Omaha, Nebr. (Sept 16, 2026) – With local students making a racket in the stands for this noon kickoff, Union Omaha put on a clinic in how to start a match. The Owls rode two goals in the opening ten minutes through to the end, despite a late push by Spokane to claw back into it.
“I think these games are all about having the right mentality,” said right-back Younes Boudadi. “We were happy to have a great crowd out, as it’s usually not like that in early games, so that really helped us. We started with the right energy, and that’s what we emphasized before the game: starting right, scoring early, and controlling the game from there.”
Boudadi started off the first goal’s move by jinking and driving down the right flank before finding Adrian Billhardt in the box. Billhardt’s cutback was perfect for Laurence Wootton to sweep home for his first goal with the Owls after 63 matches.
Just minutes later, Boudadi floated in a cross for an uncontested Aarón Gómez just outside the six-yard box. Gómez rose to it and nodded a perfectly placed header past a flailing Sean Lewis and into the side netting. That made it two shots and two goals for Union Omaha as Spokane convened with a group huddle on the spot to regroup from that calamitous start.
All this, of course, took place amidst the din of busloads of local students who got time off school to learn about the beautiful game.
“It was wonderful,” said Head Coach Vincenzo Candela of the atmosphere. “We’ve had these games the last couple years, so the guys that have been around and played in them knew what to expect routine-wise. We know the noises are a little bit different with all the wonderful kiddos in the stands, and you could feel that energy and passion. I think that’s why we came out flying in the first half.”
The match did settle from there, until another flashpoint late in the first half when Ibrahim Covi went in late on Sami Guediri in pursuit of the ball. His rash challenge would result in a red card, making it the third straight Union Omaha match with a player sent off for either side.
The second half, however, somewhat began to mirror Omaha’s win in Corpus Christi over the previous weekend, with 10-man Spokane finding their footing and slowly gaining confidence throughout proceedings. Coach Candela attributed it to a false sense of security, as well as Spokane’s mentality in trying to claw back a result.
“We didn’t establish possession in the final third as much as we wanted to and slowed the pace down too much, letting them get confidence to get back into the game. That’s something we need to learn from as well, but then, our resilience on defense was wonderful, with the workrate and all the duels we won. The goals that we scored were beautiful, too. All the credit to the guys on a short week with short rest to come out firing and get a win against a great Spokane team,” said Candela.
Spokane would indeed pull a goal back in the 67th minute not long after a corner kick. Nick Spielman’s point-blank header was saved by Rashid Nuhu, but Derek Waldeck wheeled around to fire in a cutback that gave Spielman a second chance he wouldn’t miss.
Despite nervy moments from then on, the Owls found their stride again, and sealed it late on with a flowing team goal that was capped by a lovely angled dink from Gabriel Cabral. After several chances earlier in the match to really put Spokane to the sword, it was once again a late goal to properly stamp home the result.
“For us, it’s been the same mentality the last few weeks,” said midfielder Adiran Billhardt, who notched an assist on the first score. “We have a goal to win the championship and Player’s Shield, so we take it game by game even in a tough week with three games in seven days. The mentality of the group is there with everyone locked in, and I think it showed today with the intensity we started with from the whistle. We missed some chances that made it a little too close, but in the end we got it done.”
Union Omaha’s next match is right around the corner. Hispanic Heritage Night, presented by Centris, will be this Saturday, September 19th at 7:00pm against One Knoxville SC, with a mariachi band, dancers, food trucks, and much more! Tickets are available now for this Saturday’s match.
ABOUT UNION OMAHA
Union Omaha, the 2021 and 2024 USL League One Champions, is the premier professional soccer team in the state of Nebraska. USL League One is a United States Soccer Federation-sanctioned professional men’s soccer league that occupies the third tier of the American soccer landscape, below USL Championship (tier two) and the newly announced top-tier USL Premier, launching in 2028. Union Omaha will play its 2026 USL League One home matches at Morrison Stadium in downtown Omaha. The team is led by Chief Operating Officer Alexis Boulos in the front office and by Head Coach Vincenzo Candela on the pitch.
