The midwestern rivals face off with some new faces and high expectations.
Union Omaha: What to Know
Last Result: the 2021 champions failed to replicate their success in 2022, bowing out in the opening round of the playoffs to Chattanooga Red Wolves SC by a score of 1-0.
Union Omaha hosts the opening match at Caniglia Field, a soccer-specific stadium belonging to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This will be one of two regular season matches at the facility, with the remainder scheduled for their usual home, Werner Park.
Significant returnees from the 2022 squad: USL League One goalkeeper of the year Rashid Nuhu; defender Shaft Brewer; midfielders Dion Acoff, Joe Brito, Conor Doyle, Yoskar Galvin-Mercado, Luis Gil, Eddie Gordon, JP Scearce, and Chavany Willis; and forward (and 2022 goals leader) Noe Meza.
Significant newcomers: defenders Luca Mastrantonio, Stefan Muller, Junior Palacios, Sebastian Sanchez, and Alexis Souahy; midfielders Pedro Dolabella, and Joe Gallardo; forward Steevan Dos Santos.
Union Omaha also debuts a new head coach, Dominic Casciato. The gaffer comes from USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC, where he was an assistant.
Steevan Dos Santos is a USL Championship veteran where he had 69 goals and 20 assists over 202 appearances, including 7 playoff goals. He is expected to bring a jolt of goal-scoring energy to a side that barely broke even on the differential in 2022.
Significant departures: defenders Gabriel Claudio (One Knox SC), Daltyn Knutson, and Alex Touche (retired); midfielder Ryen Jiba (Minnesota United FC); forwards Alex Bruce (Ho Chi Minh City FC) and Corey Hertzog.
Jiba was re-signed, then transferred to the MLS side for a league-record fee.
Union Omaha X-Factor: on paper, the already-solid defense may have actually improved. Now to see if the addition of Dos Santos can actually lead to more goals, and more wins that otherwise ended as draws in 2022.
Forward Madison: What to Know
Last Result: winless in their last nine, the Mingos ended 2022 with a bland 1-1 draw at FC Tucson, in a match that did not matter to either side.
Significant returnees from the 2022 squad: going full-rebuild, the club only returned four from 2022: forwards Nazeem Bartman and Derek Gebhard, midfielder Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu, and defender Mitch Osmond.
Significant newcomers: forwards Christian Chaney, Mauro Cichero, Francis Jno-Baptist; midfielders Julio Benitez, Isidro Martinez, Jayden Onen; defenders Sam Brotherton, Jacob Crull, Timmy Mehl, Aiden Mesias, Stephen Payne; goalkeepers Martin Sanchez and Bernd Schipmann.
Significant Departures: Phil Breno (Tampa Bay Rowdies), Matheus Cassini (Tormenta FC), Christian Enriquez (Red Wolves SC), Eric Leonard (Chicago Fire II), Mikey Maldonado (NCFC), Cesar Murillo (Lexington SC), Cyrus Rad (Huntsville City FC), Jeremiah Streng (loan expired), Justin Sukow (Richmond Kickers), Alann Torres (loan expired)
Forward Madison’s X-Factor: after a dismal year, head coach Matt Glaeser returned, and most of the squad did not. The gaffer and his organization rebuilt a mostly new squad that is strong on paper, but nonetheless new. Glaeser’s ability to coach this new squad into meshing and winning is key.
2022 Head to Head
Union Omaha wins series: 1-2-0
April 9: Forward Madison 2-2 Union Omaha
Forward Madison: Jepson 36′(P), Streng 70′
Union Omaha: Kametani 15′, Scearce 45+3’*
July 26: Forward Madison 0-0 Union Omaha
August 31: Union Omaha 1-0 Forward Madison
Union Omaha: Hertzog 77′
* Players returning in 2023