Five different goalscorers power Union Omaha to victory in a chippy road affair
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (June 5, 2024) – Union Omaha firmly put recent disappointments in the rear-view mirror with a five-goal salvo on Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Five different goalscorers put the Red Wolves to the sword to put the Owls atop USL League One by the time it was all said and done.
“That’s a great win tonight,” said Head Coach Dom Casciato. “We’re really pleased with that one. I think the impact we had from the bench was outstanding, as well as our starting guys. I thought we controlled the game for 90% of it. There were a couple of moments when we conceded from the second wave of a set-piece and then a long ball; they’re things we’ve got to eradicate and things we’ll work on to get better, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.”
It was May Player of the Month nominee Pedro Dolabella who opened the scoring in the 15th minute. It took only two passes from beyond the midfield line to put him in on goal, with Nortei Nortey sending a diagonal pass in for Aarón Gómez to flick on to third man Dolabella. The Brazilian took a touch to settle it and bring himself a little more inside, but with work to do yet, he blasted the ball past T.J. Bush from a tight angle.
Just moments later, though, the home team fought back. Owen Green’s deep cross floated to the far post, where Gustavo Fernandes nodded it back across. Rashid Nuhu dove, expecting the first man there to reach it, but that Red Wolf was shrugged away, leaving Declan Watters alone on the other side of goal to send a volley into the roof of the net from a standstill.
After a period of relative inaction, Union Omaha busted it open with a pair of goals all their own. First, PC marked his first start since April with an assist, his inswinging corner finding the leaping Blake Malone for a perfectly placed header. PC was also integral in the buildup to this goal, masterfully helping reset play under pressure as the Owls showed some of their best possession play of the season.
Perhaps this rattled the Red Wolves, as minutes later Player of the Month nominee Joe Gallardo fizzed a free kick in from just off the corner of the penalty area, and T.J. Bush hardly reacted until the ball bounded into the net. It was nearly 4-1 right after too, when Mechack Jérôme unleashed Dion Acoff down the flank, but after a perfect square ball to Dolabella, Bush made a point-blank save on the first-time shot.
Despite a little trouble late in the first half off some shoddy clearances, Omaha went into the break with a two-goal cushion, a 57%-43% edge in possession, and a whole load more confidence than their last match.
Events may have strayed a little too close to last match for comfort in the second half, though.
In the 63rd minute, Gallardo lunged on Chevone Marsh to break up a counterattack. It’s an easy booking, but the Red Wolves pleaded for more, to no avail. The situation incensed the hosts so much that not one, but two of Chattanooga’s assistant coaches saw red cards. At this rate, we may see an opponent’s entire bench sent off by July.
Around all the stoppages marring the middle of the second half, the Red Wolves did have a good spell of possession, but Union Omaha was more than comfortable in sitting back and soaking up the pressure, even as everyone seemed to be getting worn down from the match running hot.
Perhaps they went on cruise control a bit early, as a ball over the top from the ever-present Leo Folla lit a fire under Chevone Marsh. The Jamaican attacker blazed past a lackadaisical backline to latch onto the end of the long ball, and took it around everyone to fire it home and make it a game again.
That in turn lit a fire under the butts of the Owls, and they used that motivation to roast the Red Wolves. Brandon Knapp, subbed on right after the Gallardo donnybrook, nicked the ball off Chattanooga and helped shuttle it out to Lagos Kunga in the right half-space. In a scene that still defies comprehension, he squeezed through two defenders with the ball on a string and put the ball in to restore the two-goal cushion.
Coach Dom raved about it after the match: “Lagos came in and scored a goal that takes your breath away. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a goal as good as that live… if that doesn’t win Goal of the Season then I don’t know what does!”
Also finishing strong was Adam Aoumaich. Knapp poked a loose ball out to Aoumaich, who took his time sizing up Owen Green. Almost casually, he proceeded to nutmeg Green on a curling wormburner that just eluded the grasp of T.J. Bush at the near post. As Coach Dom put it, “That’s what he does, getting himself a great goal. That’s what he’s good at.”
“You always have to be ready for whenever your number is called to get subbed in, so I try to stay focused on how the game is playing out,” said Knapp afterwards. “When I get subbed in, I have to adjust to the speed of the game quickly and for this game it was getting chippy towards the end as we had the lead so I had to be ready to make an impact in any way possible. We’re glad to get the road win and finish the game strong!”
They say it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. The Owls did both with aplomb, and in the process scored five goals for the first time since the 2021 USL League One playoff semifinals against FC Tucson.
Their next match will be a USL Jägermeister Cup showdown on June 13th, when they look for revenge against Spokane Velocity on Pride Night. Directly after this match will be the first of our Unified Series matches, presented by Leonard Management, so be sure to stick around for that. That kicks off a string of Thursday matches, with a journey up to Madison for a bird battle against the ‘Mingos on the 20th, then their last home match for a month against Chattanooga on the night of the 27th.
ABOUT UNION OMAHA
Union Omaha, the 2021 USL League One Champion and 2023 USL League One Players’ Shield Winner, 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 American soccer, 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 of Business Operations Alexis Boulos in the front office and Head Coach Dominic Casciato on the field.
