Union Omaha
Full name | Union Omaha Soccer Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Owls, Los Búhos | ||
Founded | May 1, 2019 | ||
Stadium | Werner Park, Papillion, Nebraska | ||
Capacity | 9,023 | ||
Owner | Gary Green | ||
Head coach | Jay Mims | ||
League | USL League One | ||
2021 | USL League One, 1st of 12 Playoffs: Champions | ||
Website | Club website | ||
| |||
Union Omaha Soccer Club is an American professional soccer team based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2020, the team made its debut in USL League One (USL1).
History[]
In 2019, USL1 awarded a franchise to Alliance Omaha Soccer Holdings to begin play in the 2020 season,[1] with former head coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Jay Mims, announced as the club's first manager.[1][2] Union Omaha finished 2020 in second place to qualify for the USL1 championship game. However, the match was canceled due to an outbreak of COVID-19 within the team's roster.[3]
By defeating the Richmond Kickers 2–0 in the second to last match of the 2021 season, the Owls became the USL League One regular-season champions and clinched the top seed for the playoffs.[4] Union Omaha then finished the season winning their first ever championship, beating defending champion Greenville Triumph SC 3–0 in the final.[5]
Crest[]
The team's name and crest were developed through fan engagement including town halls, workshops, interviews, and online polls to reflect the entire Omaha region.[1][6] In a bid to stay true to the roots of both the state and city, the team announced on October 3, 2019, the new name as a nod to the Union Pacific Railroad, with the great horned owl, a species of owl native to Nebraska, being the prominent focal point of the club's crest.[7]
Stadium[]
The team plays in Werner Park, a baseball park south west of Omaha in the suburb of Papillion.[1][8][9] The Sarpy County owned stadium was opened eleven years ago in 2011, and is shared with the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Triple-A East. The ballpark cost $36 million to construct and is located near 126th Street and Highway 370, less than three miles (5 km) west of Papillion in unincorporated Sarpy County.[10] Werner Park received additional locker rooms, field enhancements, and offices to accommodate the soccer operations.
Sponsorship[]
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|
2020 | Nike | CHI Health (home) Nebraska Medicine (away) |
2021–present | XCancer |
Players[]
- As of October 31, 2021[11]
No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
---|---|---|---|
2 | MF | Emir Alihodžić | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
3 | DF | Damià Viader | Spain |
5 | MF | Tobias Otieno | Kenya |
8 | MF | John Murphy | United States |
10 | MF | Nicolas Firmino | Brazil |
12 | MF | Austin Panchot | United States |
13 | DF | Daltyn Knutson | United States |
14 | MF | Christian Molina | El Salvador |
15 | FW | Elma N'For | Cameroon |
17 | MF | JP Scearce | United States |
18 | DF | Blake Malone (on loan from Orange County SC) | United States |
19 | FW | Ricardo Rivera | Puerto Rico |
22 | MF | Conor Doyle | United States |
24 | GK | Rashid Nuhu | Ghana |
28 | DF | Illal Osumanu | Ghana |
30 | MF | Yoskar Galvan-Mercado ([A]) | United States |
33 | GK | Kevin Piedrahita | United States |
- ^ USL Academy Contract
Staff[]
Current staff[]
Coaching staff | |
---|---|
Jay Mims | Head coach |
Bobby Murphy | Assistant coach |
Daniel Galvis | Goalkeeping coach |
Sport management and organization | |
Martie Cordaro | President |
General Manager | |
James Cahilellis | Director of Soccer Operations |
Statistics and records[]
Year-by-year[]
- As of October 24, 2020
Season | USL League One | Playoffs | US Open Cup | Top Scorer | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | ||||
2020 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 29 | 2nd | League Final | Cancelled | Evan Conway | 6 | |
2021 | 28 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 22 | 51 | 1st | Champion | Cancelled | Greg Hurst | 14 |
Head coaches record[]
- As of October 24, 2020
- Includes Regular Season, Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies.
Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jay Mims | United States | May 1, 2019 | Present | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 16 | 50.00 |
Average attendance[]
Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
---|---|---|
2020 | – | – |
Honors[]
Player honors[]
Year | Player | Country | Position | Honor |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Evan Conway | United States | Midfielder | All-League First Team |
Damià Viader | Spain | Defender | All-League First Team | |
Ethan Vanacore-Decker | United States | Forward | All-League Second Team Assists Champion | |
Rashid Nuhu | Ghana | Goalkeeper | All-League Second Team | |
2021 | Damià Viader | Spain | Defender | Defender of the Year All-League First Team League Finals MVP |
Rashid Nuhu | Ghana | Goalkeeper | Goalkeeper of the Year Golden Glove Award All-League Second Team | |
Greg Hurst | Scotland | Forward | All-League First Team | |
Devin Boyce | United States | Midfielder | All-League Second Team | |
Evan Conway | United States | Forward | All-League Second Team |
References[]
- ^ a b c d USLLeagueOne com Staff (May 1, 2019). "Omaha Unveiled as USL League One's Newest Club". USL League One. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ^ WOWT. "USL League One comes to Omaha". www.wowt.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Rex (October 29, 2020). "Championship game canceled after multiple Union Omaha players test positive for COVID-19". WOWT. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ Shinzel, Gene (October 23, 2021). "2021 USL League One season". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Union Omaha wins first USL League One title in Owls' second season". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ Northam, Mitchell; USA, Pro Soccer (May 2, 2019). "USL League One expanding to Omaha, Nebraska in 2020". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ Ristau, Reece. "Introducing Union Omaha: Pro soccer team unveils colors, crest, name ahead of city's USL debut". Omaha.com. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ Peters, Chris. "Pro soccer is coming to Omaha: New team will begin play at Werner Park in 2020". Omaha.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ Star, Lincoln Journal. "Omaha lands USL soccer franchise, will begin play in 2020". JournalStar.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ "ROYALS' NEW BALLPARK: Sarpy's funding plan is complex". Omaha World Herald. June 2, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ "Roster". Union Omaha. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
External links[]
- Union Omaha
- USL League One teams
- Association football clubs established in 2019
- 2019 establishments in Nebraska
- Sports in Omaha, Nebraska
- Soccer clubs in Nebraska