PAPILLION, Neb. (January 14, 2020) – Union Omaha announced today the first 13 signings for their 2020 Inaugural Season roster, pending league and federation approval. The signings were announced in a series of posts for the club’s “Signing Day” via its social media channels.
“We are building something special at Union Omaha and that extends to the players on the field that will wear our crest and represent not just our club, but our entire metropolitan area,” said Head Coach Jay Mims. “Our players will always play with a lot of passion, skill, toughness and belief. The players we have signed, and will continue to sign, embody all of these qualities. They will embrace working hard for each other, Union Omaha, our fans and the greater metropolitan area.”
Union Omaha Season Ticket Holders will have the opportunity to meet the players at an exclusive invite-only event in February. Dates and details to be announced. Currently, Union Omaha has over 1,300 season tickets sold. A limited number of season ticket packages are available for purchase at https://www.unionomaha.com/tickets
Players announced today are listed by age from youngest to oldest.
Tobias Otieno joins us from Gor Mahia FC. He was one of the youngest starters in the Kenya Premier League in 2019 and is also a member of the U-23 national team.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 150 lbs
Born: 10/25/1998
Hometown: Kisumu, Kenya
Christian Molina joins us from Northern Illinois University (NIU). Molina has earned All-Mid-America Conference honors and prior to playing for UNI, he was a member of the MLS-side Houston Dynamo Academy. He is also a member of the El Salvador U-23 national team. Molina was a participant of Union Omaha’s Invitational Tryout on December 2019.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5′ 4″ Weight: 120 lbs
Born: 04/28/1998
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Damià Viader joins us from Iowa Western Community College where he played for the 2019 season. He also played for Barton Community College in 2018, where he was in the top five in assists All-time. Viader is from Barcelona, Spain where he played for several Catalonian academies including FC Barcelona, Girona FC, and CE Europa. He also played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for Duluth FC.
Position: Defender
Height: 5′ 8″
Weight: 157 lbs
Born: 02/19/1998
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Evan Conway joins us from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) where he was the leading goal scorer all four seasons from 2016 to 2019. In the 2019 season, Conway was also USL League Two’s third leading goal scorer while playing for the Ventura County Fusion with 10 goals for the season. Conway was also a participant in Union Omaha’s invitational tryout in December 2019.
Position: Forward
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 165 lbs
Born: 11/07/1997
Hometown: Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Jacob Crull joins us from Spring Arbor University men’s soccer team from 2016 to 2019 where he was a two-time NAIA All-American for two consecutive years. From 2018 t0 2019, Crull played for Charlotte Eagles of USL League Two.
Position: Defender
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 170 lbs
Born: 10/03/1997
Hometown: Carmel, Indiana
Kobe Perez joins us from League One’s South Georgia Tormenta FC. In the 2019 season, Perez was a USL League Two standout for Tormenta FC before being signed with their League One team. He is also a former member of Mercer University men’s soccer team, where he won three straight conference championships.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 160 lbs
Born: 04/10/1997
Hometown: Dalton, Georgia
Daltyn Knutson joins from South Georgia Tormenta FC. Knutson made 21 starts in USL League One during the 2019 season and played at University of Central Arkansas where he was First Team All-Conference in 2018.
Position: Defender
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 194 lbs
Born: 03/01/1997
Hometown: Spring, Texas
Nathan Aune joins us from USL Championship’s Reno 1868 FC. Aune was a third round selection for MLS SuperDraft 2019 for the San Jose Earthquakes. He was also a 2017 NCAA Division I Third Team All-American for Seattle University men’s soccer team.
Position: Defender
Height: 6′ 4″
Weight: 185 lbs
Born: 10/27/1996
Hometown: Arlington, Washington
Austin Panchot joins us from North Carolina FC of the USL Championship. As a former member of the Indiana University men’s soccer team. Panchot was a two-time College Cup participant and a two-time Big Ten Champion.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5′ 7″
Weight: 137 lbs
Born: 09/12/1996
Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri
Elma Nfor joins us from League One’s Lansing Ignite FC where he had 19 appearances and scored four goals, one of which made ESPN’s SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays. Nfor is a former NCAA Division II National Champion with Wingate University.
Position: Forward
Height: 5′ 8″
Weight: 174 lbs
Born: 12/17/1995
Hometown: Bamenda, Cameroon
Juan Mare joins us from League One’s Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, where he appeared in 16 games in the 2019 season. Mare is a former Real Monarchs player – he helped the USL Championship club clinch a regular season championship in 2017.
Position: Forward
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 159 lbs
Born: 05/03/1995
Hometown: Costa Sacate, Cordoba, Argentina
Xavier Gomez joins us from last year’s Lansing Ignite FC roster, where he was a standout player in their 2019 League One season. Gomez was drafted in the second round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by Minnesota United FC and starred with the University of Nebraska Omaha’s men’s soccer team, where he won two conference regular season championships in 2014 and 2016 and one conference tournament championship in 2017.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 150 lbs
Born: 11/21/1994
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Ethan Vanacore-Decker joins us from Swope Park Rangers in the USL Championship, where he scored four goals in the 2019 season. He is also a former U15, U17, and U20 player with the US Men’s national team.
Position: Forward
Height: 5′ 11″
Weight: 165 lbs
Born: 10/06/1994
Hometown: Manahawkin, New Jersey
Fast Facts
Local ties
Xavier Gomez, University of Nebraska Omaha
Damià Viader, Iowa Western Community College
Signings from Invitational Tryout
Christian Molina, Evan Conway
USL Championship Experience
Juan Mare, Nathan Aune, Austin Panchot, Ethan Vanacore-Decker
USL League One Experience
Xavier Gomez, Elma Nfor, Daltyn Knutson, Juan Mare, Kobe Perez
Countries Represented
Kenya: Tobias Otieno
El Salvador: Christian Molina
Spain: Damià Viader
Austria: Jacob Crull
Cameroon: Elma Nfor
Argentina: Juan Mare
United States: Evan Conway, Jacob Crull, Kobe Perez, Daltyn Knutson, Nathan Aune, Austin Panchot, Elma Nfor, Xavier Gomez, Ethan Vanacore-Decker
