GEORGETOWN, Ky. (July 22, 2023) – Union Omaha outshot Lexington SC 17-4 but couldn’t find a goal to fall as the Owls dropped the sides’ inaugural meeting 3-0 Saturday night.
The Owls were soaring high following a thrilling stoppage-time win at One Knoxville SC, where Los Búhos battled back after being down a man to take all three points. The result gave Omaha its fourth win in five matches. The Owls were looking to close out their three-match road trip with another positive result in their first meeting against a young, hungry Lexington SC side working to prove itself in its inaugural League One season.
Omaha got off to a less-than-ideal start, giving away an early goal in the 10th minute.
Omaha’s all-time leading scorer Noe Meza nearly checked his name into the scoresheet again with a second-ball bicycle kick attempt off a corner kick that was just cleared away by the Lexington defense in the 17th minute.
Lexington was able to pad its lead just before the half, scoring off a set piece opportunity for its second goal in the 41st minute. It was just the fourth time all season the Owls trailed at the half.
“We have to stop those individual errors,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “The first goal was an individual error; second goal, we’ve got to deal with it before it goes out for a corner … Disappointing to get those two goals away and give them a head start because for the rest of the game, we were pretty dominant.”
Pressure was building early in the second half, as the Owls came out of the break ready to take charge.
Conor Doyle fired a 40-yard missile towards Lexington’s Ahmal Knight in goal in the 50th minute, just barely saved by the goalkeeper. The offense sent in two more shots from distance in the 55th minute, first an on-target strike from JP Scearce followed by a curler from Meza that just brushed the top of the net.
Rashid Nuhu limited any further damage with a save off a dangerous direct free kick in the 67th minute.
The final punch came in the 81st minute when Lexington was able to net its third and final goal of the match.
“We started the second half really, really well,” Casciato said. “We should’ve scored then. We had plenty of chances, and we didn’t. Then obviously later in the game, we’re pushing, trying to get a goal back, and they strike us on the counter-attack on the third. The guys fought hard but it wasn’t enough tonight, and we get back to Werner Park Saturday.”
The Owls will get several quality chances to pick up points in the coming weeks, returning to Werner Park for three straight home matches. Omaha will host defending League One Champions South Georgia Tormenta FC Saturday, July 29 for STEM Night presented by Olsson, followed by a re-match against Lexington Wednesday, August 2 for Women in Sports Night presented by Carson Wealth.
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.
