Owls jump to sixth on the league table after four-match unbeaten streak
TUCSON, Ariz. (June 11, 2022) – Union Omaha was able to overcome scorching Arizona temperatures and some additional adversity to defeat FC Tucson 2-1 Saturday night.
Tucson has been Omaha’s most familiar foe since joining USL League One, the two sides meeting six times in the past two years. The Owls knew they would have to come in ready for a tough challenge, as Tucson would be looking to avenge its 6-1 semifinal loss to Omaha at Werner Park last season. And although Tucson has had a slower start to the season and sits at the bottom of the table, in a league with as much parity as League One this year, every match is anyone’s for the taking.
It was a slow burner of a first half. The Owls struggled to find much possession in the opening minutes of the match, but were still able to craft some promising looks early in the half.
Omaha was able to string together a series of passes in the 16th minute, leading to a strong shot from JP Scearce that a Tucson defender was just able to deflect and send it over the crossbar.
Kemal Malcolm used his speed to dribble through a pair of Tucson jerseys in the 36th minute and found himself with an open look on goal, with only Tucson goalkeeper Carlos Merancio standing between him and the scoresheet. He attempted a shot from just outside the box that tailed right.
The most action came in the back five minutes of the half, starting with none other than Noe Meza. Scearce was able to earn a free kick from a Tucson foul, setting up a threatening set-piece opportunity from just outside the box. That was when Meza calmly stepped up and delivered a strike that was perfectly placed just over the outstretched fingertips of Merancio into the back of the net. With the score, Meza continues his breakout season as the team’s leading scorer with 5 total goals across all competitions.
Malcolm wasn’t content with just one, however. In the last minute of stoppage time before halftime, Scearce tracked down a long ball past two defenders and set Malcolm up with a dangerous look in front of the goal, but Merancio was able to get hands on the ball this time to bat it away, leaving the score at 1-0 at the break.
Gabriel Claudio found his way into the referee book in the 51st minute with the first yellow card of the match.
Rashid Nuhu recorded his first save in goal in the 57th minute as Tucson looked to convert one of its own free kicks into a goal and sent a shot on-goal and into Nuhu’s arms.
Just seconds later, Omaha found its second score on the night. Isaac Bawa dribbled up field and sent a beautiful cross in for Malcolm to burst through with the finishing header for his second goal of the year. It was 2-0 early in the second half, and the Owls looked poised to give Tucson its fourth loss in five matches.
A win would not come that easily, however. Omaha faced its toughest challenge in the 63rd minute, as Claudio earned his second yellow card and was sent off the pitch. The Owls would now be down a man for the rest of the match, forcing the focus to shift from possibly adding more insurance to simply protecting the 2-0 lead.
Tucson would get one back in the 73rd minute with an own goal, as Conor Doyle extended his foot to try and defend a cross and took an unfortunate turn. With the home side and crowd now reenergized, Omaha would now have to defend tightly for just over 15 minutes left in play. Coach Jay Mims chose to switch to a more defensive lineup in the 77th minute, bringing on Dion Acoff, Emir Alihodžić, and Alex Touche for Meza, Malcolm, and Bawa.
Nuhu’s steady hands came up with another clutch save in the 86th minute, grabbing a close header that would’ve pulled the score even late in the match. Though down a man, the Owls were able to hold on for the remainder of the half, plus over 7 minutes of stoppage time to take all 3 points.
Union Omaha notched back-to-back road wins for the first time since May 2021. The Owls look to be finally mounting some momentum and will now see a friendlier stretch in their schedule with more frequent home matches. Next week will be a rematch of 2021 League One Final as Omaha returns home host Greenville Triumph on June 18th at 7 p.m. It will be Pride Night at Werner Park, created to celebrate and honor the LGBTQ+ community and promote a safe and inclusive space for all fans, players, coaches, and employees.
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.