News

Unfinished business.

This Saturday at 4 p.m., we’ll play the biggest professional soccer match in Nebraska history – a USL League One semifinal against FC Tucson, presented by TwinSpires Sportsbook. 

The Owls have enjoyed a historic second year, winning the USL League One regular-season title with a match to spare and securing home-field advantage for the playoff campaign. After scoring 44 goals and conceding only half that amount, both our attack and defense claimed the title as league best.

We’ve also won the USL League One attendance title – more of you have supported us at Werner Park in 2021 than the fans of any other team. We need you now more than ever as a win this weekend puts us in the championship match for the second year running. 

Get your tickets today and join us on this historic occasion!

#OneMeansAll

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Unfinished business.

This Saturday at 4 p.m., we’ll play the biggest professional soccer match in Nebraska history – a USL League One semifinal against FC Tucson, presented by TwinSpires Sportsbook. 

The Owls have enjoyed a historic second year, winning the USL League One regular-season title with a match to spare and securing home-field advantage for the playoff campaign. After scoring 44 goals and conceding only half that amount, both our attack and defense claimed the title as league best.

We’ve also won the USL League One attendance title – more of you have supported us at Werner Park in 2021 than the fans of any other team. We need you now more than ever as a win this weekend puts us in the championship match for the second year running. 

Get your tickets today and join us on this historic occasion!

#OneMeansAll

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

PAPILLION, Neb. – Union Omaha’s home finale had fans leaving happy as the Owls clinched the top spot in this regular season and the playoffs to come.

A scoreless yet eventful first half begat late fireworks, with a quickfire double sending this game from 0 to 100 in a hurry. In a remarkably even match, that blink-and-you-miss-it salvo was all it took for Los Búhos to win.

Union Omaha dictated the tempo from the outset. Many of their early chances came on set-pieces, with a handful of corners and free kicks just within the first ten minutes. Both clubs, however, were amped up for the match without letting things get too sloppy through brute physicality… even if that energy didn’t translate into an offensive explosion.

This, despite a tactical tweak on Coach Mims’ part, pushing Damià Viader up to the midfield and giving Jacob Crull his first start at left-back since last season. The change sought to harness Viader’s creative energy while solidifying a backline against red-hot Richmond with Crull, usually a center back. Crull may have also appreciated having more of a license to get forward than normal, of course.

Just because there weren’t any goals in the first half didn’t mean there weren’t chances. Indeed, both teams had a point in which a star player felt they had been shafted. 

Merely three minutes in, Viader drove into the box and earned himself a shove in the back from Richmond. He was apoplectic about the no-call, as was Kickers striker Emiliano Terzaghi when he had a free header cleared off the doorstep (via the crossbar!). Terzaghi felt it had crossed the line for his record 18th goal of the season, but like Viader, no dice.

The second verse was much of the same as the first. There was a good energy to the match, but whichever team was off the ball won out time and time again, constricting space and restricting most entries into their respective 18-yard boxes.

Which is why it was all too predictable when Omaha’s breakthrough came from a long-range strike. Evan Conway drew a foul about 25 yards away, right in the center of the pitch. Up stepped Tobias Otieno, who was subbed on just 15 minutes into the match because of an injury to Devin Boyce. He grabbed the ball immediately after the foul, took a cool run-up, and made his rocket into the left corner look downright casual.

A reeling Richmond gave up the ghost immediately afterwards. Omaha recycled possession back to Daltyn Knutson, who fired a gorgeous curling ball over the top of the entire Kickers squad. Greg Hurst let it bounce twice before finally taking it off the volley and slotting it past Akira Fitzgerald for the dagger. Much like in their midweek loss, it was a pair of rapid-fire goals that proved the difference in Werner Park.

That win clinches both the top spot in the playoffs, and eternal bragging rights in being the best team in the 2021 regular season table. Richmond Kickers, meanwhile, see their hot streak come to an end at five wins, and will need a result next weekend to book their ticket to the playoffs.

Union Omaha has one match left in the regular season, and it would take a trek to see it in person. With their home slate finished until playoffs, the Owls will fly south to finish their initial slate against North Texas SC, who will be scrapping to clinch a playoff spot themselves. The regular season capper will be at 7:30 PM CDT, on Saturday, October 30th. Then the Owls have earned a bye for the first round of the playoffs and will host a home playoff match at Werner Park on November 13th at 4pm.

 

———

 

Union Omaha vs Richmond Kickers

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    2    2

Richmond Kickers                   0    0    0

 

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Tobias Otieno 85’, Greg Hurst 88’

RIC: 

 

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Greg Hurst (Yellow Card) 34’, Ferrety Sousa (Yellow Card) 90’, Tobias Otieno (Yellow Card) 90+4’

RIC: Matthew Bolduc (Yellow Card) 30’, Jonathan Bolanos (Yellow Card) 77’, Zacarias Moran (Yellow Card) 84’

 

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 12 (4); RIC: 12 (2) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 1; RIC: Akira Fitzgerald – 2 

Possession: OMA 57.2% – RIC 42.8%

Fouls: OMA 11; RIC 13 

Corner Kicks: OMA #; RIC # 

 

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Crull; D, Osumanu; D, Knutson; D, Sousa (Alihodžić 90+1’); M, Viader; M, Doyle; M, Scearce; M, Boyce (Otieno 16’); F, Conway (Malone 87’); F, Hurst

RIC: GK, Fitzgerald; D, Cole; D, Magalhāes; D, Crisler; D, Calvo; M, Vinyals; M, Moran; M, Bolduc (Pavone 78’); F, Bolanos (Anderson 78’); F, Terzaghi (Gonzalez 90+1’); F, Bryant

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – Union Omaha’s home finale had fans leaving happy as the Owls clinched the top spot in this regular season and the playoffs to come.

A scoreless yet eventful first half begat late fireworks, with a quickfire double sending this game from 0 to 100 in a hurry. In a remarkably even match, that blink-and-you-miss-it salvo was all it took for Los Búhos to win.

Union Omaha dictated the tempo from the outset. Many of their early chances came on set-pieces, with a handful of corners and free kicks just within the first ten minutes. Both clubs, however, were amped up for the match without letting things get too sloppy through brute physicality… even if that energy didn’t translate into an offensive explosion.

This, despite a tactical tweak on Coach Mims’ part, pushing Damià Viader up to the midfield and giving Jacob Crull his first start at left-back since last season. The change sought to harness Viader’s creative energy while solidifying a backline against red-hot Richmond with Crull, usually a center back. Crull may have also appreciated having more of a license to get forward than normal, of course.

Just because there weren’t any goals in the first half didn’t mean there weren’t chances. Indeed, both teams had a point in which a star player felt they had been shafted. 

Merely three minutes in, Viader drove into the box and earned himself a shove in the back from Richmond. He was apoplectic about the no-call, as was Kickers striker Emiliano Terzaghi when he had a free header cleared off the doorstep (via the crossbar!). Terzaghi felt it had crossed the line for his record 18th goal of the season, but like Viader, no dice.

The second verse was much of the same as the first. There was a good energy to the match, but whichever team was off the ball won out time and time again, constricting space and restricting most entries into their respective 18-yard boxes.

Which is why it was all too predictable when Omaha’s breakthrough came from a long-range strike. Evan Conway drew a foul about 25 yards away, right in the center of the pitch. Up stepped Tobias Otieno, who was subbed on just 15 minutes into the match because of an injury to Devin Boyce. He grabbed the ball immediately after the foul, took a cool run-up, and made his rocket into the left corner look downright casual.

A reeling Richmond gave up the ghost immediately afterwards. Omaha recycled possession back to Daltyn Knutson, who fired a gorgeous curling ball over the top of the entire Kickers squad. Greg Hurst let it bounce twice before finally taking it off the volley and slotting it past Akira Fitzgerald for the dagger. Much like in their midweek loss, it was a pair of rapid-fire goals that proved the difference in Werner Park.

That win clinches both the top spot in the playoffs, and eternal bragging rights in being the best team in the 2021 regular season table. Richmond Kickers, meanwhile, see their hot streak come to an end at five wins, and will need a result next weekend to book their ticket to the playoffs.

Union Omaha has one match left in the regular season, and it would take a trek to see it in person. With their home slate finished until playoffs, the Owls will fly south to finish their initial slate against North Texas SC, who will be scrapping to clinch a playoff spot themselves. The regular season capper will be at 7:30 PM CDT, on Saturday, October 30th. Then the Owls have earned a bye for the first round of the playoffs and will host a home playoff match at Werner Park on November 13th at 4pm.

 

———

 

Union Omaha vs Richmond Kickers

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    2    2

Richmond Kickers                   0    0    0

 

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Tobias Otieno 85’, Greg Hurst 88’

RIC: 

 

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Greg Hurst (Yellow Card) 34’, Ferrety Sousa (Yellow Card) 90’, Tobias Otieno (Yellow Card) 90+4’

RIC: Matthew Bolduc (Yellow Card) 30’, Jonathan Bolanos (Yellow Card) 77’, Zacarias Moran (Yellow Card) 84’

 

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 12 (4); RIC: 12 (2) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 1; RIC: Akira Fitzgerald – 2 

Possession: OMA 57.2% – RIC 42.8%

Fouls: OMA 11; RIC 13 

Corner Kicks: OMA #; RIC # 

 

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Crull; D, Osumanu; D, Knutson; D, Sousa (Alihodžić 90+1’); M, Viader; M, Doyle; M, Scearce; M, Boyce (Otieno 16’); F, Conway (Malone 87’); F, Hurst

RIC: GK, Fitzgerald; D, Cole; D, Magalhāes; D, Crisler; D, Calvo; M, Vinyals; M, Moran; M, Bolduc (Pavone 78’); F, Bolanos (Anderson 78’); F, Terzaghi (Gonzalez 90+1’); F, Bryant

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – With the regular season title on the line, Union Omaha kicked the can down the road. 

Despite fielding a nearly full-strength lineup in this mid-week match, they came out flat to start each half and paid for it the second time due to a Josiah Trimmingham brace.

As Head Coach Jay Mims eloquently stated post-match, “Yeah, that absolutely sucked. There’s no better way to put it.”

The first half started inauspiciously, with Forward Madison hanging out in the Omaha half of the pitch. But beyond a powerfully spiked header from target man Trimmingham that rattled the crossbar, they didn’t create all too much. From there, Union Omaha got to work evening out the possession and the field tilt, but it was an uphill battle.

“We just didn’t look ready, and that’s on me,” said Coach Mims. “I’ll take the blame. We just didn’t look right until about 15 minutes left when we started looking like ourselves. But you can’t do that at this level.”

What was level through the first half was the score. There was only one shot on target for each team in the first half, in a scrappy affair that left both clubs about 10% short of their season-long passing accuracy numbers. The most notable moment of the half was a crunching two-footed tackle on Damià Viader by Tyler Allen, one that earned him both a yellow card and the ire of Evan Conway.

The second 45 felt more settled than the frantic first, with longer spells of possession. It didn’t take long to unsettle the Owls, though. One such spell in the 53rd saw the Flamingos work it to the left flank. Absolute havoc ensued when they put in a cross, with the ball ricocheting everywhere before finally being blasted home by Josiah Trimmimgham for the opener.

Trimmingham poured it on just minutes later. Abdul Osumanu flailed to corral a back-pass from Viader, and Madison’s Trinidadian forward pounced. He took a few steps to gather before firing a gorgeous lob over an off-his-line Nuhu that dropped softly into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

“We gotta have more fight, more anger, and gotta be more competitive. You saw that in the last 10, 15 minutes, but you just didn’t see it enough,” said Coach Mims.

Omaha took a bit to work up the momentum for a pushback, but the 70th minute yielded a couple moments of panic for Phil Breno in Madison’s net. Greg Hurst had a close-range effort that was tipped over, Viader’s ensuing corner forced Breno to backpedal and concede another, and Evan Conway gave the crossbar a fright a few minutes later. Still though, with minutes left in regulation it remained a two goal deficit.

A lifeline was tossed to them when Greg Hurst was dragged down on the turn by Connor Tobin. He blasted the PK home, Phil Breno pounced on the netted ball like a cat with yarn to whittle away a few more seconds, and a sliver of hope was restored.

Alas, it was not to be even with an additional couple minutes of stoppage and point-blank chances, and the Flamingos’ prayers for playoff contention were answered at least for this match.

“The only good news is we get a chance to show ourselves, and show the supporters, and show the league that that’s not us. Sometimes the best thing when you have a performance like this [is to] get back at it, and we’re lucky. We do. We have a Saturday game, and it’s at home.”

This result means that the top spot in USL League One is still up for grabs, with every team in the playoff hunt even on games played now. Omaha remain four points up on their closest competition over in Chattanooga, though, so a win this weekend will still cinch it.

There’s two matches left in the regular season, but only one more chance to catch the Owls at Werner Park before the playoffs ratchet up the tension another notch. As Coach Mims said, that’ll come this weekend, against red-hot Richmond Kickers. Five wins on the bounce have them a relatively comfortable four points inside the playoff bubble, with this match providing a welcome tune-up for the postseason for both sides. You can see Omaha this Saturday, October 23rd, at 6:00 PM CDT for Education Outreach Night presented by Bellevue University.

———

Union Omaha vs Forward Madison

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    1    1

Forward Madison                    0    2    2

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Greg Hurst 89’

MAD: Josiah Trimmingham 53’, 58’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Evan Conway (Yellow Card) 32’

MAD: Tyler Allen (Yellow Card) 32’, Josiah Trimmingham (Yellow Card) 60’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 12 (5); MAD: 14 (4) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 2; MAD: Phil Breno – 4 

Possession: OMA 48.9% – MAD 51.1%

Fouls: OMA 14; MAD 14 

Corner Kicks: OMA 10; MAD 5 

Attendance: 2,405

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader; D, Osumanu (Sousa 74’); D, Malone (Knutson 90+3’); D, Otieno; M, Scearce (Molina 74’); M, Doyle; M, Alihodžić (Crull 63’); M, Boyce (Firmino 74’); F, Conway; F, Hurst

MAD: GK, Breno; D, Rad; D, Tobin; D, Leonard; M, Allen; M, Toyama (Gomez 90+3’); M, Molloy; M, Jepson; M, Enriquez (Sukow 74’); F, Trimmingham (Fuson 74’); F, Sierakowski

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – With the regular season title on the line, Union Omaha kicked the can down the road. 

Despite fielding a nearly full-strength lineup in this mid-week match, they came out flat to start each half and paid for it the second time due to a Josiah Trimmingham brace.

As Head Coach Jay Mims eloquently stated post-match, “Yeah, that absolutely sucked. There’s no better way to put it.”

The first half started inauspiciously, with Forward Madison hanging out in the Omaha half of the pitch. But beyond a powerfully spiked header from target man Trimmingham that rattled the crossbar, they didn’t create all too much. From there, Union Omaha got to work evening out the possession and the field tilt, but it was an uphill battle.

“We just didn’t look ready, and that’s on me,” said Coach Mims. “I’ll take the blame. We just didn’t look right until about 15 minutes left when we started looking like ourselves. But you can’t do that at this level.”

What was level through the first half was the score. There was only one shot on target for each team in the first half, in a scrappy affair that left both clubs about 10% short of their season-long passing accuracy numbers. The most notable moment of the half was a crunching two-footed tackle on Damià Viader by Tyler Allen, one that earned him both a yellow card and the ire of Evan Conway.

The second 45 felt more settled than the frantic first, with longer spells of possession. It didn’t take long to unsettle the Owls, though. One such spell in the 53rd saw the Flamingos work it to the left flank. Absolute havoc ensued when they put in a cross, with the ball ricocheting everywhere before finally being blasted home by Josiah Trimmimgham for the opener.

Trimmingham poured it on just minutes later. Abdul Osumanu flailed to corral a back-pass from Viader, and Madison’s Trinidadian forward pounced. He took a few steps to gather before firing a gorgeous lob over an off-his-line Nuhu that dropped softly into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

“We gotta have more fight, more anger, and gotta be more competitive. You saw that in the last 10, 15 minutes, but you just didn’t see it enough,” said Coach Mims.

Omaha took a bit to work up the momentum for a pushback, but the 70th minute yielded a couple moments of panic for Phil Breno in Madison’s net. Greg Hurst had a close-range effort that was tipped over, Viader’s ensuing corner forced Breno to backpedal and concede another, and Evan Conway gave the crossbar a fright a few minutes later. Still though, with minutes left in regulation it remained a two goal deficit.

A lifeline was tossed to them when Greg Hurst was dragged down on the turn by Connor Tobin. He blasted the PK home, Phil Breno pounced on the netted ball like a cat with yarn to whittle away a few more seconds, and a sliver of hope was restored.

Alas, it was not to be even with an additional couple minutes of stoppage and point-blank chances, and the Flamingos’ prayers for playoff contention were answered at least for this match.

“The only good news is we get a chance to show ourselves, and show the supporters, and show the league that that’s not us. Sometimes the best thing when you have a performance like this [is to] get back at it, and we’re lucky. We do. We have a Saturday game, and it’s at home.”

This result means that the top spot in USL League One is still up for grabs, with every team in the playoff hunt even on games played now. Omaha remain four points up on their closest competition over in Chattanooga, though, so a win this weekend will still cinch it.

There’s two matches left in the regular season, but only one more chance to catch the Owls at Werner Park before the playoffs ratchet up the tension another notch. As Coach Mims said, that’ll come this weekend, against red-hot Richmond Kickers. Five wins on the bounce have them a relatively comfortable four points inside the playoff bubble, with this match providing a welcome tune-up for the postseason for both sides. You can see Omaha this Saturday, October 23rd, at 6:00 PM CDT for Education Outreach Night presented by Bellevue University.

———

Union Omaha vs Forward Madison

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    1    1

Forward Madison                    0    2    2

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Greg Hurst 89’

MAD: Josiah Trimmingham 53’, 58’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Evan Conway (Yellow Card) 32’

MAD: Tyler Allen (Yellow Card) 32’, Josiah Trimmingham (Yellow Card) 60’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 12 (5); MAD: 14 (4) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 2; MAD: Phil Breno – 4 

Possession: OMA 48.9% – MAD 51.1%

Fouls: OMA 14; MAD 14 

Corner Kicks: OMA 10; MAD 5 

Attendance: 2,405

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader; D, Osumanu (Sousa 74’); D, Malone (Knutson 90+3’); D, Otieno; M, Scearce (Molina 74’); M, Doyle; M, Alihodžić (Crull 63’); M, Boyce (Firmino 74’); F, Conway; F, Hurst

MAD: GK, Breno; D, Rad; D, Tobin; D, Leonard; M, Allen; M, Toyama (Gomez 90+3’); M, Molloy; M, Jepson; M, Enriquez (Sukow 74’); F, Trimmingham (Fuson 74’); F, Sierakowski

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – The Owls got off to a flying start, taking less than 90 seconds to snatch the lead against last-place North Carolina FC. From there, a goal explosion in the first quarter of the match or so saw them soar to a home match in the playoffs to come.

The story of this match will be Evan Conway, who netted a hat trick of poacher’s goals to reach double digits on the season. The Conway-Hurst duo up top has the best goalscoring record of any duo in the league, with 21 goals between them now.  

“Huge three points today,” said Head Coach Jay Mims, throwing in a double fist-pump for good measure. “We’re super pumped up. We don’t have many games left, so every point is huge right now. For us to get towards the finish line here, we needed that.”

Union Omaha immediately set up shop in NCFC’s half of the pitch, and the field tilt was so disparate that it resulted in easily their quickest goal of the season. Tobias Otieno was played onside by Malick Mbaye, and had all the time in the world to fire in a cross from the right. A deflection took it right onto Evan Conway for a walk-in opener in the 2nd minute.

Coach Mims almost saw it coming from the off. “That’s how soccer works sometimes. You don’t score for an entire game, and then you go to the next game and literally a minute and a half in, you score.” It was only the beginning.

Even after that, it took seven minutes for North Carolina to even have one proper spell of possession. Yet once they did, they kept pushing. By the time they had bedded into the game, Malick Mbaye redeemed himself for his role in the first goal with a deft flick past Nuhu off a corner kick for an equalizer. 

Union Omaha then enlisted more help from the opposition to retake the lead. Greg Hurst’s 18th minute cross was flicked by youngster Britton Fischer into a perfect spot for Evan Conway to run onto it and headbutt it home for a 2-1 lead. Just minutes later, a perfectly whipped cross from Devin Boyce granted the home team a two-goal cushion, this time with Amir Alihodžić getting low to guide it home with his own head. All three of Omaha’s goals were generated through the right flank, but with three different Owls providing the service for each. 

The first half ended without much further incident (beyond a golden opportunity for Alihodžić to net a brace that slipped out from under his feet), but there was enough action in the first 25 to fill several matches. After a languid affair against Greenville last time out, this was a welcome return to form and then some.

“It was great because it’s after a loss,” said Coach Mims. “You always want to respond after a loss, and react, and the guys responded well.”

Omaha piled on the misery in the 58th minute, with Devin Boyce’s silky moves allowing him the space to chip in a close-range cross that found (who else?) Evan Conway. That gave him his second hat trick of October, a downright ridiculous streak to be on as the regular season closes. If even some of that torrid scoring translates to the playoffs, watch out, because it’s safe to say Evan Conway has recovered from his injury and then some.

It’s no stretch to say the second half was far quieter than the first, though. A scary-looking injury to NCFC midfielder Daniel Steedman halted proceedings for a few minutes, but beyond that and the goal, the most notable happening was a confident (if inconsistent) substitute appearance from Yoskar Galvan-Mercado, aka Edu. While the academy product is still raw, his finesse and creativity were made clear in a low-pressure outing of almost half an hour.

While Greenville took all three points from New England Revolution II, this result locks up home turf for Union Omaha in the playoffs. While it’s not mathematically clinched, they’re also a hair’s width away from securing a bye to the semifinals as well. Chattanooga lost as well, giving Los Búhos a 4 point cushion at the top. 

Union Omaha will be right back at it in the middle of the week, as their game in hand finally arrives. After a rain-out back on August 7th, the Owls will play host to the Flamingos of Forward Madison. Their rivals up north have their backs against the wall in the playoff hunt, so expect a fiery mid-week match out of this one. You can catch the action Wednesday, October 20th at 7:00 PM CDT.

 

———

 

Union Omaha vs North Carolina FC

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          3    1    4

North Carolina FC                   1    0    1

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Evan Conway 2’, 18’, 57’, Amir Alihodžić 25’

NCFC: Malick Mbaye 15’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: 

NCFC: Nelson Blanco Flores (Yellow Card) 45+3’, Cole Frame (Yellow Card) 68’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 17 (11); NCFC: 3 (1) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 1; NCFC: Jake McGuire – 7 

Possession: OMA 42.7% – NCFC 57.3%

Fouls: OMA 6; NCFC 9 

Corner Kicks: OMA 5; NCFC 1 

Attendance: 3,192

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader (Crull 83’); D, Osumanu; D, Malone; D, Otieno (Sousa 75’); M, Scearce; M, Doyle; M, Alihodžić (Galvan 67’); M, Boyce (Firmino 83’); F, Conway (Panchot 75’); F, Hurst

NCFC: GK, McGuire; D, Fischer; D, Flick (Pearson 42’); D, Mbaye; D, Flores; M, Pecka; M, Martinez; M, Steedman (Arriaga 77’); M, Simpson (Kristo 76’); M, Frame (Miscic 71’); F, Jackson (Coan 70’)

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – The Owls got off to a flying start, taking less than 90 seconds to snatch the lead against last-place North Carolina FC. From there, a goal explosion in the first quarter of the match or so saw them soar to a home match in the playoffs to come.

The story of this match will be Evan Conway, who netted a hat trick of poacher’s goals to reach double digits on the season. The Conway-Hurst duo up top has the best goalscoring record of any duo in the league, with 21 goals between them now.  

“Huge three points today,” said Head Coach Jay Mims, throwing in a double fist-pump for good measure. “We’re super pumped up. We don’t have many games left, so every point is huge right now. For us to get towards the finish line here, we needed that.”

Union Omaha immediately set up shop in NCFC’s half of the pitch, and the field tilt was so disparate that it resulted in easily their quickest goal of the season. Tobias Otieno was played onside by Malick Mbaye, and had all the time in the world to fire in a cross from the right. A deflection took it right onto Evan Conway for a walk-in opener in the 2nd minute.

Coach Mims almost saw it coming from the off. “That’s how soccer works sometimes. You don’t score for an entire game, and then you go to the next game and literally a minute and a half in, you score.” It was only the beginning.

Even after that, it took seven minutes for North Carolina to even have one proper spell of possession. Yet once they did, they kept pushing. By the time they had bedded into the game, Malick Mbaye redeemed himself for his role in the first goal with a deft flick past Nuhu off a corner kick for an equalizer. 

Union Omaha then enlisted more help from the opposition to retake the lead. Greg Hurst’s 18th minute cross was flicked by youngster Britton Fischer into a perfect spot for Evan Conway to run onto it and headbutt it home for a 2-1 lead. Just minutes later, a perfectly whipped cross from Devin Boyce granted the home team a two-goal cushion, this time with Amir Alihodžić getting low to guide it home with his own head. All three of Omaha’s goals were generated through the right flank, but with three different Owls providing the service for each. 

The first half ended without much further incident (beyond a golden opportunity for Alihodžić to net a brace that slipped out from under his feet), but there was enough action in the first 25 to fill several matches. After a languid affair against Greenville last time out, this was a welcome return to form and then some.

“It was great because it’s after a loss,” said Coach Mims. “You always want to respond after a loss, and react, and the guys responded well.”

Omaha piled on the misery in the 58th minute, with Devin Boyce’s silky moves allowing him the space to chip in a close-range cross that found (who else?) Evan Conway. That gave him his second hat trick of October, a downright ridiculous streak to be on as the regular season closes. If even some of that torrid scoring translates to the playoffs, watch out, because it’s safe to say Evan Conway has recovered from his injury and then some.

It’s no stretch to say the second half was far quieter than the first, though. A scary-looking injury to NCFC midfielder Daniel Steedman halted proceedings for a few minutes, but beyond that and the goal, the most notable happening was a confident (if inconsistent) substitute appearance from Yoskar Galvan-Mercado, aka Edu. While the academy product is still raw, his finesse and creativity were made clear in a low-pressure outing of almost half an hour.

While Greenville took all three points from New England Revolution II, this result locks up home turf for Union Omaha in the playoffs. While it’s not mathematically clinched, they’re also a hair’s width away from securing a bye to the semifinals as well. Chattanooga lost as well, giving Los Búhos a 4 point cushion at the top. 

Union Omaha will be right back at it in the middle of the week, as their game in hand finally arrives. After a rain-out back on August 7th, the Owls will play host to the Flamingos of Forward Madison. Their rivals up north have their backs against the wall in the playoff hunt, so expect a fiery mid-week match out of this one. You can catch the action Wednesday, October 20th at 7:00 PM CDT.

 

———

 

Union Omaha vs North Carolina FC

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          3    1    4

North Carolina FC                   1    0    1

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Evan Conway 2’, 18’, 57’, Amir Alihodžić 25’

NCFC: Malick Mbaye 15’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: 

NCFC: Nelson Blanco Flores (Yellow Card) 45+3’, Cole Frame (Yellow Card) 68’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 17 (11); NCFC: 3 (1) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 1; NCFC: Jake McGuire – 7 

Possession: OMA 42.7% – NCFC 57.3%

Fouls: OMA 6; NCFC 9 

Corner Kicks: OMA 5; NCFC 1 

Attendance: 3,192

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader (Crull 83’); D, Osumanu; D, Malone; D, Otieno (Sousa 75’); M, Scearce; M, Doyle; M, Alihodžić (Galvan 67’); M, Boyce (Firmino 83’); F, Conway (Panchot 75’); F, Hurst

NCFC: GK, McGuire; D, Fischer; D, Flick (Pearson 42’); D, Mbaye; D, Flores; M, Pecka; M, Martinez; M, Steedman (Arriaga 77’); M, Simpson (Kristo 76’); M, Frame (Miscic 71’); F, Jackson (Coan 70’)

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – Union Omaha’s start to this match, in front of a new record crowd, was about as auspicious as trying to fly with clipped wings, and took the entire first half to get off the ground. Even then, though, it was nothing doing against their rivals from South Carolina. 

An early goal from Greenville’s top scorer, Marios Lomis, put Omaha in a tough position from the off, with the rest of the first half more just whittling away time than really threatening to equalize. The second 45 minutes started far better thanks to key substitutions. Yet, after a storm by the name of Evan Conway besieged the Triumph backline early on in the half, Greenville weathered the rest of the match to earn all three points.

“It was a very frustrating game for us,” said Head Coach Jay Mims. “It was one-way traffic the entire match. The game was going towards Greenville’s goal the entire match, which is nice to see. In about 96, 97 minutes of play, we gave up one shot on goal the entire game.” 

Greenville seemed to have little problem adjusting to the narrow pitch at Werner Park, and that was proven by their 13th minute goal. They’re a squad that loves to use the flanks, and when a Jesus Ibarra cross ended up at the feet of Marios Lomis, he made no mistake in stabbing it home off the volley. 

From there, the first half only had about half a chance for Union Omaha to score, with hardly any service into their reserve strike partnership of Nicolas Firmino and Austin Panchot. 66% possession resulted in only 5 shots, none on target. One of those shots came 30 seconds into the match, and another was a chested-down Conor Doyle volley with the last kick of the half. Between that? They got nothing going on the attack.

Mims wasted no time making changes, substituting both Evan Conway and Greg Hurst on for the full second half. While they didn’t immediately pay dividends on the scoreboard, the field definitely tilted towards the Greenville half early on. Conway especially provided a spark, combining with teammates and inching closer and closer to a goal. Once he missed on a 360 degree turn-and-fire by about a post’s width, though, the match was brought back down to a simmer.

Omaha retained possession well, but true chances were few and far between, or in Greg Hurst’s case, well offside. The defending title-holders bunkered down well after Evan Conway had his fun early in the second 45, and saw the game out in a professional, if occasionally cynical, manner. 

“It felt like we were going against 11 defenders the entire game… sometimes 12 defenders,” Coach Mims lamented. “It leaves a sour taste in your mouth after tonight, because of how frustrating the game went. But like I told the guys, sometimes you have to feel that frustration and feel that pain because there might be a chance to play a team like that again.”

The situation atop the table tightens up, between this result and Chattanooga’s win earlier in the day. The gap between first and second is merely a point, though Omaha carries a game in hand to be played in a week and a half’s time. Greenville themselves close up to 5 points behind Chattanooga for that second bye in the playoffs, and extend their unbeaten streak to six matches now. Omaha can still clinch a spot in the playoffs should North Texas SC fail to win against Richmond Kickers in their match on Sunday. 

“We’re not gonna let a good week get us down,” said Mims. “It’s tough when you have three games in about seven days. It’s very, very challenging, and for the boys to grab a huge win on the road and a huge mid-week win at home, we’ve put ourselves in a really good position.”

Union Omaha will keep their homestand rolling next weekend, with a full week’s rest this time. Not only that, but this next match will come against cellar-dwellers North Carolina FC. NCFC are not only on a four-match losing streak after falling at home in that match against Chattanooga, but have already been eliminated from an otherwise remarkably tight playoff race. The matchup against them will take place on Saturday October 16th at 6:00 PM CDT.

———

Union Omaha vs Greenville Triumph SC

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    0    0

Greenville Triumph                  1    0    1

Scoring Summary:

OMA: 

GVL: Marios Lomis 13’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Conor Doyle (Yellow Card) 72’, Tobias Otieno (Yellow Card) 78’

GVL: Andrew Booth (Yellow Card) 69’, Max Hemmings (Yellow Card) 88’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 13 (2); GVL: 7 (1) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 0; GVL: Paul Christensen – 2 

Possession: OMA 67.6% – GVL 32.4%

Fouls: OMA 18; GVL 16 

Corner Kicks: OMA 6; GVL 4 

Attendance: 3,884

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader; D, Osumanu; D, Knutson (Molina 84’); D, Sousa; M, Scearce (Alihodžić 75’); M, Otieno; M, Doyle; M, Boyce; F, Firmino (Hurst 45’); F, Panchot (Conway 45’)

GVL: GK, Christensen; D, Polak; D, Lee; D, Fricke; D, Mohamed; M, Walker; M, Hemmings; M, Booth (Murillo 90+5’); F, Gavilanes; F, Lomis (Goodall 81’); F, Ibarra (McLean 45’)

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – Union Omaha’s start to this match, in front of a new record crowd, was about as auspicious as trying to fly with clipped wings, and took the entire first half to get off the ground. Even then, though, it was nothing doing against their rivals from South Carolina. 

An early goal from Greenville’s top scorer, Marios Lomis, put Omaha in a tough position from the off, with the rest of the first half more just whittling away time than really threatening to equalize. The second 45 minutes started far better thanks to key substitutions. Yet, after a storm by the name of Evan Conway besieged the Triumph backline early on in the half, Greenville weathered the rest of the match to earn all three points.

“It was a very frustrating game for us,” said Head Coach Jay Mims. “It was one-way traffic the entire match. The game was going towards Greenville’s goal the entire match, which is nice to see. In about 96, 97 minutes of play, we gave up one shot on goal the entire game.” 

Greenville seemed to have little problem adjusting to the narrow pitch at Werner Park, and that was proven by their 13th minute goal. They’re a squad that loves to use the flanks, and when a Jesus Ibarra cross ended up at the feet of Marios Lomis, he made no mistake in stabbing it home off the volley. 

From there, the first half only had about half a chance for Union Omaha to score, with hardly any service into their reserve strike partnership of Nicolas Firmino and Austin Panchot. 66% possession resulted in only 5 shots, none on target. One of those shots came 30 seconds into the match, and another was a chested-down Conor Doyle volley with the last kick of the half. Between that? They got nothing going on the attack.

Mims wasted no time making changes, substituting both Evan Conway and Greg Hurst on for the full second half. While they didn’t immediately pay dividends on the scoreboard, the field definitely tilted towards the Greenville half early on. Conway especially provided a spark, combining with teammates and inching closer and closer to a goal. Once he missed on a 360 degree turn-and-fire by about a post’s width, though, the match was brought back down to a simmer.

Omaha retained possession well, but true chances were few and far between, or in Greg Hurst’s case, well offside. The defending title-holders bunkered down well after Evan Conway had his fun early in the second 45, and saw the game out in a professional, if occasionally cynical, manner. 

“It felt like we were going against 11 defenders the entire game… sometimes 12 defenders,” Coach Mims lamented. “It leaves a sour taste in your mouth after tonight, because of how frustrating the game went. But like I told the guys, sometimes you have to feel that frustration and feel that pain because there might be a chance to play a team like that again.”

The situation atop the table tightens up, between this result and Chattanooga’s win earlier in the day. The gap between first and second is merely a point, though Omaha carries a game in hand to be played in a week and a half’s time. Greenville themselves close up to 5 points behind Chattanooga for that second bye in the playoffs, and extend their unbeaten streak to six matches now. Omaha can still clinch a spot in the playoffs should North Texas SC fail to win against Richmond Kickers in their match on Sunday. 

“We’re not gonna let a good week get us down,” said Mims. “It’s tough when you have three games in about seven days. It’s very, very challenging, and for the boys to grab a huge win on the road and a huge mid-week win at home, we’ve put ourselves in a really good position.”

Union Omaha will keep their homestand rolling next weekend, with a full week’s rest this time. Not only that, but this next match will come against cellar-dwellers North Carolina FC. NCFC are not only on a four-match losing streak after falling at home in that match against Chattanooga, but have already been eliminated from an otherwise remarkably tight playoff race. The matchup against them will take place on Saturday October 16th at 6:00 PM CDT.

———

Union Omaha vs Greenville Triumph SC

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    0    0

Greenville Triumph                  1    0    1

Scoring Summary:

OMA: 

GVL: Marios Lomis 13’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Conor Doyle (Yellow Card) 72’, Tobias Otieno (Yellow Card) 78’

GVL: Andrew Booth (Yellow Card) 69’, Max Hemmings (Yellow Card) 88’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 13 (2); GVL: 7 (1) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 0; GVL: Paul Christensen – 2 

Possession: OMA 67.6% – GVL 32.4%

Fouls: OMA 18; GVL 16 

Corner Kicks: OMA 6; GVL 4 

Attendance: 3,884

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader; D, Osumanu; D, Knutson (Molina 84’); D, Sousa; M, Scearce (Alihodžić 75’); M, Otieno; M, Doyle; M, Boyce; F, Firmino (Hurst 45’); F, Panchot (Conway 45’)

GVL: GK, Christensen; D, Polak; D, Lee; D, Fricke; D, Mohamed; M, Walker; M, Hemmings; M, Booth (Murillo 90+5’); F, Gavilanes; F, Lomis (Goodall 81’); F, Ibarra (McLean 45’)

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – Union Omaha went into tonight without a win from a losing position this season. That seems hard to believe after a comprehensive victory against Fort Lauderdale CF, where an early goal for the visitors was quickly offset by an offensive onslaught from the Owls. 

After conceding a 24th minute opener far too easily, Evan Conway and Greg Hurst proceeded to play a game of HORSE, both slotting shots home from the right edge of the 6-yard box to give Omaha the lead going into the half. From there, they poured it on with two more and a crackdown on defense to cruise to victory.

Omaha came out of the gates with purpose, and through 20 minutes or so had wrested control of the match, even taking a slight lead in possession. Fort Lauderdale, though, punched them in the mouth through sheer verticality. A long ball down the left flank found Mitchell Curry, who proceeded to put Illal Osumanu in the spin cycle with his footwork. From there, his cross set up Shaan Hundal with the easiest goal of his lifetime after completely losing his marker in Daltyn Knutson.

“We’ve definitely had better starts to the game this year,” Head Coach Jay Mims said post-match, with a wry smile. “We were a little bit flat, and it was kind of one of those weird mid-week games. The first 10 or 15 minutes was tough.”

The Owls simply took a few minutes to compose themselves before imposing their will once more. Fort Lauderdale is a team that prefers to play out of the back, direct goal aside, but had massive struggles with composure against Union Omaha’s pressing. Throughout the match they were giving the ball away in bad spots, or struggling to clear their lines when Omaha threatened. 

It was typically direct play that netted the equalizer, though. Devin Boyce, coming off three assists in South Georgia, flipped the switches on his afterburners to plow straight through the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s midfield. He slid it to Greg Hurst next, who tiptoed along the edge of the box before the ball found Evan Conway, and in his current form, that was all he needed was a touch in the box. He now has a goal in all four matches against the Floridians in his career.

Greg Hurst then saw that and decided it looked like fun as well. Fort Lauderdale hardly cleared a ball crossed into the box, and lovely one-touch and two-touch passing worked it to Hurst on the right, who lifted it into the roof of the net to give Union Omaha the 2-1 advantage.

Coach Mims summed up the turnaround nicely: “You kind of have two options at that point [of being down a goal]. You can either feel sorry for yourself, lose your confidence, and have to be in a fight the whole game, or you say ‘Come on, let’s go and kick someone’s ass, and let’s get after it.’ And our guys chose option two.”

The match effectively ended once option two yielded that many goals, but the scoring did not. Tobias Otieno’s lung-busting run down the right flank was made well worth it when Fort Lauderdale defender Ethan Hardin knocked it down for Devin Boyce like a Union Omaha sleeper agent. Boyce’s rocket into the far corner made it 3-1. Greg Hurst would make it 4 with a defender glued to his shoulder on a textbook counter off a corner kick.  Hurst's goal not only put the match out of reach but also gave the Owls back-to-back four goal matches. From there began the substitutions to rest players for the weekend ahead. Omaha would create more great chances while completely shutting their Floridian foes down, but apparently four goals was enough.

“That was awesome to watch. What a response from our guys. Incredible response,” said Coach Mims. “For us to be down and then come back and hit them with four goals? So happy.”

This win means that Union Omaha will clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win on Saturday against Greenville Triumph. With a game in hand still thanks to their postponed match against Forward Madison, they’re also now 4 points up on Chattanooga at the summit of USL League One. Fort Lauderdale will stay 11th in the table, with their playoff hopes dimming by the matchday on this five-match winless streak.

The Owls are roosting in Omaha for a while yet. For the next four matches, they’ll remain in Werner Park, taking them through to a season finale down in Texas. They have a quick turnaround to another match mere days away, though, as next on the agenda is a face-off against Greenville Triumph. This match will be on Saturday, October 9th, at 6:00 PM CDT. 

 

———
 

Union Omaha vs Fort Lauderdale CF

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          2    2    4

Fort Lauderdale CF                 1    0    1

 

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Evan Conway 35’, Greg Hurst 43’, 58’, Devin Boyce 49’

FTL: Shaan Hundal 24’

 

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Conor Doyle (Yellow Card) 70’

FTL: 

 

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 21 (9); FTL: 11 (3) 

Saves: OMA: Kevin Piedrahita – 2; FTL: Drake Callender – 5 

Possession: OMA 51.0% – FTL 49.0%

Fouls: OMA 8; FTL 9 

Corner Kicks: OMA 7; FTL 5 

Attendance: 3,162

 

Lineups

OMA: GK, Piedrahita; D, Viader (Panchot 85’); D, Osumanu; D, Knutson; D, Sousa (Malone 60’); M, Scearce; M, Otieno; M, Doyle; M, Boyce (Alihodžić, 73’); F, Conway (Galvan 74’); F, Hurst (Firmino 85’)

FTL: GK, Callender; D, Mendez; D, E. Hardin; D, Neville; D, Allen; M, Azcona (D. Hardin 79’); M, Caputo; M, Acosta (Najib 61’); F, Beckham (Evans 61’); F, Hundal (Valencia 79’); F, Curry

 

All game stats are unofficial.

PAPILLION, Neb. – Union Omaha went into tonight without a win from a losing position this season. That seems hard to believe after a comprehensive victory against Fort Lauderdale CF, where an early goal for the visitors was quickly offset by an offensive onslaught from the Owls. 

After conceding a 24th minute opener far too easily, Evan Conway and Greg Hurst proceeded to play a game of HORSE, both slotting shots home from the right edge of the 6-yard box to give Omaha the lead going into the half. From there, they poured it on with two more and a crackdown on defense to cruise to victory.

Omaha came out of the gates with purpose, and through 20 minutes or so had wrested control of the match, even taking a slight lead in possession. Fort Lauderdale, though, punched them in the mouth through sheer verticality. A long ball down the left flank found Mitchell Curry, who proceeded to put Illal Osumanu in the spin cycle with his footwork. From there, his cross set up Shaan Hundal with the easiest goal of his lifetime after completely losing his marker in Daltyn Knutson.

“We’ve definitely had better starts to the game this year,” Head Coach Jay Mims said post-match, with a wry smile. “We were a little bit flat, and it was kind of one of those weird mid-week games. The first 10 or 15 minutes was tough.”

The Owls simply took a few minutes to compose themselves before imposing their will once more. Fort Lauderdale is a team that prefers to play out of the back, direct goal aside, but had massive struggles with composure against Union Omaha’s pressing. Throughout the match they were giving the ball away in bad spots, or struggling to clear their lines when Omaha threatened. 

It was typically direct play that netted the equalizer, though. Devin Boyce, coming off three assists in South Georgia, flipped the switches on his afterburners to plow straight through the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s midfield. He slid it to Greg Hurst next, who tiptoed along the edge of the box before the ball found Evan Conway, and in his current form, that was all he needed was a touch in the box. He now has a goal in all four matches against the Floridians in his career.

Greg Hurst then saw that and decided it looked like fun as well. Fort Lauderdale hardly cleared a ball crossed into the box, and lovely one-touch and two-touch passing worked it to Hurst on the right, who lifted it into the roof of the net to give Union Omaha the 2-1 advantage.

Coach Mims summed up the turnaround nicely: “You kind of have two options at that point [of being down a goal]. You can either feel sorry for yourself, lose your confidence, and have to be in a fight the whole game, or you say ‘Come on, let’s go and kick someone’s ass, and let’s get after it.’ And our guys chose option two.”

The match effectively ended once option two yielded that many goals, but the scoring did not. Tobias Otieno’s lung-busting run down the right flank was made well worth it when Fort Lauderdale defender Ethan Hardin knocked it down for Devin Boyce like a Union Omaha sleeper agent. Boyce’s rocket into the far corner made it 3-1. Greg Hurst would make it 4 with a defender glued to his shoulder on a textbook counter off a corner kick.  Hurst’s goal not only put the match out of reach but also gave the Owls back-to-back four goal matches. From there began the substitutions to rest players for the weekend ahead. Omaha would create more great chances while completely shutting their Floridian foes down, but apparently four goals was enough.

“That was awesome to watch. What a response from our guys. Incredible response,” said Coach Mims. “For us to be down and then come back and hit them with four goals? So happy.”

This win means that Union Omaha will clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win on Saturday against Greenville Triumph. With a game in hand still thanks to their postponed match against Forward Madison, they’re also now 4 points up on Chattanooga at the summit of USL League One. Fort Lauderdale will stay 11th in the table, with their playoff hopes dimming by the matchday on this five-match winless streak.

The Owls are roosting in Omaha for a while yet. For the next four matches, they’ll remain in Werner Park, taking them through to a season finale down in Texas. They have a quick turnaround to another match mere days away, though, as next on the agenda is a face-off against Greenville Triumph. This match will be on Saturday, October 9th, at 6:00 PM CDT. 

 

———
 

Union Omaha vs Fort Lauderdale CF

Werner Park (Papillion, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          2    2    4

Fort Lauderdale CF                 1    0    1

 

Scoring Summary:

OMA: Evan Conway 35’, Greg Hurst 43’, 58’, Devin Boyce 49’

FTL: Shaan Hundal 24’

 

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Conor Doyle (Yellow Card) 70’

FTL: 

 

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 21 (9); FTL: 11 (3) 

Saves: OMA: Kevin Piedrahita – 2; FTL: Drake Callender – 5 

Possession: OMA 51.0% – FTL 49.0%

Fouls: OMA 8; FTL 9 

Corner Kicks: OMA 7; FTL 5 

Attendance: 3,162

 

Lineups

OMA: GK, Piedrahita; D, Viader (Panchot 85’); D, Osumanu; D, Knutson; D, Sousa (Malone 60’); M, Scearce; M, Otieno; M, Doyle; M, Boyce (Alihodžić, 73’); F, Conway (Galvan 74’); F, Hurst (Firmino 85’)

FTL: GK, Callender; D, Mendez; D, E. Hardin; D, Neville; D, Allen; M, Azcona (D. Hardin 79’); M, Caputo; M, Acosta (Najib 61’); F, Beckham (Evans 61’); F, Hundal (Valencia 79’); F, Curry

 

All game stats are unofficial.

After a September that ran the gamut of results, Union Omaha comes into the final month of the regular season with a full head of steam again. A 4-0 win at South Georgia Tormenta FC washed away the stink of a loss to FC Tucson less than a week prior, and then some. With Chattanooga Red Wolves having lost two straight, there’s a real opportunity to put the top spot in the standings on lock… if they can keep their energy levels up. Union Omaha have only 22 games played, with some clubs having as many as 25. This is one of seven matches in October, so they’ll need to ride their momentum and keep something left in the tank for the playoffs.

EVAN BETTER THAN BEFORE

Remember when we talked about Evan Conway in the last match preview? Let me catch you up: star player last season, leading the team in goals. Started this season hot, then injured for several months. He took a few matches to bed in, but started getting on the scoresheet again… and, well, let’s say he might now be looking for a house down in sunny Statesboro, Georgia. A hat trick against Tormenta FC put it beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s returned, and in comprehensive fashion. His first goal displayed the glue he uses to stick the ball to his feet. His second was an audacious, downright arrogant strike from 30 yards out. His third showed keen off-the-ball movement and a classy half-volley finish. Evan Conway is back.

ON THE REBOUND

An important mark of a team is how they respond after a loss. Are they streaky enough to let it start a slide? In 2020, the Owls only lost three matches all season… but they were all in a row. The opposite is, as Ted Lasso tells us, to be a goldfish. To have that short-term memory, move on, and come back strong the next game. Again, Union Omaha has three losses on the season. Their first two were followed by gritty draws against reserve sides from Toronto and Dallas, then a pair of wins, away and then home. After their most recent defeat, though, they did one better: thrashing their fellow birds from South Georgia, on their home turf no less. Omaha may be sitting pretty in the standings, but that ability to rebound could save their season at any point.

SERIES HISTORY

Predictably, given the radically different fortunes of these two clubs, Union Omaha’s record against Fort Lauderdale is spotless. Both wins against Fort Lauderdale in 2020 came from late goals, though, with an 84th minute winner by Ethan Vanacore-Decker one-upped in the season finale by Evan Conway’s half-volley in the 91st to steal three points. Their matchup in Florida this season was decidedly less dramatic, a 2-0 victory for Los Búhos despite only 39% possession. Conway has found the net in each of these three matches.

ABOUT FORT LAUDERDALE CF

Fort Lauderdale CF hasn’t quite had as turbulent an existence as their parent club, Inter Miami CF, but their place in the standings has been eerily similar. Both clubs ended up 10th in their respective tables last season, Miami in the East of the MLS and Fort Lauderdale in USL League One. This year, they each linger in 11th, struggling with porous defenses. The last win Fort Lauderdale netted, like Omaha, was also against Tormenta FC, but they’ve played four matches in the interim – the most recent being a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Greenville thanks to a 91st-minute own goal. If there was ever motivation to bounce back from a loss, that would be it.

After a September that ran the gamut of results, Union Omaha comes into the final month of the regular season with a full head of steam again. A 4-0 win at South Georgia Tormenta FC washed away the stink of a loss to FC Tucson less than a week prior, and then some. With Chattanooga Red Wolves having lost two straight, there’s a real opportunity to put the top spot in the standings on lock… if they can keep their energy levels up. Union Omaha have only 22 games played, with some clubs having as many as 25. This is one of seven matches in October, so they’ll need to ride their momentum and keep something left in the tank for the playoffs.

EVAN BETTER THAN BEFORE

Remember when we talked about Evan Conway in the last match preview? Let me catch you up: star player last season, leading the team in goals. Started this season hot, then injured for several months. He took a few matches to bed in, but started getting on the scoresheet again… and, well, let’s say he might now be looking for a house down in sunny Statesboro, Georgia. A hat trick against Tormenta FC put it beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s returned, and in comprehensive fashion. His first goal displayed the glue he uses to stick the ball to his feet. His second was an audacious, downright arrogant strike from 30 yards out. His third showed keen off-the-ball movement and a classy half-volley finish. Evan Conway is back.

ON THE REBOUND

An important mark of a team is how they respond after a loss. Are they streaky enough to let it start a slide? In 2020, the Owls only lost three matches all season… but they were all in a row. The opposite is, as Ted Lasso tells us, to be a goldfish. To have that short-term memory, move on, and come back strong the next game. Again, Union Omaha has three losses on the season. Their first two were followed by gritty draws against reserve sides from Toronto and Dallas, then a pair of wins, away and then home. After their most recent defeat, though, they did one better: thrashing their fellow birds from South Georgia, on their home turf no less. Omaha may be sitting pretty in the standings, but that ability to rebound could save their season at any point.

SERIES HISTORY

Predictably, given the radically different fortunes of these two clubs, Union Omaha’s record against Fort Lauderdale is spotless. Both wins against Fort Lauderdale in 2020 came from late goals, though, with an 84th minute winner by Ethan Vanacore-Decker one-upped in the season finale by Evan Conway’s half-volley in the 91st to steal three points. Their matchup in Florida this season was decidedly less dramatic, a 2-0 victory for Los Búhos despite only 39% possession. Conway has found the net in each of these three matches.

ABOUT FORT LAUDERDALE CF

Fort Lauderdale CF hasn’t quite had as turbulent an existence as their parent club, Inter Miami CF, but their place in the standings has been eerily similar. Both clubs ended up 10th in their respective tables last season, Miami in the East of the MLS and Fort Lauderdale in USL League One. This year, they each linger in 11th, struggling with porous defenses. The last win Fort Lauderdale netted, like Omaha, was also against Tormenta FC, but they’ve played four matches in the interim – the most recent being a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Greenville thanks to a 91st-minute own goal. If there was ever motivation to bounce back from a loss, that would be it.

OMAHA, Neb. September 25, 2021 – The far more open pitch of Morrison Stadium did not quite provide a home turf advantage, as a high-strung affair ended in Union Omaha’s first home loss of the season despite a raucous feel both on and off the pitch. 

The Owls stumbled out of the gates with a penalty kick given up merely five minutes in, and the resulting affair was tense, tempestuous, and utterly frustrating for Omaha as FC Tucson whittled the minutes away after an early penalty kick.

“It was an incredible atmosphere, absolutely incredible,” said Head Coach Jay Mims, after thanking all the supporters who came to Morrison Stadium to contribute to that. While the goal never came for Union Omaha, he heaped praise on their effort and fight to get back into the match. It was such that he prognosticated a 3-1 win if a late penalty kick for his side had equalized.

A phenomenal low cross to Maxi Schenfeld for the opening goal was wiped out because of a shove on Creighton alumnus Noah Franke, incensing both clubs just five minutes into the match. In a case of “ball don’t lie,” Charlie Dennis sent Rashid Nuhu the wrong way for a cool fourth goal in two matches. 

The physicality ramped up from there, with bodies flying and tempers on a simmer especially in the few minutes directly following that Tucson goal. Conor Doyle earned himself a yellow card to test the ref’s bounds, and it wouldn’t be the last in this match.

Omaha created chances in the wake of that opener, though, really showing a fervor to get back on level terms. They very well could have had it, too, but a pair of offside calls on Greg Hurst in quick succession thwarted those moves before they could prove fatal to Tucson’s defense. Damià Viader was doing what he does to provide for the front two, whose interplay was good but not great, and the first half went by without a second breakthrough for either club.

The second half picked up where the first left off, and only saw tensions rise from there between the two upper-table teams. The match was littered with frustration fouls and cynicism from both sides. That’s not quite a surprise when Tucson’s goalkeeper was warned for time wasting in the 35th minute, but it was very much a consistent theme. 

Coach Mims credited Tucson for carrying out their plan. “They fought and fought and fought, and they blocked… I don’t know how many shots. They defended for their lives, like you should when you’re up 1-0 on the road.” 

Omaha, however, wasn’t quite threatening Tucson’s defense as they were prior. The tension in Morrison Stadium built as Tucson did everything they could to hold the lead, and even as the fouls and bookings piled up it was nothing doing for the majority of the second half.

A lifeline was delivered, though, after the 80th minute. Evan Conway, slid through by a slick Conor Doyle pass, worked Kaelon Fox and drew a stone-cold penalty out of him. Damià Viader stepped up to take it, confident in producing yet another moment of magic for Union Omaha. Yet, his take rattled the right post, brushed over the Tucson keeper’s foot, and stayed clear of the netting. 

From there, Tucson battened down the hatches until victory was secured, even despite eight minutes of stoppage time. 

“Our guys played our hearts out. Only thing missing was the goal” said Mims, with a deep sigh. The team as a whole, and indeed the supporters departing Morrison Stadium, will be catching their breath after such a fretful affair. 

The good news is that Chattanooga Red Wolves, after going down to ten men, capitulated at the death to New England Revolution II. So, despite a backwards affair that showed the league’s best offense locking things down for an entire match, the status quo has been held atop the table, with Union Omaha two points back with two games in hand. FC Tucson moves up to third in the table, meanwhile, extending their unbeaten streak to seven matches.

Union Omaha has an interesting slate ahead of them to finish off the season. They’ll hit the road for a visit to South Georgia Tormenta FC, but will then return to Werner Park for five straight home matches before one last away game to end the regular season. Omaha hasn’t faced Tormenta FC since the opening matchday of the season, where they won 2-0 at home in Werner Park. This match will take place on Friday, October 1st at 8:00 PM CDT. They’ll continue to mirror the start of the season by facing Fort Lauderdale CF next, on Wednesday, October 6th at 7:00 PM CDT in Omaha.

———

Union Omaha vs FC Tucson

Morrison Stadium (Omaha, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    0    0

FC Tucson                               1    0    1

Scoring Summary:

OMA: 

TUC: Charlie Dennis 7’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Connor Doyle (Yellow Card) 11‘, Amir Alihodžić (Yellow Card) 32’

TUC: Luca Mastrantonio (Yellow Card) 51’, Shak Adams (Yellow Card) 56’, Giovanni Calixtro (Yellow Card) 76’, Mohamed Kone (Yellow Card) 80’, Maxi Schenfeld (Yellow Card) 87’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 18 (1); TUC: 8 (6) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 5; TUC: Wallis Lapsley – 1 

Possession: OMA 58.7% – TUC 41.3%

Fouls: OMA 15; TUC 16 

Corner Kicks: OMA 6; TUC 1 

Attendance: 2,217

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader (Firmino 90’); D, Osumanu; D, Malone; D, Sousa; M, Scearce; M, Alihodžić (Molina 77’); M, Doyle; M, Boyce (Otieno 77’); F, Conway; F, Hurst

TUC: GK, Lapsley; D, Schenfeld (Pena 89’); D, Fox; D, Mastrantonio; D, Franke; M, Kone; M, Delgado (Barnathan 80); M, Dennis (Bedoya 90+1’); F, Corfe (Perez 79’); F, Calixtro; F, Adams (Rodriguez 79’)

 

All game stats are unofficial.

OMAHA, Neb. September 25, 2021 – The far more open pitch of Morrison Stadium did not quite provide a home turf advantage, as a high-strung affair ended in Union Omaha’s first home loss of the season despite a raucous feel both on and off the pitch. 

The Owls stumbled out of the gates with a penalty kick given up merely five minutes in, and the resulting affair was tense, tempestuous, and utterly frustrating for Omaha as FC Tucson whittled the minutes away after an early penalty kick.

“It was an incredible atmosphere, absolutely incredible,” said Head Coach Jay Mims, after thanking all the supporters who came to Morrison Stadium to contribute to that. While the goal never came for Union Omaha, he heaped praise on their effort and fight to get back into the match. It was such that he prognosticated a 3-1 win if a late penalty kick for his side had equalized.

A phenomenal low cross to Maxi Schenfeld for the opening goal was wiped out because of a shove on Creighton alumnus Noah Franke, incensing both clubs just five minutes into the match. In a case of “ball don’t lie,” Charlie Dennis sent Rashid Nuhu the wrong way for a cool fourth goal in two matches. 

The physicality ramped up from there, with bodies flying and tempers on a simmer especially in the few minutes directly following that Tucson goal. Conor Doyle earned himself a yellow card to test the ref’s bounds, and it wouldn’t be the last in this match.

Omaha created chances in the wake of that opener, though, really showing a fervor to get back on level terms. They very well could have had it, too, but a pair of offside calls on Greg Hurst in quick succession thwarted those moves before they could prove fatal to Tucson’s defense. Damià Viader was doing what he does to provide for the front two, whose interplay was good but not great, and the first half went by without a second breakthrough for either club.

The second half picked up where the first left off, and only saw tensions rise from there between the two upper-table teams. The match was littered with frustration fouls and cynicism from both sides. That’s not quite a surprise when Tucson’s goalkeeper was warned for time wasting in the 35th minute, but it was very much a consistent theme. 

Coach Mims credited Tucson for carrying out their plan. “They fought and fought and fought, and they blocked… I don’t know how many shots. They defended for their lives, like you should when you’re up 1-0 on the road.” 

Omaha, however, wasn’t quite threatening Tucson’s defense as they were prior. The tension in Morrison Stadium built as Tucson did everything they could to hold the lead, and even as the fouls and bookings piled up it was nothing doing for the majority of the second half.

A lifeline was delivered, though, after the 80th minute. Evan Conway, slid through by a slick Conor Doyle pass, worked Kaelon Fox and drew a stone-cold penalty out of him. Damià Viader stepped up to take it, confident in producing yet another moment of magic for Union Omaha. Yet, his take rattled the right post, brushed over the Tucson keeper’s foot, and stayed clear of the netting. 

From there, Tucson battened down the hatches until victory was secured, even despite eight minutes of stoppage time. 

“Our guys played our hearts out. Only thing missing was the goal” said Mims, with a deep sigh. The team as a whole, and indeed the supporters departing Morrison Stadium, will be catching their breath after such a fretful affair. 

The good news is that Chattanooga Red Wolves, after going down to ten men, capitulated at the death to New England Revolution II. So, despite a backwards affair that showed the league’s best offense locking things down for an entire match, the status quo has been held atop the table, with Union Omaha two points back with two games in hand. FC Tucson moves up to third in the table, meanwhile, extending their unbeaten streak to seven matches.

Union Omaha has an interesting slate ahead of them to finish off the season. They’ll hit the road for a visit to South Georgia Tormenta FC, but will then return to Werner Park for five straight home matches before one last away game to end the regular season. Omaha hasn’t faced Tormenta FC since the opening matchday of the season, where they won 2-0 at home in Werner Park. This match will take place on Friday, October 1st at 8:00 PM CDT. They’ll continue to mirror the start of the season by facing Fort Lauderdale CF next, on Wednesday, October 6th at 7:00 PM CDT in Omaha.

———

Union Omaha vs FC Tucson

Morrison Stadium (Omaha, NE)

Goals by Half                          1    2    F

Union Omaha                          0    0    0

FC Tucson                               1    0    1

Scoring Summary:

OMA: 

TUC: Charlie Dennis 7’

Misconduct Summary:

OMA: Connor Doyle (Yellow Card) 11‘, Amir Alihodžić (Yellow Card) 32’

TUC: Luca Mastrantonio (Yellow Card) 51’, Shak Adams (Yellow Card) 56’, Giovanni Calixtro (Yellow Card) 76’, Mohamed Kone (Yellow Card) 80’, Maxi Schenfeld (Yellow Card) 87’

Statistical Summary:

Shots (on goal): OMA: 18 (1); TUC: 8 (6) 

Saves: OMA: Rashid Nuhu – 5; TUC: Wallis Lapsley – 1 

Possession: OMA 58.7% – TUC 41.3%

Fouls: OMA 15; TUC 16 

Corner Kicks: OMA 6; TUC 1 

Attendance: 2,217

Lineups

OMA: GK, Nuhu; D, Viader (Firmino 90’); D, Osumanu; D, Malone; D, Sousa; M, Scearce; M, Alihodžić (Molina 77’); M, Doyle; M, Boyce (Otieno 77’); F, Conway; F, Hurst

TUC: GK, Lapsley; D, Schenfeld (Pena 89’); D, Fox; D, Mastrantonio; D, Franke; M, Kone; M, Delgado (Barnathan 80); M, Dennis (Bedoya 90+1’); F, Corfe (Perez 79’); F, Calixtro; F, Adams (Rodriguez 79’)

 

All game stats are unofficial.

The Owls make a special flight downtown to Morrison Stadium and take on FC Tucson for our Hispanic Heritage Night. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and kick-off will be at 7 pm.

Take a look at everything you need to know before you go and the special activities you can expect. 

DIGITAL TICKETING
All tickets at Morrison Stadium are digital and can be accessed through your Creighton University Athletics Ticket Account. 
 
The Ticket Box Office will open at 4 p.m. on match days and is the only place where fans can get printed tickets.

Season ticket holders have been emailed digital credentials and will be seated on the West side of the stadium.  Email tickets@https://www.unionomaha.com if you did not receive your credential in your email.

All single game ticket purchases will be GA seating in the South, East, and North sides of the stadium.  

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Morrison Stadium will enforce a Clear Bag Policy for this match to expedite your stadium entry experience and reduce security screening interactions. 

• One clear bag – either a one-gallon Ziploc style bag or the 12" by 6" by 12" clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag – plus a small clutch approximately 4.5" x 6.5" in size.
• Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items and/or diaper bags after proper inspection and screening. 
• Guests can carry in blankets and jackets as long as they are readily available for screening at entry.

PARKING
Parking lots will open two hours prior to the start of the match and it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pre-purchased parking passes will be placed in Lot E. Field Level and Suite parking will be located in Lot S. Additional parking will be available in the surrounding area at a cost of $5 per vehicle. 


 
Vehicles cannot leave and re-enter Creighton lots without repayment and will lose original parking space. Fire and driving lanes must be kept clear at all times. 
 
Parking Prices
Parking Passes – $5
 
If you have a pre-paid parking pass, please have it ready when you pull up to the lot entrance
 
TAILGATING
Tailgating is permitted in all lots. However, tailgating festivities cannot extend into additional parking spaces. Alcoholic beverages are permitted at Creighton lots. Please use plastic cups for beverages, glass is not allowed.
 
Grilling is limited to specific areas in all lots and must be propane. All cooking equipment must be situated away from crowds, buildings, and combustible material. A minimum clearance distance of three feet from cooking equipment is required. No grills are to be left unattended at any time. Any equipment (chairs, tents, grills, etc.) left overnight will be removed. Trash and recycling bins will be available throughout Creighton lots. Please dispose of all trash and recyclables properly.

TEAM STORE
A limited selection of Union Omaha merchandise will be available at Morrison Stadium, including a limited edition Morrison Stadium t-shirt and poster. 
 
MASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING
Face coverings are not required inside Morrison Stadium. There are options to achieve social distancing. Please see the advanced ticket window to discuss your options.

Social distancing will be enforced throughout the stadium. Do not congregate on the concourse and keep your group seated appropriately within the seating bowl. 

MATCH DETAILS 

Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021  
Location: Morrison Stadium, 1804 California St., Omaha, NE 68102
Opponent: FC Tucson
Kick Off Time:  7 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Theme: Hispanic Heritage



Hashtags: #VivaBúhos #FlyWithTheOwls 

The Owls make a special flight downtown to Morrison Stadium and take on FC Tucson for our Hispanic Heritage Night. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and kick-off will be at 7 pm.

Take a look at everything you need to know before you go and the special activities you can expect. 

DIGITAL TICKETING
All tickets at Morrison Stadium are digital and can be accessed through your Creighton University Athletics Ticket Account. 
 
The Ticket Box Office will open at 4 p.m. on match days and is the only place where fans can get printed tickets.

Season ticket holders have been emailed digital credentials and will be seated on the West side of the stadium.  Email tickets@https://www.unionomaha.com if you did not receive your credential in your email.

All single game ticket purchases will be GA seating in the South, East, and North sides of the stadium.  

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Morrison Stadium will enforce a Clear Bag Policy for this match to expedite your stadium entry experience and reduce security screening interactions. 

• One clear bag – either a one-gallon Ziploc style bag or the 12″ by 6″ by 12″ clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag – plus a small clutch approximately 4.5″ x 6.5″ in size.
• Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items and/or diaper bags after proper inspection and screening. 
• Guests can carry in blankets and jackets as long as they are readily available for screening at entry.

PARKING
Parking lots will open two hours prior to the start of the match and it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pre-purchased parking passes will be placed in Lot E. Field Level and Suite parking will be located in Lot S. Additional parking will be available in the surrounding area at a cost of $5 per vehicle. 


 
Vehicles cannot leave and re-enter Creighton lots without repayment and will lose original parking space. Fire and driving lanes must be kept clear at all times. 
 
Parking Prices
Parking Passes – $5
 
If you have a pre-paid parking pass, please have it ready when you pull up to the lot entrance
 
TAILGATING
Tailgating is permitted in all lots. However, tailgating festivities cannot extend into additional parking spaces. Alcoholic beverages are permitted at Creighton lots. Please use plastic cups for beverages, glass is not allowed.
 
Grilling is limited to specific areas in all lots and must be propane. All cooking equipment must be situated away from crowds, buildings, and combustible material. A minimum clearance distance of three feet from cooking equipment is required. No grills are to be left unattended at any time. Any equipment (chairs, tents, grills, etc.) left overnight will be removed. Trash and recycling bins will be available throughout Creighton lots. Please dispose of all trash and recyclables properly.

TEAM STORE
A limited selection of Union Omaha merchandise will be available at Morrison Stadium, including a limited edition Morrison Stadium t-shirt and poster. 
 
MASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING
Face coverings are not required inside Morrison Stadium. There are options to achieve social distancing. Please see the advanced ticket window to discuss your options.

Social distancing will be enforced throughout the stadium. Do not congregate on the concourse and keep your group seated appropriately within the seating bowl. 

MATCH DETAILS 

Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021  
Location: Morrison Stadium, 1804 California St., Omaha, NE 68102
Opponent: FC Tucson
Kick Off Time:  7 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Theme: Hispanic Heritage



Hashtags: #VivaBúhos #FlyWithTheOwls