OMAHA, Neb. (April 5, 2022) – It was a hazy, chilly night to make history in downtown Omaha as Union Omaha hosted the first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match in Nebraska. Under the bright lights of Morrison Stadium, the Owls looked to make a statement in their Open Cup debut in an exciting matchup that pinned the defending USL League One champions against the defending USL League Two champions, Des Moines Menace.
The Owls came in hot off the kickoff, looking to attack right out the gate. In a match full of goal-scoring opportunities for the Owls, the opening minutes of the match provided several early looks, none of which could be capitalized on as the Menace defense appeared solid. The first on-target shot came off the strong foot of Dion Acoff in the 12th minute, but was saved by Menace goalkeeper Grant Makela.
The Menace ended up taking the first lead of the match on one of their few chances in the opening half. A turnover forced a break in the otherwise stout Búho defense, leading to a scramble in the box. Goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu was able to fend off the first shot, but a second-chance strike from Corey Hertzog brought the visitors up 1-0 in the 13th minute. It didn’t take long, however, for Union to even the score as JP Scearce was able to knock in a flawless corner ball from Joe Brito at the 19th minute mark.
Brito once again flashed his sharp delivery skills at the end of the half on a promising cross to Hugo Kametani that just missed the top of the goal.
The Owls looked to continue their domination in time of possession as they came out to start the second half. Dion Acoff was ready to give Union their first lead with a hot shot that zipped just over the top of the goalpost. The Owls came out again in the 54th minute with a fierce attack with two more blocked shots from Acoff and Ricky Rivera on the rebound.
Des Moines threatened in the 59th minute, facing an open goal after Nuhu came out to block a first attempt, but Scearce was able to rush and get the clearance to keep the score even. Soon after, head coach Jay Mims made his first substitutions of the match, bringing in forwards Alex Bruce and Noe Meza.
Bruce, the newcomer from Newcastle, almost came up his first goal for the club with an on-target shot that fell right into the hands of Makela.
Conor Doyle looked ready to get in on the action in the 82nd minute. The captain made his presence felt with a cross that Menace defender Alfeu Bertini headed right into his own goal. The Owls were now up 2-1 with only 8 minutes in between them and a third-round U.S. Open Cup date. A corner kick from Alex Touche in the final minutes gave multiple Owls more chances to come up with some extra insurance, but Des Moines managed to limit the damage. In the end, the own goal proved to be the difference maker as Union Omaha won its first of many Open Cup matches.
The Owls will look to carry the momentum into Saturday’s USL League One season opener with a trip to Forward Madison. The home opener at Werner Park will follow two weeks later on April 23rd against USL League One newcomer Central Valley Fuego. The third-round draw for the U.S. Open Cup will be held on Friday, April 8 at 12 p.m. CT. There, the Owls will find out the opponent and location of their next tournament match.
ABOUT UNION OMAHA
Union Omaha, the 2021 USL League One Champion, is the only 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 Major League Soccer (tier one). Union Omaha plays its home matches at Werner Park in Sarpy County, also home to the Omaha Storm Chasers of Minor League Baseball. The team is led by General Manager Peter Marlette in the front office and by Head Coach Jay Mims on the field.