It was a top-of-the-table clash between #1 North Carolina FC and #2 Union Omaha, but 90 minutes wasn’t enough for a victor to emerge as the two clubs finished with a 1-1 draw.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
North Carolina FC opened the scoreline in the 12th minute after a mad dash and a scramble for the loose ball inside of Union Omaha’s penalty area gave Rafa Mentzingen a window of opportunity. The goal meant the Owls would play from a losing position for the second week in a row. As we’ve seen this season, Head Coach Dominic Casciato & co. weren’t going to take that lightly.
With halftime approaching, the tide began to turn and Union Omaha was seeing more and more scoring opportunities. It all culminated in the 40th minute, when Steevan Dos Santos was fed a perfect thru ball from Dion Acoff that led him into North Carolina FC’s penalty area. As Dos Santos was fast approaching the goal line, he cut back a pass to Luis Gil, who was waiting near the top of the goal area and Gil lifted the ball into the top corner of the near post for the equalizer. Gil’s goal was his second goal in four matches and Dos Santos earned his second assist of the season, involving himself in a fourth Union Omaha goal in the last 6 matches.
The second half gave Dominic Casciato opportunities for adjustments and substitutions, all of which he utilized properly. The Owls rotated pressure, found new ways to threaten North Carolina FC in the midfield, and opened up space in the host’s half with balanced attacks between buildup play and counter attacks.
Time and time again, the Owls pressed the issue and almost found the winning goal. One of those chances came in the 84th minute, when Shaft Brewer Jr. lobbed a cross deep into the North Carolina FC box. Before the ball could touch a blade of grass, Steevan Dos Santos was there to put the one-time volley toward goal. The ball careened off the near post, danced across the goal area, and was eventually cleared away from the mouth of the goal.
Alongside standout performances from the likes of Luis Gil, Steevan Dos Santos, and JP Scearce, the Owls owe a big ‘thank you’ to goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu for his nine recoveries and five saves, three of which came inside the box. Union Omaha went toe to toe with the league leaders and proved why they are a threat for the Player’s Shield and even the Cup.
While the draw ends Union Omaha’s historic streak of ten straight wins, the Owls remain undefeated through eleven matches, which matches a club record. Union Omaha returns to Werner Park on Wednesday, October 4th for their last regular season home match. The Owls will take the field against fourth-placed Charlotte Independence, who are looking to extend their undefeated streak to five matches. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30PM CT and will be broadcasted on ESPN+. The promotional theme for Wednesday’s match is Fan Appreciation Night and the first 1,000 people to enter Werner Park will receive a Rashid Nuhu bobblehead, presented by Nebraska State Soccer.
Postmatch Quotes (Courtesy of the recap on Union Omaha’s website)
Head Coach Dominic Casciato
“It’s a decent point away from home,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “If you look at balance of play, I think we were much better and really dominated the second half and probably the end of the first half as well, so I think we’re unfortunate not to win, but the guys put in a great effort. If Steevan’s chance doesn’t go off the post and goes in instead, then I think we’re celebrating a well-deserved victory. We move on and look forward to Charlotte next week.”
Random Facts
Union Omaha is on pace to set a record for average points collected per match. With 56 points collected across 29 matches, the Owls currently sit at an average of 1.93 points per match, surpassing the 2021 club record average of 1.82.
The Owls set a club record for most consecutive matches with a goal scored, with the new record set at 11 and still going. The previous record belonged to the 2021 Union Omaha squad, who scored in 10 straight regular season matches.
Despite being in third place at the end of Week 29, Union Omaha still managed to match the League One record for points earned in a regular season. North Texas SC managed to earn 56 points across 28 matches back in 2019.
The draw against North Carolina meant the two sides split the difference in this season’s regular season series with each club collecting a win and a draw across the three matches. All time, Union Omaha still leads the series with four wins, three draws, and one loss.
Union Omaha has three regular season matches remaining this season. With a game in hand, the Owls control their own destiny and can still win the Player’s Shield. The race for the Shield and a top-2 finish is separated by a single point between three clubs, so Union Omaha’s game in hand offers a prime opportunity for the Owls to finish at the top of the standings.
Match Summary
Attendance: 3,664
Scoring Summary: 12’: NC – Rafa Mentzingen 40’: OMA – Luis Gil (assisted by Steevan Dos Santos)
Substitution Summary: 65’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza replaces #11 Joe Gallardo 66’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga replaces #20 Luis Gil 80’: NC – #59 Nathan Ntalu replaces #9 Oalex Anderson 80’: NC – #7 Luis Arriaga replaces #10 Jaden Servania 86’: NC – #18 Devin Benton replaces #14 Rafa Mentzingen
Discipline Summary: 25’: NC – #24 David Garcia (Yellow card) 76’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza (Yellow card)
In the dying moments of the match, midfielder Joe Gallardo scored the match-winning goal as Union Omaha defeated Central Valley Fuego 2-1.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
The first half was a highly tactical 45 minutes, consisting of both sides battling for control in the midfield. While both clubs found their own measures of success in the final third, most of the possession was in the middle third of the field. Central Valley stacked their midfield and condensed the personnel in order to thwart Union Omaha’s advancement up the field, but the Owls started to find the crack in their armor as the half drew toward a close. Despite that confidence going into the break, it was Central Valley who would score first.
For the first time since Week 11, Union Omaha played a home match from a losing position as Central Valley scored in the 56th minute. The goal may have put Fuego ahead, but that was the only goal they would score on the evening. The rest of the night belonged to Union Omaha.
Nearly 20 minutes later, second-half substitute Noe Meza received a cheeky backheel pass from Pedro Dolabella and found the net for the equalizer. Meza’s 11th goal of the season couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Owls were searching hard for that breaking point. In the last 10 goals scored by Union Omaha, Pedro Dolabella has been involved in nearly half of them, scoring 2 goals and assisting 2 more.
As regulation time ticked away, the Fourth Official raised the board, alerting the Werner Crowd of seven additional minutes of stoppage time. All it took was two minutes for Union Omaha to find the lead, thanks to a goal from substitute Joe Gallardo. After receiving a pass from Dion Acoff, the midfielder took an extra second to measure up his shot and sniped out a shot to the top bin of the far post. Gallardo’s stoppage-time goal was also his first goal ever scored inside Werner Park. The remaining five minutes were wasted using various measures of possession and taking up residence in the corner.
The win gives Union Omaha another batch of valuable three points, which keeps them on pace with the top of the table. Though the Owls have already locked up a playoff spot, the battle for a first-round bye is heating up, so every point goes a long way in achieving that goal.
Union Omaha’s next match is Friday, September 29th as the Owls travel to Cary, North Carolina to take on the first-place club. Kickoff is scheduled for 6PM CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The next home match is Wednesday, October 4th when the Charlotte Independence comes to town. The promotional theme that night is Fan Appreciation Night, so don’t miss out on the Rashid Nuhu bobbleheads.
Postmatch Quotes
Head Coach Dominic Casciato
General thoughts on the evening: “Yeah, obviously great to get the win. First and foremost, I think we made life difficult for ourselves. We gave away too many big chances against Fuego. Credit to them. I think Edison’s [Gonzalez] done a good job with that team and he’s got them organized and made them dangerous. I think we probably gave away too many big chances, but credit to the guys for showing us the fight and the spirit and the quality to score the two goals. Later on, I think Noe’s goal is exceptional. Joe G’s is exceptional as well. The individual quality to do what he does is great. [I’m] really happy with those two having a big impact from the bench and not to forget guys like Chavany [Willis] and Lagos [Kunga], as well. He came on and gave us the boost when we needed it. So, yeah. [I’m] really, really pleased for the group. I think everybody played their role. Definitely my hairline is getting bigger and bigger by the week if we keep winning this way. We need to get better. We need to be tighter defensively, but [I’m] looking forward to North Carolina this week.”
On instilling faith and belief in the locker room at half time: “We showed a few clips. We showed some of the chances we were given away. We needed our defensive lines to be more united, a little bit closer to get a little bit tighter. We showed some of the areas we were getting in, as well. Then we said, ‘Look, if we continue to play this way, play with a little bit more urgency and get into the same areas, eventually one of those chances is going to go in.’ I think that’s what happened with the first one, when we were down the right hand side and had some good combination play in the box to finish.”
On working around Central Valley’s attempts to close down the midfield half spaces: “I think anytime a team tries to do that, and they get compact in the middle, you want to play centrally to make it even more compact. Obviously that’s gonna open up space somewhere else, right? We speak as a group about whatever the opposition does to adjust to us. They’ll be wrong, right? Because if they want to stop us playing, why don’t we play through, you want to stop us playing through them? Okay, we’ll go outside you. So we always try and have an answer, we always try and be one step ahead and it doesn’t always work, but you know, tonight, in the second half, we made a couple of adjustments, and thankfully it paid off.”
On what is said to players before they are subbed on, make an impact on the match: “Normally, we give the players one of three different roles coming into the game… One of the things we spoke about today before the game was when you come on, if you come on with one role, that role can change. If we score or they score, maybe what you need to give the team in that moment is a little bit different. Then, once you’re on the pitch, you’ve got to figure out what the team needs in that specific moment. We go over the set plays with them, we go over the role that they’re gonna fill and then obviously the guys have to deliver and I thought the guys were excellent. Obviously Joe and Noe got the goals but Chavany was excellent at pressing, holding the ball in a corner for us when we needed to kill a little bit of time at the end. Lagos is a real threat, maybe could’ve helped Noe finish that last one. At the end, they made it a more comfortable victory. [I’m] really pleased really guys and not just those guys that played. Everybody is contributing to the team’s success right now. We just need to keep that rolling.”
On next week’s away match at North Carolina FC: “These are the games you want to play in, right at the business end of the season. You want to be going there and playing for something to be on the line and obviously it’s all on the line right now. So we’re looking forward to going there and trying to get three points.”
Team Captain JP Scearce
General thoughts on the evening: “Yeah, it feels good to get the win and get the three points. [We] probably made it way too close than it should have been, but at the end of the day, we did what was necessary to get the win. So, [I’m] happy with that.”
On the tactical battles in the midfield, working around Central Valley’s midfield shape: “I think they were sitting back a lot. Definitely, like you said, shutting down those spaces, and it was tough to play through them. So, I think we managed to play around them a few times and we just tried to keep doing that, get Dion [Acoff] and Shaft [Brewer Jr.] on the wings and got some chances out of it, but I think we kind of lacked in finishing those chances, which is kind of what affected us in the game, but it ended up working out.”
On his speeches to inspire perseverance: “We all know how dangerous Shaft and Dion are, know how fast they are, how good they are with the ball in the space on the wings, so we try to use them as much as we can. Like I said, it wasn’t working out in the first half on the final end of those crosses, but we just kept pushing and knew eventually it would fall for us. We just didn’t give up.”
On inspiring bench players to make an impact after subbing into the match: “Dom says it before every game in his pregame speeches where the guys that are starting on the bench, they have a big role. If they do come on, he always says the impact [comes] from the bench. So everyone, whether you’re starting or not, if you’re coming off the bench, you have a big role to play. If you do come in, you have to make an impact in the game, whether it’s bringing up the tempo or closing the game out. Like you said, you mentioned Noe [Meza] and Lagos [Kunga], they had a pretty big impact. Obviously, Noe getting that tying goal and the subs coming in after the second goal like Chavany, closing the game for us and holding it up in the corner. So, they play an important role for us.”
On his ability to keep the team focused during this historic streak: “We just try to maintain a high level at training and we just have to keep doing what we’re doing. Obviously, coming into this game, you look at Fuego and you look at us, on paper, it should have been a much easier game, but there’s no easy game in this league and we just have to maintain a high level and treat every opponent equally. We know it’s going to be difficult. So we just have to keep doing our thing and keep playing our football and we know we are the best team in the league.”
On the upcoming away match at North Carolina FC: “It’s another big game, obviously. We’re all in the title race. We beat them once and we know we have the capability of beating them, so hopefully we have a great week of training and focus on what they could bring to the game and try to get a result over there in North Carolina.”
On being voted the “Supporters Group Player of the Month”: “Yeah, it feels great. It feels good. I just try to do my best to contribute to the team. [I’m] so thankful and blessed that I was chosen to be a Player of the Month.”
Noe Meza (1 goal)
General thoughts on the evening: “Coming off the bench, I knew we had a lot of good chances in the first half. We just had to put one away and build off of the momentum, so going in, I knew I just wanted to make an impact as fast as possible. Luckily, we could get that goal and then the second one late in the match.”
What it means to him, knowing he has the support around him to provide chances on goal: “Yeah, I knew going in [and that] I was going to get a chance. At least one, for sure. I know my teammates all year, we’ve been really good at creating chances. So going in, I knew I just had to do the most with the opportunities I got. Luckily, I found the net and we were able to build from there.”
On combining with Steevan Dos Santos after subbing into the match: “He’s [Steevan] really good at holding the ball and also flicking on, so we were looking to go after them. We knew we had to be a little bit more direct, so I knew playing off Steevan, I could be the one that made those runs through and he could be the one kind of holding the ball and flicking it for us.”
On being a part of the historic streak: “It feels incredible. I think we have an amazing team. We’re just taking it one game at a time. We know we have everything in front of us, so we’re just looking to focus on the present moment and making the most out of the rest of the season.”
How he feels after reaching top speed several times in the second half: “I’m feeling great. Yeah, I’ve been training full on this past week, week and a half. I’ve been feeling great. I’m glad to be in good form heading into the playoffs.”
On the upcoming away match at North Carolina FC: “I think we’re excited and we’re ready for that game. We know it’s like a Final basically. We can decide the season and we’ll prepare this week for it and we’ll be ready to go on Friday night.”
Joe Gallardo (1 goal)
General thoughts on the evening: “We went 1-0 down and I was on the bench. Thankfully, I was able to come on and help the team with the win. Sometimes games are going to get difficult, but if we keep pushing and believing in ourselves, I feel like we’re the best team in the league.”
On scoring his first goal inside Werner Park: “It was a great feeling, coming off the bench and being able to make that kind of an impact in the game.”
On being a versatile player within the club this season: “It feels great. Just being able to come on and help my team. Sometimes I’m not going to start every game, but as long as I can come in and make an impact in the game, that’s all that matters.”
On his goal: “I received the ball and I was looking around to see if there was anyone open and I just decided to make some space for myself and just take a shot.”
On staying focused during the historic streak: “I feel like every game the boys show that they want it more than anything and I feel like that’s what’s getting us wins.”
On the upcoming road trip to play North Carolina FC: “We just have to take game by game. We’re going to concentrate on winning the next game. I feel like every game we play, we just focus on who’s next. We’ve been there before and we can do it again.”
Random Facts
Union Omaha extended the USL League One consecutive wins record to 10 matches.
The Owls preserved an ongoing club record of 10 straight undefeated home matches.
The win also extends an ongoing club record of 9 straight wins at home.
The Owls also have ongoing club records in goals scored at home (34) and points earned at home (33).
Union Omaha currently holds the club record for most points earned in a single season and are a point away from surpassing the all-time point accumulation record of 56 points in a single season. North Texas SC earned 56 points in 2019 during their 28-match regular season.
With the win, the Owls have swept Central Valley in the regular season series, winning each of the three matches they’ve played this season.
The victory extends Union Omaha’s lead in regular season matchups against Central Valley Fuego. In six matches all time, the Owls have now won five of those matchups.
In the all-time series against Central Valley Fuego, Union Omaha has never conceded a first half goal to the Fuego.
Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a single match.
Match Summary
Attendance: 3,442
Goal Summary: 56’: CV – #14 Zahhir Vazquez (unassisted) 77’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza (assisted by #9 Pedro Dolabella) 90’+3: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo (assisted by #26 Dion Acoff)
Substitution Summary: 50’: CV – #7 Mouhamed Dabo replaces #27 Qudus Lawal 63’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga replaces #8 Joe Brito 63’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza replaces #20 Luis Gil 69’: CV – #3 Jesus Partida replaces #4 Razak Cromwell 76’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo replaces #28 Shaft Brewer Jr. 87’: CV – #5 Andrew Forth replaces #77 Billy Forbes 90’+4: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #9 Pedro Dolabella
Discipline Summary: 27’: CV – #77 Billy Forbes (Yellow card) 34’: OMA – #20 Luis Gil (Yellow card) 37’: CV – #10 José Carrera-Garcia (Yellow card) 73’: CV – #11 Alexis Cerritos (Yellow card) 81’: OMA – #26 Dion Acoff (Yellow card)
Union Omaha recommitted to the Tuesday tradition, announcing the signing of center back Ethan Dudley to the roster.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ethan Dudley would go on to play high school soccer in St. Johns, Florida, which is about a 20-minute drive south of Jacksonville. During his time at Bartram Trail High School, Ethan received plenty of attention, even being named as a three-time All Conference selection and First Team All-State. When he signed his collegiate letter of intent, he committed to Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Fort Myers, Florida.
While at FGCU, Dudley wasted little time in making an impact with the team. Even as a freshman, Dudley appeared in 11 games, starting in 5 of them, and helped his team earn 5 shutouts throughout the season, finishing with the fewest goals in conference play. At the end of his freshman season, he had already gained enough attention to be named to the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) All-Freshman team. Those accolades didn’t stop, either. By the end of his Junior year, he had been named to even more lists, including ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, ASUN First Team, ASUN All-Tournament Team, ASUN All-Academic, Academic All-American, and Team Co-MVP. Upon his graduation, Dudley decided to transfer to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, to continue his athletic and academic ventures.
Dudley played a single season with the Wildcats and while the team collected their fewest wins since 2001, he was successful in making a name for himself. He was the only player to start all 17 matches in 2022 and even led the team with 4 goals. His biggest individual highlight was probably the converted penalty kick against Michigan State that would send the Wildcats to the Big Ten Tournament. Even as a Graduate Transfer, he was awarded the captains armband in his lone season with Northwestern. After he finished playing at Northwestern, Dudley signed a contract with Major League Soccer’s Charlotte FC, where he made three appearances with the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Crown Legacy FC.
His time with Crown Legacy wasn’t his only introduction to professional soccer, though. For two seasons during his collegiate career, he spent time with Armada FC, a professional soccer club based in Jacksonville who plays in the National Premier Soccer League. Dudley spent time with the U-23 and was a notable leader with the squad.
Now that his signing with Union Omaha is official, the 6’4” central defender can help the Owls as they make the final push toward the end of the regular season and carry that momentum into the playoffs, for which they have qualified after defeating Chattanooga Red Wolves last weekend. In the club’s press release, both Head Coach Dominic Casciato and General Manager Peter Marlette expressed their excitement for the signing.
“Ethan is a talented young center-back with a high ceiling,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “He’s got good size and technical ability and impressed us with his team-first mentality during a recent trial. We are excited to add him to the group as we look to maintain our good form through these last five games of the regular season and into the playoffs.”
“I’m really happy we were able to work out a deal with Ethan,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said. “He’s a quality player who fits the profile we were looking for, and I’m confident he’ll help us as we make our push towards a league title.”
Dudley even submitted a quote for the press release. “I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization and push towards a championship to finish out the 2023 season,” Dudley said.
Union Omaha’s next match is this Saturday, as the Owls welcome Central Valley Fuego to town. The promotional theme that night is Oktoberfest, so make sure you arrive early to Werner Park to partake in the festive tailgates and themed merchandise, including an authentic stein. The parking lot opens at 4PM, gates open at 6PM, and kickoff is scheduled for 7PM.
Thanks to three goals in the first half, the Owls were able to leave Chattanooga with three points and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Even despite giving up a late goal in the second half, Union Omaha remained victorious with a final score of 3-2 over the Red Wolves.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Union Omaha jumped off to an early lead when Steevan Dos Santos scored in the 18th minute. Midfielder Luis Gil forced a turnover off of a Chattanooga throw in and the Owls were off to the races. With a few quality passes, Joe Brito was suddenly open for a shot on goal and Chattanooga goalkeeper Carlos Avilez was sent low to block the shot. The resulting rebound left the ball sitting inside the box and Steevan Dos Santos was there to earn his eighth goal of the season.
Less than 20 minutes later, the Owls would strike again. Conor Doyle lined up for a corner kick and delivered a low service toward team captain JP Scearce, who was sitting at the top of the goal area. No descriptors can fully convey the beautiful backheel pass that Scearce would deliver to Marco Milanese. Scearce’s exceptional touch on the ball, while incredibly difficult, set up Marco Milanese for his first goal with the club.
Chattanooga tried to make things interesting, scoring a goal off a direct kick in the 39th minute, but Union Omaha would add more space to the scoreline just before the halftime whistle. In first half stoppage time, the Owls were able to pounce on another loose ball and jump-started their counterattack immediately. Dion Acoff was able to find Pedro Dolabella, who dribbled the ball well into Red Wolves territory and led Luis Gil into the penalty area. With a one-touch pass to the back door, Brito was there to find the back of the net and extend the lead. Brito scored his fourth goal and Gil earned his seventh assist of the season.
In second-half stoppage time, the Red Wolves cut the lead to one goal and that’s as close as they would get to a result. The victory gave Union Omaha three points, allowing them to jump to second place in the league. By virtue of the victory, the Owls also stamped their ticket to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Union Omaha returns home on Saturday, September 23rd for their last weekend home match of the regular season. On Saturday evening, the Owls will host last-place Central Valley Fuego and look to sweep the visitors in their regular season series.
Postmatch Quotes
(All quotes come from the club’s recap)
Head Coach Dominic Casciato
“Really pleasing to get another win tonight. Chattanooga is a tough place to come,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “They’re a team that never gives up and the crowd can be pretty hostile, and it was difficult to come and pick up points, so pleased for the guys to get the win. I thought we played some really good stuff at times, as well. Disappointing to give away the two goals that we did, and I think the good thing for us is there’s definitely a lot of room for us to grow and to keep getting better, and that’s what we’ll work on doing now as we look forward to Fuego next Saturday.”
Team Captain JP Scearce
“Feels very good to get the win tonight and to clinch playoffs for the fourth consecutive year,” Scearce said. “This is a club that has known nothing but success, and I’m very proud of how we have that success going this season. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going and finish the regular season strong so we can secure home field advantage for the playoffs.”
Marco Milanese (1 goal)
“Another big performance by the team,” Milanese said. “Winning on the road is never easy in this league. We are very happy to have clinched the playoff spot, but our focus stays on trying to end on top, so we can host a semifinal at home. I’m very happy and proud of myself for the first goal, but the touch by JP was unreal. Overall, we’re very happy and can’t wait to play back at home next week.”
Random Facts
Union Omaha extended the USL League One consecutive wins record to 9 matches.
The Owls have tied a club record for most consecutive wins on the road. With three straight wins, they have achieved something only the 2022 Union Omaha roster could.
Union Omaha has also broken a club record for most points earned in a single season with 52 through 27 matches. The 2021 Union Omaha roster held the previous record with 51 points through 28 regular season matches.
The victory extends Union Omaha’s lead in regular season matchups against the Red Wolves. The Owls now have four wins, three draws, and two losses during the regular season against Chattanooga. Even with last season’s playoff loss included, the Owls still hold the lead all-time with four wins, three draws, and three losses.
This year’s roster has reversed Union Omaha’s lack of results in Chattanooga. Leading up to the 2023 season, the Owls had only one win in three appearances, scoring only one goal. This season alone, the Owls have earned four points and scored six goals.
This is the 21st non-consecutive match in which the Owls have avoided trailing for a single minute throughout the entire match.
Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a single match.
The Owls remain undefeated when scoring first.
Union Omaha also continued their streak of remaining undefeated when leading at halftime.
This is the 9th match in which the team has scored 3+ goals, which is still an ongoing single season record for the club. Union Omaha also leads the league in this statistic
Marco Milanese became the 15th player to score a goal for Union Omaha this season, an ongoing club record. The previous record was held by last year’s squad, who had 12 players score a goal throughout the season.
Match Report
Attendance: 2,123
Availability Report: OMA: DF #3 Stefan Mueller (Out – Injury)
Goal Summary: 18’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (unassisted) 34’: OMA – #5 Marco Milanese (assisted by #17 JP Scearce) 39’: CHA – #98 Ryley Kraft (unassisted) 45’+2: OMA – #8 Joe Brito (assisted by #20 Luis Gil) 90’+1: CHA – #20 Ropapa Mensah (unassisted)
Substitution Summary: 63’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza replaces #9 Pedro Dolabella 65’: CHA – #99 Moe Espinoza replaces #29 Alex Tejera 75’: CHA – #9 Marios Lomis replaces #21 Jonathan Filipe 76’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo replaces #20 Luis Gil 76’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga replaces #8 Joe Brito 84’: CHA – #3 Jonny Guadarrama replaces #14 Pedro Hernandez
Discipline Summary: 38’: OMA – #5 Marco Milanese (Yellow card) 45’+1: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (Yellow card) 45’+4: CHA – #98 Ryley Kraft (Yellow card) 56’: OMA – #17 JP Scearce (Yellow card) 58’: CHA – #23 Manuel Madrid (Straight red card) 78’: CHA – #14 Pedro Hernandez (Yellow card)
Union Omaha extended their ongoing league record of consecutive wins, defeating the Richmond Kickers 2-1 in front of a season-high crown of 4,046 at Werner Park on Saturday night.
Photo courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
The first half was a busy and contentious one, especially for Union Omaha’s left side personnel. Marco Milanese, Joe Brito, and Luis Gil were kept busy for vast portions of the first half as the Kickers looked to take control of the flank. The visitors were held at bay, especially given the help that Conor Doyle and team captain JP Scearce were able to provide. The Owls had opportunities of their own in the match, especially in the 31st minute, but ultimately the two sides would go into the halftime break scoreless.
Once the teams returned to the field and the second half started, the Owls capitalized soon after the restart. In the 58th minute, Conor Doyle sent a tantalizing corner into the box. As the ball floated into play, it seemed destined to find one head in the crowd and midfielder Pedro Dolabella finished the set piece with a powerful header into the ground and past the keeper. Dolabella added his fifth goal to the season, scoring all five goals in the last eight matches. Doyle’s assist was his sixth of the season, tying his single-season assist record while playing with Union Omaha. The last time he had six assists in a single season was back in 2021.
Union Omaha doubled their lead in the 82nd minute after a streaking Shaft Brewer Jr. found Noe Meza invading Richmond’s box. After feeding the ball to Meza, there were few options available, but credit goes to Meza for picking his head up, finding an open Luis Gil inside the box, and laying off a pass that was easy to handle. Gil took one touch before curling the ball just inside the near post for a beautiful opening to his scoring campaign. With the goal, Meza earned his second assist of the season, as well.
Richmond would get a goal in second-half stoppage time, thanks to an unfortunate own goal from Union Omaha’s Shaft Brewer Jr., but that was as close as the scoreline would get before the final whistle ended the match. By virtue of the win, and three points, Union Omaha kept pace with table-topping North Carolina FC. Next week, the Owls travel to Chattanooga to battle the Red Wolves in The Den. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30PM CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The next home match for Union Omaha will be on Saturday, September 23rd as the Owls take on Central Valley Fuego. The promotional theme that night is Oktoberfest, so don’t forget to take advantage of the fun deals and merchandise offered by the club, as well as the fan get-togethers before the match.
Postmatch Quotes (from the club’s recap)
Head Coach Dominic Casciato “Good win tonight,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “We’re really pleased for the guys. I think first half, it took us a little while to get going, but in the second half, we started to play some good stuff and got awarded with two goals, so really pleased for the guys to win again.”
Pedro Dolabella (1 goal) “Happy to score another goal and help our team to keep the streak going,” Dolabella said. “We talked in the locker room that our streak was not going to end tonight, and we keep going for another week. We’re one step closer to our goals, but we know we haven’t achieved anything, so this week, we’re going to work even harder to focus on Chattanooga next weekend.”
Luis Gil (1 goal) “I’m just fortunate that we’ve been able to get wins,” Gil said. “It’s been a grind for us, but, you know, we keep putting in the work. So that’s the most important part is just getting the win at the end of the day.”
Random Facts
Union Omaha extended the USL League One consecutive wins record to 8 matches.
The Owls broke a club record for going undefeated in 9 consecutive home matches.
The Union Omaha victory evens the all-time series against Richmond with each club winning 3 matches, drawing 3 matches, and losing 3 matches.
This is the 20th non-consecutive match in which the Owls have avoided trailing for a single minute throughout the entire match.
Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a single match.
The Owls remain undefeated when scoring first.
This victory is also an addition to an ongoing single season club record for Union Omaha, winning their eighth straight home match. The previous record belonged to the 2022 team, who had four straight wins at home.
Union Omaha has now scored 32 goals at home, which is an ongoing regular season record for the club. The previous record was set by the 2021 roster, who scored 23 goals at home. Those 32 goals at home is also the most by any club in the league this season.
The victory gives the Owls 30 points earned at home, the most in club history.
Union Omaha is only one win away from breaking a club record for total points earned in a single season. The 2021 season ended with the Owls earning 51 points.
Goal Summary: 58’: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (assisted by #22 Conor Doyle) 82’: OMA – #20 Luis Gil (assisted by #7 Noe Meza) 90’+2: RIC – Own goal by OMA’s #28 Shaft Brewer Jr.
Substitution Summary: 63’: OMA – #70 Lagos Kunga replaces #8 Joe Brito 63’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza replaces #11 Joe Gallardo 81’: OMA – #26 Dion Acoff replaces #5 Marco Milanese 81’: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #10 Steevan Dos Santos 83’: RIC – #37 Nicholas Simmonds replaces #9 Matt Bentley 83’: RIC – #3 Chris Cole replaces #24 Nathan Aune 83’: RIC – #17 Ryan Sierakowski replaces #19 Justin Sukow 83’: RIC – #16 Jake Mecham replaces #8 João Gomiero 83’: RIC – #34 Beckett Howell replaces #27 Chandler O’Dwyer 90’: OMA – #12 Eddie Gordon replaces #20 Luis Gil
Discipline Summary: 21’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (Yellow card) 40’: RIC – #6 Zaca Morán (Yellow card) 45’+3: RIC – #8 João Gomiero (Yellow card) 90’+4: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (Yellow card)
In the much-anticipated matchup, North Carolina FC brought their top-ranked team and high-powered offense to face off against a streaking Union Omaha. Table positions and history was on the line, as the Owls looked to become the first team since League One’s inception to win seven straight matches.
North Carolina FC was awarded the opening kickoff and set the tone early with four shots and one corner within the first six minutes of the match. In most of the previous matches, the opposition looked to settle into the match with possession and observing Union Omaha’s defensive shifts with each pass, but North Carolina had other ideas. Despite the early pressure, Union Omaha broke the deadlock moments later, capitalizing on a set piece opportunity.
In the ninth minute of play, Union Omaha was awarded a direct kick along the right flank. Defender Marco Milanese stood over the ball as players jostled for position inside North Carolina’s penalty area. His curling delivery led the advancing Union Omaha attackers perfectly and hung in the air just outside the goal area. Midfielder Pedro Dolabella cut his run inside, creating enough space to find himself in the path of the service and head the ball past the goalkeeper. The early lead gave Dolabella his fourth goal and Milanese his second assist of the season. Despite North Carolina equalizing within the next two minutes, Union Omaha would strike again to take the lead.
Just before the halftime whistle, midfielder Joe Brito jumped a loose ball in the box to score his third goal of the season. After defender Dion Acoff was fed a thru-ball down the right sideline from Steevan Dos Santos, Acoff took a couple of touches before sending a pass to the top of the goal area in North Carolina’s box. Pedro Dolabella was able to get a touch on the ball and served it on a platter for an incoming Brito to finish. With the simple touch, Dolabella earned his third assist of the season and the Owls entered halftime with the one-goal lead.
Union Omaha doubled their lead soon after the break, as Steevan Dos Santos notched his seventh goal of the season. As the Owls continued applying heavy pressure in the midfield and disrupting North Carolina’s progress through interceptions and winning duels, Joe Gallardo picked up a loose ball and immediately countered with a long pass up top to Dos Santos. After one touch toward the North Carolina box, Dos Santos was able to evade the goalkeeper with a coolly-placed shot and injected more confidence into the home side.
75’ – 𝗢𝗪𝗟𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟! | 4-1
He’s baaaaack… 😏
Noe Meza wastes NO TIME getting his scoring boots back on, notching a goal less than three minutes after making his return from injury!#OMAvNC | XCancer pic.twitter.com/iZosBgUONH
After missing nearly a month of play with a nagging injury, Union Omaha forward Noe Meza picked up right where he left off, scoring a goal three minutes after returning to the field. Joe Brito combined well with Luis Gil in the midfield before Gil placed a perfectly leading pass to Meza, putting him on the fast track toward the North Carolina goal. The pass to Meza was so good that he didn’t even have to take a single touch before putting the ball in the back of the net. The goal was Meza’s tenth goal and Gil’s sixth assist of the season.
Union Omaha fans were drawn to the edge of their seats as North Carolina FC scored two goals late in the match, but that’s as close as they would get to a result on the evening. The victory and three points lifted Union Omaha to within one point of first-placed North Carolina in the USL League One standings. The two clubs meet again in Cary, North Carolina on Friday, September 29th.
Union Omaha’s next match is Saturday, September 9th at Werner Park, when the 2022 USL League One Regular Season Champions Richmond Kickers pay a visit. The promotional theme of the night is Hometown Heroes Night, presented by Woodmen Life. Kickoff is scheduled for 7PM CT and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
Postmatch Quotes
Head Coach Dominic Casciato
Takeaways from the match: “Yeah, great achievement for the guys. Look, we’ve spoken about not getting too carried away. A lot of people on the outside are talking about winning seven games straight and being a league record and everything else. For us, I think our feet are firmly on the ground. We remember not so long ago we didn’t win in seven games. For us, it’s about keeping things in balance, keeping things in perspective and just continuing to take it one game at a time.”
On having four different goal scorers in this match and versatility throughout the roster: “Yeah, I think it shows that we’re not reliant on one guy. I had to chuckle earlier in the season when we were tying a lot of games, somebody said that we were a one-man team and Noe Meza was the only one that could do anything for us. That’s never been the case. I think we proved that when Noe was out injured. Everybody stepped up. We won six games straight without him. I think the guys took that personally. We have a lot of good players, so anybody can step up at any given time. Like I said, everybody’s responsible for the success of this team, and that’ll be the way from now until the end of the season.”
On having Noe back on the field: “Yeah, Noe does what Noe does. It’s good for us to have him back. He’s obviously a great player, but we’ve got a whole team of great players and as I said, everybody contributes to the team and I’m just happy to have him back.”
On the late-game defensive performance: “Yeah, I think later in the game, we maybe struggled to get pressure on the ball in the wide areas and that caused us to maybe take in a little bit more pressure than we wanted to. It’s something me and the staff will look at and we’ll address going into Saturday’s game for sure.”
On the tactics that allowed wingback Dion Acoff to be wide open along the flank so frequently: “We realized a certain area that we could attack and that wasn’t the only thing we thought we could get after him. We identify a few areas in every game and, thankfully, it worked tonight.”
Availability report on goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu: “Yeah, Rashid is not too bad. He should be back in the fold pretty soon, but Ian’s [McGrane] doing a great job in Rashid’s absence, so I’m super happy and proud of Ian’s performances, so far.”
On if fans can expect to see new-signing Lagos Kunga take the field on Saturday vs Richmond: “Potentially. We have to see how everybody recovers after tonight, but there’s a chance, yes.”
On Saturday’s home match against Richmond: “Richmond are a good side. I think the table can be deceiving at times. They’ve got a lot of good players. I think they’re well coached, they’re well organized. When they came here last time, it was a tough game for us. Richmond are good, but we’re in a good moment and we’re a top side ourselves. We go into it with every confidence, trying to get three points again.”
Team Captain JP Scearce
Thoughts on winning and breaking the league record for consecutive wins: “Yeah, it’s very special. Very special day for the team and for the club before this game. Obviously, it was a big game with a lot of implications, but we all said that regardless of the league record at stake or top of the table clash, we’re trying to catch up to NCFC. We just want to focus on the match, the 90 minutes and try to get three points, but at the end of the day, obviously we’re all very happy to have accomplished the league record.”
On keeping calm after North Carolina’s immediate response to the first goal: “Yeah, first of all, it was very important to get our first goal. I think it sets us up for the rest of the game. I think the goal they scored was obviously a little bit controversial – got fouled, and for some reason they played advantage, but we all came together during the water break and said, I mean, can’t change anything, so might as well just go for it. It’s also very important to get the second goal before the end of the first half. I think that determination just to whenever we face adversity when things don’t go our way, just that determination to put it aside and just keep going has been very good for us.”
On dispelling criticism’s that Union Omaha was a “one-man club” with Noe Meza scoring all of the goals: “Yeah, obviously Noe is the top player for us and our goal scorer, but I think most of the results have been a group effort and there’s been a lot of guys, a lot of different guys on the squad who have scored. Guys who have come off the bench and made an impact and scored. At the end of the day, it’s a group effort and we all know that there’s not one player that’s bigger than the team.”
On balancing his role as a defensive stalwart and offensive facilitator against North Carolina’s high-quality midfield: “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s just the way I play. It’s just instinct. I like to play on both sides of the ball. Obviously I like to get in the tag score and assist, but I also pride myself in playing defense and try to keep clean sheets, but yeah, it’s just the way I play.”
On the team’s performance in the last 20 minutes: “Yeah, I think obviously we’re happy we won, but for me I’m a little frustrated with the way the game ended. I think we had the game killed off. The second goal was a very good goal. Maybe we could have gotten pressure on it, but credit to them, to their player for scoring a great goal. Obviously that third goal was kind of disappointing. I don’t know. I feel like we may have gone a little bit too defensive. We switched to five at the back and I think we’re fine playing the way the formation we started with, but yeah, we just have to get better at closing games off.”
On Saturday’s home match against Richmond: “Yeah, obviously it’s an important game. Richmond is always a tough team. They have good players and we just have to enjoy this game tonight and tomorrow we start focusing on Richmond and see how we go against them.”
Midfielder Pedro Dolabella (1 goal, 1 assist)
On Marco Milanese’s service into the box for his goal: “We work a lot on our set pieces with Coach Kevin and we take it very seriously in training. I was glad I was able to connect with the brilliant pass from Marco in the right place, right time, and it comes with practice. I was happy to help the team with the goal.”
On the team’s response to North Carolina’s goal in the first half: “It was very important, especially because we knew they responded so quickly, but we kept calm because we knew we weren’t playing bad. We knew at our home they would have to respond to us, to our game. We’ve been very deadly lately. So many players are able to score and we have a lot of weapons and it was a great mentality from the team to be able to get a goal before the half.”
On contributing goals and assists for the team: “In our team, we’re very united so we don’t have vanity. It doesn’t really matter who scores at the end of the day because we’ve been to the lowest point of the season and we don’t want to be there again. If somebody’s in a better spot, they’re gladly able to pass the ball to them and get the glory. Even without Noe [Meza] the last few games, being the top scorer of the team in history, we’ve been able to get results and I’m very happy for him to score in his first game back. He got the goal, so I’m happy for the whole team to get this win, definitely.”
On finding space within North Carolina’s crowded midfield: “Dom [Casciato] always tells us to be in between the lines of the center back and the midfielder on their blind spot and be able to show up as soon as we know they’re not looking. I’m very comfortable in that position because I like to be close to the goal. And with Stephen up top, it gives me a lot of support because I can combine with him and can get closer to the goal. We speak the same language, me and Steven. We speak Portuguese and he’s one of my best friends on the team, so I like to combine and play in the role behind him. I’m very comfortable there. I want to hopefully contribute with more goals and assist until the end of the season.”
On the team’s chemistry, anticipating each other’s movement: “We know each other’s characteristics so well. We know Dion [Acoff] and Shaft [Brewer Jr.] are probably among the fastest players in the league and we know they’re able to beat their defenders every time we get the ball. In the second goal, when the ball was played to Dion, I knew he was going to beat his defender and Conor [Doyle] was able to slip the ball and Steevan [Dos Santos] had a great ball to Dion and I knew he was going to get to the end of the line and we got to believe in our teammates. I was glad to be able to get the run at the first post and the ball was cleaned for Joe. I’m so happy for Joe to get the goal and I think it helps with everybody’s confidence. Everybody was able to contribute directly in the game today.”
On breaking the league record: “Obviously it’s a great feeling. There’s nothing better than getting the job done at the end of the game, but we know that it’s a great statistic. We want the trophies where it consolidates the whole season. Obviously great to be part of it and we want to go for it on Saturday.”
On how he spent his bye week: “I was able to go and visit my friend Illal Osumanu (Union Omaha defender from 2020-2021), which he’s one of my best friends in the whole world because we went to college together. It was very good for my heart and my mind to see close friends every time I get the chance. I think the best moment for me was being able to see him over there and seeing him doing well at Pittsburgh.”
On Saturday’s home match against Richmond: “Richmond has a good team. When we went there, it was a very tough game. Here, with men down, we were able to turn them around and we know they want to come here with everything they got, so we treat every opponent the same. We’re going to prepare well during these two days, get some rest, and do everything we can to be ready. We take every game very seriously, so hopefully we get the three points again.”
Random Facts
As referenced throughout the recap, Union Omaha broke the USL League One record with seven consecutive regular season wins. The previous record belonged to the 2019 Lansing Ignite team, who won six straight regular season wins.
Union Omaha improved their all-time record against North Carolina FC to 4 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss. There’s only one team among the USL League One clubs that the Owls have won more matches against and that’s Tormenta FC. Union Omaha has 6 wins against the Tormenta FC club (and still hasn’t lost a single match to them all-time).
This is the 19th non-consecutive match in which the Owls have avoided trailing for a single minute throughout the entire match.
Union Omaha is still undefeated when scoring 2+ goals in a single match.
The Owls also remain undefeated when scoring first.
Union Omaha remains undefeated when leading at halftime.
This is the 8th match in which the team has scored 3+ goals, which is still an ongoing single season record for the club.
This victory is also an addition to an ongoing single season club record for Union Omaha, winning their seventh straight home match. The previous record belonged to the 2022 team, who had four straight wins at home.
The home win matched the club’s home undefeated streak record. In 2021, 2022, and now 2023, Union Omaha has gone undefeated through eight matches. Saturday’s match against Richmond could break that record.
Union Omaha has now scored 30 goals at home, which is an ongoing regular season record for the club. The previous record was set by the 2021 roster, who scored 23 goals at home. Those 30 goals at home is also the most by any club in the league this season.
This victory at home breaks the previous record for points earned at home in a single season. The 2023 Owls have earned 27 points at home, surpassing the previous record of 25 points held by the 2021 squad.
Union Omaha now has 46 points on the season, which is only 5 points shy of the club’s single-season point record, which was collected throughout the 2021 season.
Goal Summary: 9’: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (assisted by #5 Marco Milanese) 11’: NC – #19 Garrett McLaughlin (assisted by #9 Oalex Anderson) 45’+2: OMA – #8 Joe Brito (assisted by #9 Pedro Dolabella) 59’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (assisted by #11 Joe Gallardo) 75’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza (assisted by #20 Luis Gil) 85’: NC – #14 Rafa Mentzingen (assisted by #10 Jaden Servania) 90’+4: NC – #88 Preston Popp (assisted by #3 Nelson Blanco Flores)
Substitution Summary:
71’: NC – #14 Rafa Mentzingen replaces #7 Luis Arriaga 72’: OMA – #20 Luis Gil replaces #9 Pedro Dolabella 72’: OMA – #7 Noe Meza replaces #11 Joe Gallardo 78’: NC – #4 Luke Croll replaces #24 David Garcia 78’: NC – #22 Max Flick replaces #13 Louis Pérez 78’: NC – #88 Preston Popp replaces #19 Garrett McLaughlin 78’: NC – #99 Nathan Ntalu replaces #9 Oalex Anderson 82’: OMA – #13 Anderson Holt replaces #26 Dion Acoff 82’: OMA – #12 Eddie Gordon replaces #8 Joe Brito 86’: OMA – #44 Alex Steinwascher replaces #10 Steevan Dos Santos
Discipline Summary:
12’: NC – #15 Mikey Maldonado (Yellow card) 15’: NC – #6 Gustavo Fernandes (Yellow card) 19’: OMA – #17 JP Scearce (Yellow card) 49’: NC – #7 Luis Arriaga (Yellow card) 54’: OMA – #28 Shaft Brewer Jr. (Yellow card) 69’: NC – #18 DJ Benton (Yellow card) 70’: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (Yellow card) 83’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos (Yellow card) 90’+3: NC – #4 Luke Croll (Yellow card)
Thursday is the new Tuesday for Union Omaha fans, as the club announced the signing of Lagos Kunga, who brings a wealth of experience, production, and hype with him to the locker room.
Born in Luanda, Angola, Kunga eventually moved to Clarkston, Georgia during his formative years and joined the Decatur-DeKalb Youth Soccer Club (DDYSC). At the age of 18, Kunga signed with Atlanta United on a Homegrown Player deal. Within the span of three years, he was featured in lineups with clubs like Atlanta United 2, Memphis 901 FC, and Phoenix Rising. During that same time frame, he collected 62 appearances and 7 goals. While making appearances in the MLS and USL, Kunga also represented the US Youth National Team at the U-14 level all of the way up to the U-20 level. This culminated in his inclusion to the US Youth National Team ahead of the U-20 World Cup in 2017, where he even scored a goal on the biggest stage for youth players..
The 5’8” 24-year-old left-footed winger is highly touted for his speed, change of pace, passion on the field, attacking instincts, willingness to help on defense, confidence in 1v1 situations, and finishing. This was all on full display earlier this year as he scored six goals for the Des Moines Menace in USL League Two and helped them reach the Central Conference Final.
Union Omaha’s press release included quotes from Head Coach Dominic Casciato, General Manager Peter Marlette, and from Lagos Kunga, as well.
“Lagos is a talented and hard-working player that will give us some extra quality in the final third going into the closing stages of the season,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “He’s got a team-first attitude and is an exciting player to watch, so I’m sure our fans will take to him quickly as we welcome him to the squad.”
“Lagos showed a ton of attacking ability in his USL2 matches this season with Des Moines,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said. “He comes in as an excellent reinforcement to help us push for a title this season and sets us up well for 2024.”
“Many thanks to the club for providing me this opportunity,” Kunga said. “I’m very excited to join such a wonderful club with a very good history in this league. Excited to meet everyone and the supporters, and I look forward to joining my teammates very soon and starting my campaign.”
Union Omaha fans will get their first chance to see Kunga play as the Owls welcome league-leading North Carolina FC to Werner Park on Wednesday, September 6th at 7PM CT. The promotional theme is $2 Night and Cancer Awareness Night, presented by XCancer. The club only has four home matches left in the regular season, so the final push for the playoffs is on. Make sure you don’t miss out on these last few chances to support the club, so head over to the club website to purchase those remaining tickets.
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For the first time since 2020, Union Omaha left Greenville, South Carolina with three points as the Owls scored on either side of the halftime break to secure a 2-1 victory over the Triumph. With that said, we can finally celebrate the Belt returning to Omaha!
Union Omaha entered Paladin Stadium on Saturday night looking to extend their ongoing win streak and keep pace with the top of the table. Greenville, meanwhile, was looking to preserve an active undefeated streak at home, lasting through their previous seven matches. Before kickoff, both teams had to tap into their roster depth, as notable players from both sides were excluded from the starting lineups for lingering injuries.
After the opening whistle, it didn’t take long for Union Omaha goalkeeper Ian McGrane to be called into action. In the second minute of play, the Triumph were already unleashing their first shot on goal. McGrane was calm and composed as he collected the threat and turned the possession the other direction. That same presence of mind helped the Owls take the lead before halftime.
In the 31st minute, Union Omaha midfielder Joe Gallardo combined well with defender Dion Acoff for the give-and-go that sent Gallardo on a direct path towards Greenville’s goal line. Once Acoff returned the ball to Gallardo, the ball was immediately lobbed into the box. Pedro Dolabella was the first in line to connect with the ball, but opted to let it run to the next option – midfield maestro Joe Brito. With two teammates pulling defenders closer to the goal, Brito stood alone near the penalty spot and one-touched the ball across his body into the side netting. While the goal looked easy, it was anything but that. The goal was Brito’s second goal of the year and Gallardo’s third assist.
Though the halftime lead only showed one goal separating the two sides, there was unprecedented action on the field. In all of the previous matchups in the series against Greenville, the Triumph managed to attempt between 8 and 13 shots in an entire match. In last night’s first half alone, the hosts had 10 shots against the Owls. The visitors had their own measure of success in the first half, attempting all but two of their shots inside Greenville’s penalty area. That point-blank pressure would help the Owls double the lead in the second half.
Union Omaha was awarded a set piece opportunity just outside of Greenville’s box and Gallardo lined up to take the kick. The 62nd-minute shot ricocheted off the four-man wall, but conveniently fell into the path of defender Alexis Souahy, who headed the ball toward the goal. What looked to be a sure goal quickly rebounded off the crossbar and, in another stroke of luck, the ball found its way to Union Omaha forward Steevan Dos Santos, who left the ground to side volley the ball into the ground en route to the goal. Greenville goalkeeper Jared Mazzola wasn’t able to get low quick enough and the Owls collected their insurance policy, which came in handy before the final whistle. The goal from Dos Santos was his sixth of the season, placing him in a tie for second place among Union Omaha goal scorers.
In the dying moments of the match, Greenville was able to pull one back, but that’s as close as the home side would get. After four straight draws between the two clubs, a winner was finally declared at the sound of the final whistle.
With the win, Union Omaha collected three points to pull within a single point of league leaders North Carolina FC. The win streak extended to six matches, tying a USL League One record initially recorded by Lansing Ignite in 2019. In order to break the record, the Owls will have to do so with a win against the aforementioned league leaders when they come to Werner Park on Wednesday, September 6th. The promotional theme that night is Cancer Awareness Night, presented by XCancer.
Random Facts
This is the sixth straight victory for Union Omaha and extends the ongoing club record.
In the same six-straight collection of victories, the Owls have never played from a losing position. The club hasn’t played from a losing position since their away match at Lexington on July 22nd.
The victory also keeps Union Omaha undefeated against the Triumph when playing in Greenville.
With the pair of goals in tonight’s victory, the Owls matched last season’s goal count of 14 goals on the road. The club record for away goals stands at 21, which happened in 2021.
Last night’s victory also matches last season’s total points collected from away matches (19). The club record was set by the 2021 squad, when they earned 26 points on the road.
With eight matches remaining, this year’s Union Omaha squad also matched last year’s squad in total points earned (43). The club record also comes from the 2021 squad, as they collected 51 points en route to the Championship.
Union Omaha remains undefeated when leading at halftime.
The club also remains undefeated when scoring first.
The Owls also remain undefeated in matches where they score 2 or more goals.
When counting the goals scored by Union Omaha in all of the regular season matchups against Greenville leading up to this season, the Owls scored four goals across six matches. This season alone, Union Omaha has scored six goals across three matches.
Team Captain JP Scearce earned his 100th appearance with the club, the first player in club history to do so.
Match Summary
Attendance: 1,735
Availability Report: GVL: GK #99 Jared Mazzola (Questionable – injury) GVL: DF #3 Tyler Polak (Out – injury) GVL: DF #4 Jamie Smith (Probable – injury) OMA: FW #7 Noe Meza (Questionable – injury) OMA: DF #3 Stefan Mueller (Out – injury)
Goal Summary: 31’: OMA – #8 Joe Brito (assisted by #11 Joe Gallardo) 62’: OMA – #10 Steevan Dos Santos 90’+1: GVL – #18 Jacob Labovitz (assisted by #12 Evan Lee)
Substitution Summary: 45’: GVL – #18 Jacob Labovitz replaces #13 Noah Franke 45’: GVL – #11 Devin Boyce replaces #9 Lyam MacKinnon 60’: OMA – #20 Luis Gil replaces #8 Joe Brito 64’: GVL – #24 Tevin Shaw replaces #10 Lucas Coutinho 71’: OMA – #13 Anderson Holt replaces #11 Joe Gallardo 71’: OMA – #44 Alex Steinwascher replaces #26 Dion Acoff 83’: GVL – #14 Hassan Gabo replaces #22 Nate Shultz 87’: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #10 Steevan Dos Santos
Discipline Summary: 1’: OMA – #22 Conor Doyle (Yellow card) 5’: OMA – #8 Joe Brito (Yellow card) 47’: GVL – #22 Nate Shultz (Yellow card) 53’: OMA – #25 Ian McGrane (Yellow card) 66’: GVL – #24 Tevin Shaw (Yellow card) 69’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo (Yellow card) 78’: GVL – #18 Jacob Labovitz (Yellow card) 90’+7: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis (Yellow card)
The elements of a hot, muggy night at Werner Park were quickly forgotten as the Owls struck early and never looked back, winning 2-1 against the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Above image courtesy of Union Omaha Twitter: @Union_Omaha
Despite the elements, all 3,356 fans filed into Werner Park for Hispanic Heritage Night as the Owls took on the Chattanooga Red Wolves. Reports had field-side temperatures as high as 108℉ and the idea of having two hydration breaks per half were discussed, but ultimately nixed by league management. With the stage set and clubs lined up, it was time to settle the contest with a valuable three points on the line.
Chattanooga opened the match with the kickoff, looking to expose Union Omaha’s backline immediately, but it was easily thwarted. The Red Wolves wouldn’t have their first shot of the match until the fifth minute of play, which went well wide of the goal and never gave Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu cause for concern. On the other end of the field, the Owls experienced much more success early in the match.
In the 10th minute, Union Omaha midfielder Joe Brito combined well with Luis Gil to exchange a couple of passes, evading multiple Chattanooga defenders. As more players arrived to stop Gil, he threaded a pass to forward Alex Steinwascher, waiting at the penalty spot for a one-touch shot to the back of the net. In his second start of the season, Steinwascher took advantage of the opportunity and scored his second goal of the season. The assist was Gil’s fifth of the season, tying him with Conor Doyle for club assist leader.
10' – 𝗢𝗪𝗟𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟! | 1-0
STEINYYYY! 🤩@steiny_12 marks his second start of the season with a bang, wasting no time to poke one in and open the scoring! #NCOvOMA | Supermercado pic.twitter.com/XlEuCIYT5m
The rest of the half was all Union Omaha. By the time the halftime whistle was blown, the Owls had amassed nine shots, six of which were inside the box. For 30 minutes, the Union Omaha defense prevented Chattanooga from taking a single shot. The Red Wolves only had one shot on goal, which came in first half stoppage time. Overall, it looked like a comfortable half for the Owls as they made their way to the locker room at the break.
Any comfort that Union Omaha felt at halftime was quickly abated as the second half began. Chattanooga applied early offensive pressure, resulting in two shots on goal within the first seven minutes of the half. Rashid Nuhu was called upon several times in the second half, working hard to preserve a possible seventh clean sheet. Some of that pressure was relieved as the Owls doubled their lead partway through the second half.
After recovering from his recent injury and taking the field for the second time this season, defender Eddie Gordon made an immediate impact on the match. Mere seconds after being subbed on in the 65th minute, Gordon made his way up the field during a counterattack. Midfielder Pedro Dolabella capitalized on an interception and immediately fed the ball up to Joe Brito, who led a wide-open Gordon on the right side of the field. As Gordon approached the goal line, he fed a low cross back into the box and Chattanooga defender Aarón Lombardi sent the ball into his own net. While the own goal was awarded to Lombardi, fans were still jubilant for Gordon and the rest of the Owls as they inched their way closer to another victory at home.
That previously-mentioned possible seventh clean sheet for Nuhu was erased in second half stoppage time, as Chattanooga was awarded, and scored, a penalty kick. Though the Red Wolves looked to even up the scoreline, the evening would end with a 2-1 victory for the Owls.
Union Omaha’s win was their fifth straight league victory and sixth straight victory at home. The victory and three points kept the Owls in second place. In Week 24, Union Omaha pays a visit to the Greenville Triumph on Saturday, August 26th. The next home match for Union Omaha will be on Wednesday, September 6th when current league leader North Carolina FC comes to Werner Park for Cancer Awareness Night, presented by XCancer.
Random Facts
Union Omaha continues to make club history, winning their fifth straight league match and sixth straight match at home.
Union Omaha is one home result shy of matching the club’s home undefeated streak record. The 2021 and 2022 editions of Union Omaha both had home undefeated streaks lasting eight matches. The 2023 Union Omaha squad currently sits at seven straight matches.
The 2023 Owls have scored more goals at home than any previous season, collecting 26 goals so far this season. They eclipsed the 2021 Owls, who scored 23 goals at home.
With the win, Union Omaha matched last year’s team by collecting a total of 24 points at home. The 2021 Owls hold the current record with 25 points earned at home, so that’s a record to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Union Omaha remains undefeated at home against Chattanooga Red Wolves. The visitors have only earned two points in four total visits to Werner Park all time.
Union Omaha remains the leading scorers at home with 26 goals. The next closest club is Charlotte Independence with 21 goals scored at home.
Union Omaha forward Alex Steinwascher is the only player for both clubs in the all-time series against Chattanooga to collect more than one goal. His goal last night was his second goal all-time against the Red Wolves. His first goal was scored in the Week 10 match.
Postmatch Quotes
Head Coach Dominic Casciato: General thoughts on the evening: “Good [win]. Difficult game. I think Chattanooga came in with a good game plan. Obviously conditions made it super difficult. It’s really, really hot and really, really humid, but guys stepped up and executed our game plan really well. Good to get the second goal when we did. Most of the game was pretty comfortable until the penalty end, so we definitely like to keep it interesting. Great support again from all the fans at Werner tonight.”
On JP Scearce playing at left back: “Yeah, we were a little beat up coming into the game, so tonight was a big one for us to get through. You look at certain guys, like Eddie Gordon just coming back from injury, Yoskar getting his first appearance of the season. We’ve spoken about how everybody’s responsible for the team’s success, so those guys stepping up and contributing to a really important win is super important. I’m really pleased and happy for those guys because they work hard every day and they continue to do that. They’ll get more opportunities.”
More thoughts on Yoskar and Eddie appearing for the club: “We weren’t planning for Eddie to play as long as he did, but just with the conditions being as hot and humid as they were, we had to get him into the game a little bit earlier. Eddie’s somebody that’s got a huge heart, a great engine, and just super proud of him for coming into the game. He’s only really got back to training properly this week, so coming into the game and having the impact that he did – fantastic. And his first professional goal, as well. So delighted for him and always great to see a local lad come on and make an impact.”
On next week’s match at Greenville:i “Yeah, obviously Greenville is a big one, right? Greenville is always going to be a battle. There’s history between the clubs. It’s an important game for us and our fans and we’re going there to take the game to them, so we’re looking forward to it and can’t wait for the challenge.”
Team Captain JP Scearce: General thoughts on the evening: “Yeah, it feels good to get another victory, get three more points, and keep climbing the table. Obviously, it was a tough game. Not every game in this league is easy, regardless of Chattanooga’s position on the table, but I think we did well to fight and to earn the three points tonight.”
On the crowd inside Werner Park: “We always have great support from the fans. The best support system in the whole league and you could feel them out there, especially a game like today where you feel the weather and they’re just there to keep pushing us on. Feels good.”
On Eddie, Chavany, and Yoskar getting minutes: “Yeah,I mean the squad was a little thin tonight. We have a couple guys banged up due to injury, but it’s important for guys like those three who haven’t got as many minutes the whole season, but they come in and make an immediate impact. Eddie obviously forcing the second goal. Chavany had a couple chances where he could have gotten one for himself and Yoskar came in to close the game, so the depth is important and, yeah, it’s good to have players like that that can make an impact.”
On next week’s match at Greenville: “Yeah, we’re excited, obviously. We’re feeling pretty confident. The last two games we played against them, we’ve tied, so this is one to close the series out against them and try to get three more points. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Forward Alex Steinwascher (1 goal): General thoughts on the evening: “Felt awesome. Struggled towards the end a little bit, but overall, I think the guys did really well to come together.”
On scoring his second goal of the season: “Felt good. I mean, I think the win’s more important here though, because obviously getting five straight wins is pretty impressive. Six straight wins at home is very impressive. At this point, we’re just looking to keep getting wins here.”
On playing the number nine role in the 4-2-3-1 formation: “Feels good. I mean, obviously there’s some better guys there, too. I think I did the most I could today. I tried and obviously did everything we could to get a win and ended up coming out with a win, so I’m happy with that.”
On playing in front of the crowd: “Obviously, we love to have the fans there. The louder they are, the better it is. Always more excitement, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun when a lot of people are here.”
On next week’s match at Greenville: “Let’s get another win.”
Goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu: General thoughts on the evening: “Feels great. We just get into the momentum and we just have to keep it going. We just have to take it game after game. We can’t let these wins get into our heads. We just have to keep our heads straight and take it game after game.”
On playing in front of the crowd: “Hey, I mean it always feels great to play at home. We get our crowd behind us sometimes when we feel like the referees are against us and we have the fans. They just keep us going. They’re like the plus one for us and it’s just great. We love playing in front of them and we’re just happy to be giving them results, too. It’s great.”
On being in second place: “Hey, it feels great. As you guys probably know, there were some fans who thought we weren’t going to make it up there and we’re just trying to prove everyone wrong. We’re just trying to fight til the last game, so we just have to keep going. We don’t have to focus too much on the standings. We just take it game after game and let it play out like it’s supposed to.”
On next week’s match at Greenville: “I feel good. I mean, we’ve got some momentum going and we just have to keep the confidence up and keep the togetherness we’ve got going on. I think no team is going to come at us and walk all over us. Now we’re ready.”
Match Summary
Attendance: 3,356
Availability Report: OMA: DF #3 Stefan Mueller (Out – Injury) OMA: FW #7 Noe Meza (Questionable – Injury) CHA: MF #6 Christian Enriquez (Out – Injury)
Goal Summary: 10’: OMA #44 Alex Steinwascher (assisted by #20 Luis Gil) 66’: Goal for OMA. Own goal by CHA #22 Aarón Lombardi 90’+8: CHA #11 Chevone Marsh converts the penalty kick
Substitution Summary: 57’: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #44 Alex Steinwascher 63’: CHA – #14 Pedro Hernández replaces #2 Richard Rentería 64’: CHA – #11 Chevone Marsh replaces #9 Marios Lomis 64’: CHA – #98 Ryley Kraft replaces #13 Felipe Liborio, Jr. 65’: OMA – #12 Eddie Gordon replaces #20 Luis Gil 66’: OMA – #13 Anderson Holt replaces #11 Joe Gallardo 69’: CHA – #21 Jonny Filipe replaces #17 Omar Gómez 78’: CHA – #15 Walter Varela replaces #8 Ualefi 90’+5: OMA – #30 Yoskar Galvan replaces #8 Joe Brito
Discipline Summary: 9’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo (Yellow card) 82’: CHA – #21 Jonny Filipe (Yellow card)
Union Omaha converted two penalties in the first half and added a second-half header to take three points on the road against Northern Colorado Hailstorm, with a final score of 3-2.
Many eyes were on Windsor, Colorado ahead of this match, as third-ranked Northern Colorado Hailstorm welcomed fourth-ranked Union Omaha into Future Legends Complex for a high-profile matchup.
From the opening whistle, Northern Colorado pushed high and applied pressure early. Even with the ball, Hailstorm was carrying the vast majority of the possession and executing high levels of passing accuracy throughout the first half. Despite the early pressure, Union Omaha was still able to find their own possession and make good use of it on the other side of the field.
The Owls found their first goal in the 36th minute, when a handball was called against Northern Colorado defender Lucky Opara inside the box. Union Omaha midfielder Joe Gallardo stepped up to take the penalty kick and sent Hailstorm goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda the opposite direction. The converted penalty kick gave Gallardo his third goal of the season.
Hailstorm even up the score two minutes later when Opara scored a goal of his own, but Union Omaha would take the lead again just before halftime. After Hailstorm team captain Rob Cornwall was called for a foul in the box, Union Omaha team captain JP Scearce stepped up to take the penalty. Despite Peñaranda diving to the correct side of the goal, Scearce converted the penalty with a great balance of power and placement. The converted penalty was Scearce’s sixth goal, making him the club’s second-highest goalscorer of the season.
Despite Hailstorm winning the possession battle and having greater passing accuracy, Union Omaha was able to find more shots in the first half. More to the point, the Owls took every single shot, except for one, inside of Northern Colorado’s penalty area. Hailstorm was only able to take two shots inside of Union Omaha’s penalty area, thanks to the defensive efforts of the backline. All combined, the Owls had 11 clearances in the first half and won the majority of the duels – in the air and on the ground. Union Omaha’s defense also had 11 interceptions, which helped cut off Hailstorm’s momentum, while also churning out offensive opportunities on the other end of the field.
Union Omaha added an insurance policy in the 80th minute, when midfielder Conor Doyle delivered a corner kick straight to the head of Pedro Dolabella, who was able to send it against the flow of traffic and tuck it into the far side of the goal. The capitalized set piece gave Dolabella his fourth goal and Doyle his sixth assist of the season.
Northern Colorado tried to make things interesting in the 87th minute, when Opara was able to find his second goal of the evening, but it ended up being too little too late. The final whistle was blown shortly after and Union Omaha collected their three points.
With the win, Union Omaha elevated themselves to second place in the league standings. The Owls return to Werner Park on Saturday, August 19th as they host the Chattanooga Red Wolves for Hispanic Heritage Night. Make sure you have tickets to that match, as Union Omaha looks to extend their undefeated streak at home to seven matches, including a potential sixth straight home victory.
Random Facts
Union Omaha currently sits in 2nd place in the league standings. This is the highest ranking the Owls have had all season. The last time Union Omaha finished the week in 2nd place was Week 25 of the 2022 Regular Season.
With the win tonight, Union Omaha has done something they’ve never done before in club history: win four consecutive regular season matches in a row. The Owls have managed to win three consecutive matches on two other occasions (2023 & 2021), but have never reached four straight wins until this moment.
This was the first time Union Omaha won on the road against Northern Colorado Hailstorm.
This was the seventh match this season in which Union Omaha scored three or more goals, which is still an ongoing single season club record. No other club in USL League One has matched this feat this season. The closest club is Northern Colorado with six matches.
This is the first time in club history that Union Omaha has converted two penalty kicks in a single match.
Union Omaha has converted 11 penalty kicks in club history. JP Scearce leads the club with 5 goals from the spot. No other player in club history has converted more than one penalty kick for the Owls.
Northern Colorado is the only club that has featured a player who was able to score a brace against Union Omaha this season. Lucky Opara had a brace against the Owls tonight. The two other occasions were Trevor Amann.
Union Omaha has played 22 matches so far this season. In the first 11 matches, the Owls had 2 wins, 6 draws, and 3 defeats with 15 goals scored and 17 conceded. After 11 matches, Union Omaha was sitting in 9th place in the league standings. Since then, the Owls have won 8, drawn 1, and lost 2, scoring 21 goals and conceded 13, resulting in a 2nd-placed finish.
To expand even further on the previous stat: if you were to divide every USL League One club’s season into two halves and calculate their point totals, no club has scored more points in the second half of their season than Union Omaha. The Owls have scored 25 points, while the closest club is North Carolina at 22 points.
No Union Omaha team in club history has seen more players score goals for the club. This season, there have been 13 different players who have scored a goal. The next closest team had 12 players (2022 & 2021).
With an assist tonight, midfielder Conor Doyle has tied his single-season assist record of 6 assists. The last time he achieved this feat was 2021. Only two other players have had six assists or more in a single season: Ethan Vanacore-Decker (2020 – 6 assists) & Devin Boyce (2021 – 9 assists).
Goal Summary: 36’: OMA – #11 Joe Gallardo converts the penalty kick 38’: NCO – #7 Lucky Opara unassisted 44’: OMA – #17 JP Scearce converts the penalty kick 80’: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella (assisted by #22 Conor Doyle) 87’: NCO – #7 Lucky Opara (assisted by #10 Irvin Parra)
Substitution Summary: 56’: OMA – #9 Pedro Dolabella replaces #11 Joe Gallardo 57’: OMA – #28 Shaft Brewer Jr. replaces #20 Luis Gil 65’: NCO – #27 Bruno Rendón replaces #18 Jackson Dietrich 73’: NCO – #10 Irvin Parra replaces #22 Stefan Lukic 75’: OMA – #44 Alex Steinwascher replaces #5 Marco Milanese 85’: NCO – #11 Marky Hernández replaces #19 Billy King 87’: OMA – #13 Anderson Holt replaces #26 Dion Acoff 90’: OMA – #6 Chavany Willis replaces #10 Steevan Dos Santos 90’+1: NCO – #47 McCain Clarke replaces #4 Rob Cornwall
Discipline Summary: 43’: NCO – #4 Rob Cornwall (Yellow card) 75’: OMA – #17 JP Scearce (Yellow card) 82’: OMA – #28 Shaft Brewer Jr. (Yellow card) 90’+5: NCO – Manager Éamon Zayed (Yellow card)
Who Gives A Hoot? 