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Union Omaha

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Union Omaha
Full nameUnion Omaha Soccer Club
Nickname(s)The Owls, Los Búhos
FoundedMay 1, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-05-01)
StadiumWerner Park, Papillion, Nebraska
Capacity9,023
OwnerGary Green
Head coachDominic Casciato
LeagueUSL League One
20241st of 12
Playoffs: Champions
Websitewww.unionomaha.com/
Current season

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

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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]

Union Omaha made a deep run in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, entering in the second round and advancing to the quarterfinals as the last remaining third division team in the competition. In April, the Owls defeated Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC in a penalty shootout in the third round, becoming the first USL1 team to defeat an MLS team in U.S. Open Cup history.[6] After defeating fellow USL1 side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, Omaha played Minnesota United FC of MLS in the Round of 16 and won 2–1. They were the first third division team since Orlando City in 2013 to advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.[7][8] The club's run in the competition ended with a 6–0 defeat to hosts Sporting Kansas City in the quarterfinals; approximately 700 fans traveled from Omaha to attend the match at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.[9]

On January 25, 2024, the club announced their plans to build a dedicated soccer stadium in Downtown Omaha.[10][11] On November 17, 2024, Union Omaha won its second USL League One title, defeating Spokane Velocity FC 3-0.[12]

Crest

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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][13] 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. The logo was designed by Matthew Wolff.[14]

The star above the crest represents Union Omaha's first USL League One title, and was added following their 2021 title win.

Stadium

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Werner Park Entrance

The team plays in Werner Park, a baseball park south west of Omaha in the suburb of Papillion.[1][15][16] The Sarpy County owned stadium was opened thirteen years ago in 2011, and is shared with the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. 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.[17] Werner Park received additional locker rooms, field enhancements, and offices to accommodate the soccer operations. During the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, the team hosted Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC at Caniglia Field, located on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.[18]

New stadium

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In January 2024, the team announced plans to build a dedicated 7,000-seat stadium in the Riverfront area of east downtown Omaha along the Missouri River, southeast of the intersection of Abbott Drive and Riverfront Drive near the CHI Health Center and Charles Schwab Field. The stadium, with an estimated cost of $60 million, will be part of a planned $300 million housing and entertainment district, and is scheduled to open in spring 2026.[10]

Sponsorship

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Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2020 Nike CHI Health (home)
Nebraska Medicine (away)
2021–2022 XCancer
2023 Hummel
2024–present Centris Federal Credit Union

Uniform evolution

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Home: 2020–present

2020
2021–2022
2023
2024

Away: 2020–present

2020–2021
2021–2022
2022–2023
2023–2024
2024-

Players

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As of November 12, 2024[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF Haiti HAI Mechack Jérôme
3 DF United States USA Blake Malone
4 DF Italy ITA Luca Mastrantonio
5 DF Italy ITA Marco Milanese
7 MF United States USA Joe Gallardo
8 MF England ENG Nortei Nortey
9 MF Brazil BRA Pedro Dolabella
10 FW Cape Verde CPV Steevan Dos Santos
11 FW Bermuda BER Zeiko Lewis
13 DF United States USA Anderson Holt
15 MF United States USA Brandon Knapp
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 FW United States USA Mark Bronnik
20 DF United States USA Charlie Ostrem
21 FW Mexico MEX Aarón Gómez
23 MF Germany GER Max Schneider (on loan from Indy Eleven)
24 GK Ghana GHA Rashid Nuhu
26 MF United States USA Dion Acoff
27 DF South Sudan SSD Ryen Jiba
33 FW France FRA Adam Aoumaich
36 GK United States USA Wallis Lapsley
70 MF United States USA Lagos Kunga
77 DF Ghana GHA Isaac Bawa
99 MF United States USA Missael Rodríguez (on loan from Chicago Fire)

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF United States USA Will Perkins (on loan at Huntsville City FC)

Staff

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Current staff

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Coaching staff
England Dominic Casciato Head coach
South Sudan Ladulé Lako LoSarah Assistant coach
Colombia Vincenzo Candela Assistant coach
Front Office
United States Martie Cordaro President
United States Alexis Boulos General Manager

Statistics and records

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Year-by-year

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As of November 17, 2024
Season USL League One Playoffs US Open Cup Top Scorer
P W D L GF GA Pts PPG Position Player Goals
2020 16 8 5 3 20 15 29 1.81 2nd F Cancelled United States Evan Conway 6
2021 28 14 9 5 44 22 51 1.82 1st W Cancelled Scotland Greg Hurst 14
2022 30 10 13 7 34 33 43 1.43 5th QF QF United States Noe Meza 9
2023 32 19 8 5 61 41 65 2.03 1st SF Third Round Cape Verde Steevan Dos Santos 13
2024 22 15 3 4 47 24 48 2.18 1st W Ro32 Brazil Pedro Dolabella 11
Total 128 66 38 24 206 135 236 1.84 – – – United States Noe Meza 23

Head coaches record

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As of September 7, 2024
  • Includes Regular Season, Playoffs, Jägermeister Cup, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies.
Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win%
Jay Mims  United States May 1, 2019 December 16, 2022 82 38 27 17 115 82 046.34
Dominic Casciato  England January 17, 2023 Present 62 37 10 15 124 84 059.68

Average attendance

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Year Reg. Season Playoffs
2020 2,500 –
2021 3,354 4,414
2022 3,911 –
2023 3,030 2,217
2024 3,206 3,716

Honors

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  • USL League One Playoffs
  • USL League One Regular Season

Individual honors

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Year Player Country Position Honor
2020 Evan Conway United States United States Midfielder All-League First Team
Damià Viader Spain Spain Defender All-League First Team
Ethan Vanacore-Decker United States United States Forward All-League Second Team
Assists Champion
Rashid Nuhu Ghana Ghana Goalkeeper All-League Second Team
2021 Damià Viader Spain Spain Defender Defender of the Year
All-League First Team
League Finals MVP
Rashid Nuhu Ghana Ghana Goalkeeper Goalkeeper of the Year
Golden Glove Award
All-League Second Team
Greg Hurst Scotland Scotland Forward All-League First Team
Devin Boyce United States United States Midfielder All-League Second Team
Evan Conway United States United States Forward All-League Second Team
2022 Rashid Nuhu Ghana Ghana Goalkeeper Golden Glove Award
Goalkeeper of the Year Award
All-League First Team
JP Scearce United States United States Midfielder All-League First Team
2023 Dominic Casciato[20] England England Coach Coach of the Year
JP Scearce[21] United States United States Midfielder All-League First Team
Alexis Souahy[21] Comoros Comoros Defender All-League First Team
Steevan Dos Santos[21] Cape Verde Cape Verde Forward All-League Second Team
Noe Meza[21] United States United States Forward All-League Second Team
Dion Acoff[21] United States United States Defender All-League Second Team
2024 Dominic Casciato[22] England England Coach Coach of the Year
Pedro Dolabella[23] Brazil Brazil Midfielder All-League First Team

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ WOWT (May 2019). "USL League One comes to Omaha". www.wowt.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Smith, Rex (October 29, 2020). "Championship game canceled after multiple Union Omaha players test positive for COVID-19". WOWT. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  4. ^ Shinzel, Gene (October 23, 2021). "2021 USL League One season". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Union Omaha wins first USL League One title in Owls' second season". Omaha World Herald. November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Sigal, Jonathan (April 19, 2022). "Ezra Hendrickson reprimands Chicago Fire FC after US Open Cup exit to Union Omaha". MLSsoccer.com.
  7. ^ "Union Omaha advances into the quarterfinals of U.S. Open Cup". June 2022.
  8. ^ "Orlando City's U.S. Open Cup History". June 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Sperry, Daniel (June 22, 2022). "Sporting Kansas City routs Union Omaha to reach Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Alliance Sports Announces Vision for Union Omaha With Cutting-Edge Stadium" (Press release). Union Omaha. January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  11. ^ Crisler, Dan (January 25, 2024). "New soccer stadium, mixed-use district planned for north downtown Omaha". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  12. ^ Sottile, Matt (November 17, 2024). "Union Omaha wins USL League One title". Omaha, NE. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Northam, Mitchell (May 2, 2019). "USL League One expanding to Omaha, Nebraska in 2020". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Ristau, Reece (October 3, 2019). "Introducing Union Omaha: Pro soccer team unveils colors, crest, name ahead of city's USL debut". Omaha.com. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  15. ^ Peters, Chris (May 2019). "Pro soccer is coming to Omaha: New team will begin play at Werner Park in 2020". Omaha.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Star, Lincoln Journal (May 2019). "Omaha lands USL soccer franchise, will begin play in 2020". JournalStar.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  17. ^ "ROYALS' NEW BALLPARK: Sarpy's funding plan is complex". Omaha World Herald. June 2, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  18. ^ "2022 US Open Cup Round 4: Union Omaha $25,000 richer after win over Northern Colorado Hailstorm". thecup.us. May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  19. ^ "Roster". Union Omaha. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  20. ^ "Omaha's Dominic Casciato voted 2023 USL League One Coach of the Year". www.USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c d e "USL League One Announces 2023 All-League Teams". www.USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. October 31, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  22. ^ "Union Omaha's Dominic Casciato voted 2024 USL League One Coach of the Year". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  23. ^ "USL League One Announces 2024 All-League Teams". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
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