today, or you can head out to ThriveFantasy and sign up. When you sign up today, use promo code HOOT and receive $10 on your first deposit of $10 or more.

#VivaBuhos #OwlEyesOnUs

Who Gives a Hoot Media Partners with ThriveFantasy

We are excited to announce that Who Gives a Hoot is partnering with ThriveFantasy, a daily fantasy sports app for player prop bets.

ThriveFantasy, based out of New York, New York, is a new daily fantasy sports and Esports platform. They eliminate the need to do countless hours of research because they only ask you about the top-tier athletes in a respective sport. Thrive has awarded over $1.3 Million in prizes since they launched in 2018.

Each week, you choose 5 out of the possible 10 player prop options to build a lineup. Each prop has a total fantasy point associated with the Over/Under based on its likelihood to occur. The more points a selection is worth the risker, it is! You need to rack up the most points to win a share of the prize pool!

By using promo code HOOT when you sign up today, you will receive an instant $10 bonus on your first deposit of $10 or more! ThriveFantasy can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play, or by visiting their website at www.thrivefantasy.com.

With the announcement of our partnership, Who Gives a Hoot will be providing match updates of our favorite Union Omaha and USL League One prop bets of the week! Prop bets will be on the Who Gives a Hoot podcast, along with a blog at www.whogivesahootpod.wordpress.com

ThriveFantasy will be available for the first game of Union Omaha’s season on July 25th, against New England Revolution II.

Part One: Lingo #NSFW

Hello Owls! Just your friendly average Joe over here, or Jane. I actually identify as a Jane but you do you boo. Consider this a beginners guide to football. I mean soccer. Because lesson one: it’s called football not soccer. Futból if you hablas espanol. America just can’t get off their fucking high horse and refer to the sport as EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD CALLS IT. So football is what they are playing. Which brings me to the point of this post. Here what this shit is actually called.

1. Soccer=football. I think we’ve cover this by now.

2. stadium: if you think the place where you’re going is called a stadium like it is when you watch football (American) basketball or you know the same place you see Lizzo tooting her flute and twerking (or if you’re my age, watched BackStreet Boys dance to choreography whilst singing “everybodyyyy…. rock your bodyyyy.”) you would be wrong. It’s called a pitch. Yes, the goal post to goal post, and beautiful green grass where they play the glorious sport is called a pitch. (Like in Harry Potter, they’re that prestigious.)

3. Field: yup, just said where they played was the pitch, but it’s not. It’s the pitch. The place where you go is the “stadium” but the “field” is the place they actually play… yes they are different. Like in basketball: think space jam where the aliens were in the stadium but bugs and MJ (and weirdly Wayne knight) were on the “court”… same concept.

4. Goalie: nope. Not right. The guy that stands in the goal is not the goalie is not the goalie, that’s hockey, and we are the less hot more teethed version of that spot. So they are called a Keeper. Ours are Rashid Nuhu and Sam Howard by the way, and they have all their teeth.

5. Head: an act in which you delicately and graciously place your head on the ball.. head and I mean your face or large round average 9lb item attached to your body in to the ball. You provocative Neanderthals. In soccer you cant touch the ball with your hands however your feet and head are fair game utilized appropriately. Headers are very advantageous and you see them frequently to score goals.

6. Defender: I think this one was mostly self explanatory but seemed important. It’s the guy that defends the ball from going into the goal. The defensive line for our football term folks. But I will go one step further for you. There are 4 types: center back, sweeper, full back and wing back. It’s based on where they stand on the field but honestly if you told a guy that Dami was our left full back they’d be thoroughly impressed and sleep with you regardless.

6. Tackle: BE Aggressive B-E Aggressive. Football doesn’t have cheerleaders but said cheer would fit here. But don’t be too aggressive. Football players actually have a lot of rules where you can’t just full on knock the other player down for the ball. It’s a more reserved and refined move to steal the ball without causing a concussion and lasting brain damage.

7. Corner kick: okay bear with me. In direct interpretation this sounds simple. The ball is put into play from the corner of the field. But when?why?how? Dim but it’s super exciting and there are usually designated chants involved.

8. Cross: kriss cross will make you jump jump. (Yo Union can we play their song during the time? Did forward Madison already take it?) okay I digress Basically someone passes the ball across the field to Lewandowski and he knocks it in. Oops wrong league but concept remains

9. Red card: yellow card, you’re weak and fucked some guys shit up but not enough to get kicked out. Red card: you went 59 shades of gray, really fucked up and you’re out of the game.

10. Offsides: the most complicated term and the biggest reason you will get pissed at the refs in all of soccer. Your team scored but JK they didn’t because for some fucked reason they decided that the person who scored the goal was farther along than the person defending. (Isn’t that the point) so your goal doesn’t count. Yup, I don’t get it and it sucks and it’s bullshit and everyone else in football history also hates it. But the rule is there so we have to deal with it. Be pissed at it now, be pissed at it later, be pissed at it forever.

And that’s all for now folks.

– Dr. TokenGirl

Knutson’s Path to Union Omaha

Program changing players are rare to find, but can influence a team for years to come. Union Omaha defender, Daltyn Knutson, is that gem.

The 23-year-old grew up in Spring, Texas, just north of Houston. He started kicking the ball around with his YMCA team at a very early age. But, soccer was not the only sport in his life.

“I got started at three years old, but I played all the sports growing up from basketball, baseball, football and gymnastics,” Knutson said.

This love for sports and competition started at very young age for Knutson. His younger brother, Bradyn, remembers their contests fondly.

“Growing up, everything was a competition. Like who could eat their food the fastest or arguing over which one of us Mom loved more,” Bradyn said.

Competitions never ended in the Knutson household and sometimes it led to brotherly fights.

“I remember a time where me and my brother both played football and we were in our backyard in full pads, hitting the snot out of one another until one of us gave up,” Bradyn said. “It took our Mom coming outside and threatening to take away our Xbox for us to stop.”

Knutson began his soccer career by playing for the Houston Texans SC academy team at the ripe age of 9 years old. He played for the Texans all the way through high school.

By the time Knutson was ready to chose a school to play his collegiate soccer, he had slim choices. He visited the University of Denver and Bucknell University, but was not sure they were the right fit. Knutson wanted to play first team soccer right at the start, but those programs were not offering this luxury.

“I was going to have to wait till sophomore or junior year to play,” Knutson said.

Knutson finalized his decision by going somewhere closer to home plus the ability to play right away. In 2015, the University of Central Arkansas was Knutson’s new team and joined the Bears.

“Central Arkansas was having a couple rough years. I thought it was my best opportunity to get onto the field,” Knutson said. “I was hoping going in that I could change the program.”

Prior to Knutson, the Bears were ranked 183 out of 206 teams in the 2014 final RPI rankings while finishing their campaign 3-13-1.

In 2015, not much changed for UCA except for the many different positions Knutson played. UCA won only 2 games while Knutson played defensive midfield, attacking midfield, forward and then back to center back. The Bears never found their flow even in Missouri Valley Conference play as they finished the season 2-15-1.

“We were the weak link in the conference,” Knutson said. “We were ranked 202 out of 206 teams.”

UCA started to turn things around during Knutson’s junior year. But, it was the same old Bears to start the season. Knutson and UCA began their year with zero wins and seven losses. It was hard for them to find their form early.

“It was frustrating, we didn’t know what was going on,” Knutson said.

The Bears bounced back when conference play turned up. Wins against Valparaiso, Drake and Loyola-Chicago helped them reach a Missouri Valley Conference record to 5-3 which was good enough for the second seed in the conference tournament only behind powerhouse Missouri State.

The Bears of UCA and Missouri State clawed their way to the MVC Championship game for the chance at glory with the winner headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams were deadlocked at zero after full time. Only a goal was needed during the overtime period for a champion to be crowned. With 5 minutes left in OT, UCA’s Chris Holmes lifted a looping ball towards to the back post which found the foot of Niklas Brodacki who slotted it home for the win.

“I remember sprinting all the way across the field. Everyone was running everywhere,” Knutson said. “It was a surreal feeling to take our team to their first NCAA Tournament.”

Knutson was a stalwart at the back for the Bears in 2017. He helped UCA record four clean sheets including the game against Missouri State.

Knutson’s final season would end with family glory for himself while Bradyn found the losing side in 2018.

UCA made it to the Missouri Valley Championship game for the second year in a row. While Knutson’s brother, Bradyn, enrolled as a freshman at Loyola-Chicago where he begin his college soccer career. The two would meet in the MVC Championship game.

UCA jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before Bradyn’s least favorite moment in family history occurred. UCA played a beautiful set piece that flew to the back post which was headed towards the front of goal. Knutson was there to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

“I remember his senior year well because he beat my team at the time in the Conference Championship where he was also named tournament MVP and was rewarded First Team All Conference,” Brayden said. “He also happened to score the game winning goal against my team which hurts to hear at family dinners.”

Knutson’s career at UCA came to an end by taking a team ranked 202 to winning back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference Championships.

Head Coach of UCA, Ross Duncan, believed Knutson could have transferred to a more competitive program, but he stuck it out with the Bears to create a winning culture .

“Daltyn had a massive impact on our program,” Duncan said. “He was a player we were able to build around with more and more quality and that really helped us wit the big improvements we made in 2016 and the championships we won in 2017 and 2018.”

Knutson graduated from Central Arkansas and was in the market for a professional club. He had two clubs looking for his services as a professional athlete.

“I was maybe about to get offered by Richmond [Kickers], but it was between me and this MLS guy that they are sending down on loan,” Knutson said.

But, USL League One side, South Georgia Tormenta FC was the only club to offer him his first ever professional contract which Knutson happily snatched it up.

Knutson’s skill set as a versatile defensive player and dedication to training is what makes him a valuable professional athlete.

“His growth is 100% down to his commitment to training,” Duncan said. “He was always doing individual sessions and he brought a great intensity to our team training environment every day.”

Knutson’s love for training was appreciated by his Tormenta teammates as well. Former Tormenta forward, Kaleb Jackson was Knutson’s roommate in Statesboro, Georgia. Jackson who now plays for Chattanooga FC was signed at the same time as Knutson.

“Daltyn impressed me quickly with his technical ability as a defender,” Jackson said. “When one of our defenders got hurt he stepped right into place and the team didn’t skip a beat.”

Knutson earned his first minutes as a professional for Tormenta when center back, Lars Enckenrode received a concussion. Knutson was granted his first minutes and never relinquished the starting position all season. Knutson helped Tormenta with seven clean sheets including a long unbeaten run.

“We didn’t get scored on for five games in a row,” Knutson said. “that was a cool experience.”

Knutson is a strong defender that has the ability to play center back and even saw time at Tormenta at the right-back position.

“His love for the game and the want to get better is what really makes him such a quality footballer,” Jackson said. “Being able to use both feet, and decision making are some things that helped further his career as a professional footballer.”

Tormenta finished 2019 with a record of 9-9-10. Knutson’s side barely failed to qualify for the USL League One Playoffs. Knutson was in search of a new club at the end of his contract.

Knutson came into touch with Union Omaha Head Coach, Jason Mims through Coach Duncan.

“My coach at UCA knew Mims and I got in contact with him,” Knutson said. “Mims was reaching out to see how I was doing and asking about my family.”

Knutson’s appreciation for a family atmosphere is what drew him to Union Omaha. The people behind the scenes for the Owls provided a warm atmosphere which he truly enjoys.

Knutson signed for Union Omaha on January 19 and instantly has had an appreciation for the fans which he looks forward to playing in front of in the coming months.

“I know Nebraska sports fans are crazy,” Knutson said. “They are diehards, I like that.”

Knutson and Union Omaha will be primed to return to action in late July when USL1 play returns.

WGaH on the USLPA

Who Gives a Hoot is proud to support Union Omaha, USL League 1, US Soccer, and perhaps most importantly, the players and staff that make all this possible. Recent events surrounding players, ownership and league interaction in the USL Championship has been making waves across the professional soccer landscape in the US. With recent requests by the USL to players in the Championship for a reduction in salary, we wanted to get some context on this for the fans of Union Omaha. As in any evolving field, labor becomes a contentious issue, especially in a field where dollars are driven by fans. Players associations have done great things at the MLS level in creating a sustainable model for players to be able to subsist on their contracts. USL League 1, the league in which Union Omaha plays, has at the time of writing not approached players regarding cuts to salaries.

To get some answers relevant to Union Omaha specifically, we reached out to Union Omaha midfielder Tyler David with a few questions to provide some local background and life to an event happening across the country.

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For fans who are unaware, what is the USLPA?

The USLPA is an organization that has been formed over the past couple of years, made up of current and former USL players, that represents the players of the USL.

Why do we need the USLPA?

The USLPA’s main goal is to establish a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the USL and it’s players. This is necessary to ensure the well-being of players. The agreement would set a standard by which clubs would have to abide by on behalf of there players. Ranging from salaries, all the way to something as simple as to per diem on road trips and anything in between. They also are very instrumental in helping players that may have disputes with their perspective clubs.

Does the USLPA represent all players under contract in USL1 & USL-C?

The USLPA does represent both USL1 and USL-C. However, the association represents the two as separate entities. So, any negotiations or agreements made are completely separate from each other. Should there be a CBA established, each league will have its own CBA to abide by.

Do your experiences at Union Omaha reflect a standard you would like to see across the league?

Union Omaha is my first experience with a team in League 1. So far, I think the organization has been first class, from the ownership through the front office and into the coaching staff. It has been a pleasure to work here in the short time I have been here. Do I think improvements could be made? Of course, every team through the MLS has plenty of things to improve upon; however, from what I’ve seen here in comparison to other clubs I know about and played for, Union Omaha is setting a very high standard for other teams to look to.

You have played in the USL for some years, has the USLPA helped you?

The USLPA did not exist for my first couple years in the USL, so any issues a player had with a team they had to work out with their agent and that team. Over the past couple years the PA has made a huge impact around the league, some instances were made public while others weren’t. The PA has been a great resource to ask questions of when contract disputes came up or when disagreements with an organization arose. I don’t feel comfortable at this time disclosing all the details of things the PA has helped me with, but I can confirm they have helped with contract interpretations and several other disputes that would have otherwise been much more difficult to deal with had there not been a mediator that could communicate with the league about what was going on.

How can fans best support the players?

Fans can best support players with literally support. It’s not the fans job to provide us with anything except for support and making the environment a great place to be on game day. Another avenue of support is social media. As I’m sure you’ve seen trending lately #STANDWITHTHEPLAYERS. The more support in that campaign or any PA campaign the better the players stance will be. So whether that’s retweeting, commenting, sharing, etc. that support means way more than fans can imagine.

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In our opinion, the USL is approaching a watershed much as the MLS was prior to recognizing the MLSPA and agreeing to their first CBA. With USL currently operating second and third tier professional men’s soccer leagues in the United States, it is imperative that the situation for players is tenable to bring and keep the kind of talent that makes it an exciting organization to watch. As fans, we support our clubs, we are proud that the team represents our city, we will show up on game day to support them, remember these players are our club. Without the players a club isn’t playing, without a club the players aren’t playing, without the fans neither players or club would have a reason to be here. Help where you can, stay healthy, stay safe, stay connected, #StandWithThePlayers and #VivaBúhos!

Meet the Owls: Sam Howard

Union Omaha has officially signed a second goalkeeper to their roster for the 2020 season. The owls signed Sam Howard on April 9 to push their roster to 22 contracted players.

Howard joins the Owls after a two year stint with USL Championship side Fresno FC. The goalkeeper nicknamed, “Mystery player” by Union Omaha’s social media, has been with the team since early March. A native of Takoma Park, Maryland, Howard will add much needed depth in the goalkeeper position. Howard will be battling with Rashid Nuhu for the starting position when the season begins.

Last season, Howard appeared in two games for the Northern California club. He was the first choice keeper for Fresno FC during their U.S. Open Cup stint which saw them bow out of the competition in the third round against Sacramento Republic.

In 2016 and 2017, Howard traveled to Europe to play for Swedish club, IFK Amal. He started 68 games for the club that played in division three and division four of the Swedish Football Association. Division three and four are the fifth and sixth level of professional soccer in Sweden.

The keeper graduated from Howard University in 2015. The 6-foot-2-inch keeper made 68 appearances for the Bison in his only year for them. He transferred for his final year from La Salle University where he saw the field only once during his first three years.

This beautiful save from Howard comes from his first game for Fresno FC last season. Fresno faced amateur club, El Farolito in their second round game of the U.S. Open Cup in 2019. In the 79th minute, Howard made this athletic save to tip the ball over the bar to hold Fresno’s lead at 1-0. Howard would keep the clean sheet and see Fresno through to the next round in America’s oldest soccer competition.

Meet the Owls: New Signings

Five new signings join the roster of Union Omaha for the inaugural 2020 season. Three of the five players officially signed before the Wasatch Cup with Rashid Nuhu, John “JP” Scearce and Tyler David on the official team. On March 2, Illa Osmanu and Sebastian Contreras signed officially with Union Omaha. These two were some of the trialists that were listed on the Owls roster during the first set of preseason games.

Here is the breakdown of the five players that will see the field in the Black and White.

Rashid Nuhu

Nuhu joins Union Omaha as the first goalkeeper in franchise history. The man between the sticks was a part of New York Red Bulls II last year as the second choice keeper. He made four appearances while conceding 10 goals during his stint with the USL Championship side.

Nuhu has strong wrists and quick reflexes which is evident in his highlight tape from his career at Fordham. He allowed only one goal with two clean sheets in the Wasatch Cup during his first three games in goal for Union Omaha.

JP Scearce

The Nogales, Arizona native signs with Union Omaha to bolster the depth of an impressive midfield. An aggressive midfielder who finished with 5 goals in his senior season at Cornell University, He was the main leader for the Ivy League squad where he captained and started all 17 fixtures for the Big Red.

Scearce has fantastic flick with this header from way outside of the box. His athleticism to jump high and make contact on a perfectly weighted ball is an impressive feat for the six-foot-one-inch midfielder.

Tyler David

David joins Union Omaha after playing one year with Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship. David suffered an adductor tear in his hip which ended his 2019 campaign early in July. He only saw the field six times in his short time in Connecticut.

David has lots of experience that should help him succeed with the Owls. He spent in Europe with BK-46 of the Finnish Kakkonen second division league. He made the jump to Europe after a outstanding career with Saint Louis University Bilikins and USL Championship club STLFC. David’s story can be read in detail by The Athletic journalist Jeff Rueter here: https://theathletic.com/387877/2018/06/11/tyler-david-mls-usl-saint-louis-fc-finland/

Personally, David was one of my favorite players to watch during the Wasatch Cup due to his high work rate. He started as a center back in his time at SLU, but has turned himself into a holding midfielder. David played the midfield position during the preseason games in the Wasatch Cup. David’s aggression in Coach Jay Mim’s high pressing team allowed him to become diligent in through balls and defensive stops. In the clip, his defensive stop may have seemed minuscule or unimportant, but his presence forced the Monarchs to pass the ball backwards and help initiate the pressure by the Union Omaha attackers.

Illal Osmanu

Osmanu signed with Union Omaha after graduating from Marshall University. He started all 22 games for the Thundering Herd at the center back position. He was a pivotal part of the back line that saw Marshall bow out of the NCAA Tournament at the Sweet 16 and earn a poll record as high as 11th place during the 2019 season.

Osmanu is a strong defender who is comfortable on the ball. He has a soft touch which adds to his skillset on the ball which will benefit a Union Omaha team that enjoys pressing and playing out of the back with Nuhu in goal.

Sebastian Contreras

Contreras comes to Werner Park from El Paso Locomotive FC where he started 24 of his 34 appearances for the USL Championship team. The 29 year old Argentinian will be one of the most experienced players for the Owls. He finished with 3 goals and four assists along with bagging a goal from the penalty spot in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals against Sacramento Republic FC.

Contreras’ ability to use his dribbling skills was on display last year against Tulsa as he carved his way into the teeth of defense and was able to draw a penalty. He played the number 10 role as playmaker all season for El Paso and now he has the chance to do it for Union Omaha.

Getting to know UO pt 4

We at Who Gives a Hoot want you to get the insider info on our supporters and members of the Union Omaha front office. To get you an insight, we’ve asked each group four of the same questions as well as one unique to the front office and one unique to supporters for a total of FIVE fun answers. ENJOY!

What has you excited about Union Omaha?
As a lifelong Omahan, if I had to sum it up in a word; everything. But to really narrow it down, the thing that’s got me the most excited is a club that’s for the entire community. For the longest time, Omahans and Nebraskans have had to rely on clubs out of state or at the collegiate level for their local or Pro soccer. This is a community that has been waiting for a club at this level for a really, really long time. We’ve got really good collegiate and high school clubs all over the state, but there was no true top-of-the-pyramid within the state for our players and coaching talent to go. So, when the news broke that we were getting a USL Team, I was cautiously optimistic. At the team name and crest reveal in Benson this past fall, I went from being curious to ecstatic when the name and crest was announced. My arms literally shot in the air and I went “YES!!” for a couple of reasons. First; we didn’t go the FC or United route with our name. I owe the ownership group a sandwich for that one Also it seemed to connect to the community history without being cheesy or obvious. And the fact that we were able to pull in a coach like Jay Mims was a huge signal to the community that they were wanting to draw in top local talent while wanting to be competitive on the field. That said to me that the owners were serious about getting this off-the-ground. It was at the crest reveal the seed for wanting to start a supporters group of my own was planted. Since then, i’ve been trying to find as many like-minded mutants to join my supporters group to cheer this team on!
What is your favorite soccer memory?
My favorite English Premier League club is West Ham United and a few years ago, they were relegated to the 2nd tier of English Football. They spent the next year in total “eye of the tiger” mode fighting their way to the top of the table to get back into the Premier League. A lot of fans dread seeing their team go down from the top-flight, but watching your team and its fans to come together in hard times was honestly one of the best seasons of soccer that I got to witness. It added so much drama and urgency to the games that with the matches I was able to watch online (since not a lot of 2nd tier games make NBC/Fox Sports, etc) it made the games so electric! Plus away days in the 2nd tier are a lot of fun because the fans at that level are super fun but relaxed since it’s only the 2nd tier of soccer. Believe me, being a West Ham supporter means knowing how to pull behind your team in feast and famine. And they showed the best of what community soccer fandom at the club level can bring. And it’s that kind of energy that I want to bring to the table for Union Omaha.
How do you plan on celebrating our first goal?
Me and the Union Army will be on our feet and hopefully lighting smoke to celebrate!
Where do you see Union Omaha in 5 years?
As the preeminent midwestern powerhouse club in the USL. Nebraska has a richer soccer culture than we realize and it never had an outlet in the state at the Pro level. I would hope in five years, both the club and the founding fanbase, does some significant outreach to parents and players at the K-12 levels to bring them into the fold. My hope is that we build a rabid fanbase in Omaha to the point where we’re pulling in 20 thousand people per home game and that there’s a significant waiting list for season tickets to the point where significant expansions of Werner are needed to accommodate the interest. I just want to work really hard to make this a club where every member of the community, regardless of their background, can come together and watch a really good soccer club. Maybe even by that point, we’ll even be fielding a women’s team! That’s where people like us come in to spread the good word amongst our friends, family and community.
How can someone get involved?
That’s easy; tell everyone you know about the team. There are a lot of soccer people in the area who still don’t know about the team, so just doing outreach and communication about the club is job one. But if you really want to get involved with some really passionate fans, I’d recommend joining either the Parliament or Union Army supporters groups.

Postgame: Union Omaha vs Real Monarchs SLC

Union Omaha kicked off their preseason against USL Championship side Real Monarchs SLC. Both clubs are taking part of the Wasatch Cup in Herriman, Utah.

The Owls and Monarchs finished with a 0-0 draw, but both teams showed flairs of excitement.

The Monarchs started on the front foot with an opportunity inside the first four minutes of the game, but the Owls were able to clear their lines and avoid the danger.

Union Omaha stayed on the front foot for the entire half with three chances that could have found the back of the net.

The first opportunity came in the 8’ from forward Evan Conway who found a bit of space and used his dribbling skills to find his way towards the touchline. Conway dumped a pass off to fellow forward Austin Panchot who missed close to goal.

In the 29’, the Owls utilized a short corner which saw midfielder, Xavier Gomez whip in an in-swinging cross which found the head of Conway at the back post. This free header almost gave the Owls their first goal in history, but it was stopped beautifully by the Monarch keeper.

Minutes later, the solid build up play for Union Omaha continued. Forward Ethan Vanacore-Decker saw an open Elma Nfor across the box. Nfor was ruled offside, but the unselfish play by Vanacore-Decker was nice to see.

The Owls and Monarchs would split some chances with good open field play the rest of the way. Union Omaha would only see some real, tangible attacks late in the game with forward Juan Mare who could not find the back of the net.

Forward Elvir Ibisevic did go down with an injury in the first half of the game. A non-contact injury saw him walk off on his power clutching is left hamstring, Nfor replaced him in the 24’.

The Owls will continue in the Wasatch Cup when the face off against Louisville City FC on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT.

Video content courtesy of Real Salt Lake Youtube Page

Getting to know UO pt 3

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