November 8, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1)
Union Omaha News Release
On the other side of the bracket, two clubs who just netted their first playoff wins duke it out for their second. Here in Omaha, two clubs who began this decade with USL League One titles look to go one step away from a second. Better yet, it’s the very first rematch in USL League One Playoff history.
Simply put, this square-off between Union Omaha and Greenville Triumph is a prestige matchup for USL League One. These are the two winningest clubs in league history, with the extra season of existence giving Greenville the leg up on Omaha 71 to 66. Greenville would make their fourth League One final with a win here, while this would be Omaha’s third. It’s also the first time two current or former League One champions (or Players’ Shield winners, for that matter) have met in the semifinals.
THE STARS ARE OUT
That’s the historical context, but these teams didn’t coast to this point by trading on past glories. The exact opposite, even: Omaha and Greenville have been the two highest-scoring clubs in 2024. On an individual level, Pedro Dolabella and his 14 goal contributions in league play is only topped by two other players… one of whom is Lyam MacKinnon with an astounding 22. That, by the way, makes up two of the three players up for the league’s Player of the Year award. While we can’t truly guarantee fireworks and goals aplenty, it’s not going out on a limb to suggest that this is as marquee as it gets.
Further down the rosters, there are plenty of other names with accolades attached. Newcomer Chapa Herrera and league mainstay Evan Lee made the USL League One All-League Second Team for Greenville, while Dion Acoff, a Second Teamer last year, was voted into the 2024 Players’ Choice Awards Best Eleven by his peers in USL1.
ABOUT GREENVILLE TRIUMPH
The winningest club in USL League One rolls ever onward. Greenville Triumph have made the playoffs in every year of the league’s existence, and until last year had only ever finished in the top three in the standings. Even as they haven’t hit those same heights in the table of late, the club still has the wind at their backs. First came early October’s announcement of the legendary Ronaldinho joining the ownership group. Then, just last week saw the reveal of a 10,000 seater stadium and development complex hoping to open in 2026. It’s exciting times for one of the league’s model clubs, to say the least.
On the pitch, of course, they’ve seen…