KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (July 18, 2023) – Union Omaha took all three points at One Knoxville SC as the Owls found stoppage time magic to seal the win Tuesday night.
Both teams were eager to pull off a quality win to put them back in playoff position off the heels of a loss, with Knoxville falling to Greenville over the weekend and Omaha having its recent five-match unbeaten streak snapped by Northern Colorado. Omaha and Knoxville battled to a 1-1 draw at Werner Park in June.
The opening ten minutes looked promising for the Owls’ offense, but it was Knoxville that would punch in the first knock.
A foul just outside the box set up a prime opportunity for the hosts to strike early, and after an initial defensive stand and scramble in the box, Danny Fernandez was able to tap in the opener for the 1-0 lead.
The Owls remained poised, staying reliant on the attack and finding the equalizer just minutes later off a set piece opportunity of their own. Using some clever deception over the ball, Junior Palacios snuck by Noe Meza and booted the free kick to the back of the net to level the score in the 15th minute for his second goal in league play of the season.
In his second start of the year, Ian McGrane made back-to-back clutch saves in the 44th minute off dangerous Knoxville chances to preserve the tie heading into the locker rooms. The teams went into the break still knotted after a physical first half.
Substitute Joe Gallardo provided a spark off the bench, sending a challenging curler from outside the box that just missed wide in the 81st minute.
Omaha was given a tough blow a minute later when Luca Mastrantonio was sent off the pitch with a red card after a sliding challenge. Despite playing down a man and as they have so many times in the past, the Owls rose to the occasion.
Omaha had four minutes of stoppage time to play with at the end of the match and made every second count pushing for a late dagger. Some quality buildup from Chavany Willis to Luis Gil to Dion Acoff provided the closer, as Acoff was able to push past a trio of Knoxville defenders and slide in the game winner for his first goal of the season in the final minute.
“The composure, the quality and the spirit that the guys showed is really excellent,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said.
“Great win for the boys,” Acoff said. “I’m happy to get the game winner, especially being a man down. But now we have to take this momentum to the next game on Saturday and finish this road trip on a high.”
“Really proud of the group, the spirit, the togetherness, the fight we showed against tough circumstances,” Casciato said. “Right now, if it’s us against the world, I’m backing us.”
The Owls will close out the road trip Saturday at League One newcomer Lexington SC for the sides’ first-ever meeting. Omaha then returns to Werner Park Saturday, July 29 when it hosts South Georgia Tormenta for STEM Night presented by Olsson.
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.
