CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 3, 2023) – Union Omaha created plenty of chances but ultimately fell 3-0 to Charlotte Independence Saturday afternoon.
Omaha returned to American Legion Memorial Stadium Saturday looking to right the wrongs of the sides’ last meeting, when the Owls dominated much of the match against the first-place Independence but only came away with a point after a 0-0 draw in April.
The Owls outshot the Jacks 18-12 and held 63% of the possession on the night but could not find a breakthrough in goal past League One’s clean sheet and saves leader Austin Pack.
Charlotte opened the scoring in the 7th minute, with Joel Johnson working through a defensive hole to give the Independence the early 1-0 lead.
Shaft Brewer Jr., looking to score in his second consecutive match, just missed a long-range follow-up opportunity in the 12th minute after a saved strike from Steevan Dos Santos.
Reigning USL League One Player of the Week Noe Meza had several threatening looks on the night, first in the 24th minute after his rising shot was tipped over the crossbar by Pack.
Dos Santos nearly equalized in the 43rd minute, climbing the ladder off a corner kick from Luis Gil, but the ensuing header was sent just wide.
The Owls continued to apply pressure with solid opportunities through the end of the half but were unable to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes.
Meza struck the crossbar with a free kick opportunity, nearly leveling the match in the 58th minute. Stefan Mueller, in his first match back in the lineup since April, also caused some trouble in the 75th minute, striking a dangerous ball in and forcing Pack to make yet another save.
Two more defensive miscues in the second half allowed the Jacks to pad their lead, with Tresor Mbuyu scoring in the 55th minute and Khori Bennett in the 90th minute, the final goal coming off an unfortunate defensive deflection.
“It’s a disappointing result,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “We’re giving away too many soft goals, so it’s something for us to work on this week and get back to next weekend.”
Omaha turns its focus to next weekend, taking on rivals Greenville Triumph SC on the road Saturday, June 10. The Owls will be back home Wednesday, June 21 to take on USL League One newcomer One Knox SC for Party at the Disco Night.
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 Dominic Casciato on the field.
