Union Omaha – Wikipedia

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Football club

Union Omaha Soccer Club is an American professional soccer team based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2020, the team made its debut in USL League One (USL1).

History[edit]

In 2019, USL1 awarded a franchise to Alliance Omaha Soccer Holdings to begin play in the 2020 season,[1] with former head coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Jay Mims, announced as the club’s first manager.[1][2] Union Omaha finished 2020 in second place to qualify for the USL1 championship game. However, the match was canceled due to an outbreak of COVID-19 within the team’s roster.[3]

By defeating the Richmond Kickers 2–0 in the second to last match of the 2021 season, the Owls became the USL League One regular-season champions and clinched the top seed for the playoffs.[4] Union Omaha then finished the season winning their first ever championship, beating defending champion Greenville Triumph SC 3–0 in the final.[5]

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Union Omaha made a deep run in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, entering in the second round and advancing to the quarterfinals as the last remaining third division team in the competition. In April, the Owls defeated Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC in a penalty shootout in the third round, becoming the first USL1 team to defeat an MLS team in U.S. Open Cup history.[6] After defeating fellow USL1 side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, Omaha played Minnesota United FC of MLS in the Round of 16 and won 2–1. They were the first third division team since Orlando City in 2013 to advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.[7][8] The club’s run in the competition ended with a 6–0 defeat to hosts Sporting Kansas City in the quarterfinals; approximately 700 fans traveled from Omaha to attend the match at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.[9]

The team’s name and crest were developed through fan engagement including town halls, workshops, interviews, and online polls to reflect the entire Omaha region.[1][10] In a bid to stay true to the roots of both the state and city, the team announced on October 3, 2019, the new name as a nod to the Union Pacific Railroad, with the great horned owl, a species of owl native to Nebraska, being the prominent focal point of the club’s crest. The logo was designed by Matthew Wolff.[11]

The star above the crest represents Union Omaha’s one USL League One title, and was added following their 2021 title win.

Stadium[edit]

The team plays in Werner Park, a baseball park south west of Omaha in the suburb of Papillion.[1][12][13] The Sarpy County owned stadium was opened twelve years ago in 2011, and is shared with the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The ballpark cost $36 million to construct and is located near 126th Street and Highway 370, less than three miles (5 km) west of Papillion in unincorporated Sarpy County.[14] Werner Park received additional locker rooms, field enhancements, and offices to accommodate the soccer operations. During the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, the team hosted Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC at Caniglia Field, located on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.[15]

Uniform evolution[edit]

Home: 2020–present

Away: 2020–present

Players[edit]

As of March 14, 2023[16]

Current staff[edit]

Statistics and records[edit]

Year-by-year[edit]

As of October 24, 2020

Head coaches record[edit]

As of December 16, 2022
  • Includes Regular Season, Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies.

Average attendance[edit]

Year Reg. Season Playoffs
2020 2,500 –
2021 3,354 4,414
2022 3,911 –
  • USL League One playoffs
  • USL League One regular season

Player honors[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d USLLeagueOne com Staff (May 1, 2019). “Omaha Unveiled as USL League One’s Newest Club”. USL League One. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  2. ^ WOWT. “USL League One comes to Omaha”. www.wowt.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Smith, Rex (October 29, 2020). “Championship game canceled after multiple Union Omaha players test positive for COVID-19”. WOWT. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  4. ^ Shinzel, Gene (October 23, 2021). “2021 USL League One season”. Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  5. ^ “Union Omaha wins first USL League One title in Owls’ second season”. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Sigal, Jonathan (April 19, 2022). “Ezra Hendrickson reprimands Chicago Fire FC after US Open Cup exit to Union Omaha”. MLSsoccer.com.
  7. ^ “Union Omaha advances into the quarterfinals of U.S. Open Cup”. June 2022.
  8. ^ “Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup History”. June 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Sperry, Daniel (June 22, 2022). “Sporting Kansas City routs Union Omaha to reach Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals”. The Kansas City Star. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Northam, Mitchell; USA, Pro Soccer (May 2, 2019). “USL League One expanding to Omaha, Nebraska in 2020”. Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  11. ^ Ristau, Reece. “Introducing Union Omaha: Pro soccer team unveils colors, crest, name ahead of city’s USL debut”. Omaha.com. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  12. ^ Peters, Chris. “Pro soccer is coming to Omaha: New team will begin play at Werner Park in 2020”. Omaha.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  13. ^ Star, Lincoln Journal. “Omaha lands USL soccer franchise, will begin play in 2020”. JournalStar.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  14. ^ “ROYALS’ NEW BALLPARK: Sarpy’s funding plan is complex”. Omaha World Herald. June 2, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  15. ^ “2022 US Open Cup Round 4: Union Omaha $25,000 richer after win over Northern Colorado Hailstorm”. thecup.us. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  16. ^ “Roster”. Union Omaha. Retrieved February 7, 2023.

External links[edit]



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