Recap: One Knox stunned in stoppage time in a 2-1 loss to Union Omaha
One Knox SC lost in stoppage time to Union Omaha 2-1 Saturday night at Regal Soccer Stadium.
It was an exciting game with 25 shots between the two sides. However, Omaha was more clinical and seized the moment late in the match to extend Knoxville’s winless streak to six games.
The first half was an even contest, with the two sides splitting possession 50.6% to 49.4%. According to Opta Stats, neither team had a big chance of scoring, but that didn’t stop them.
One Knox got the opening goal from an unlikely source. Defender Dani Fernandez, making his first start since May 16, scored in the 10th minute off a short-corner free kick to give Knoxville an early 1-0 lead.
Omaha quickly leveled the game in the 15th minute. Defender Junior Palacios scored a direct free kick that went through the wall and past the goalkeeper to level the match at 1-1. No more goals were scored in the first half.
Union Omaha had a majority of the chances in the second half. They outshot Knoxville 11 to five and had 43 final-third entries while having 41% possession. For One Knox, all its second-half shots were off-target.
One Knox was given a chance in the 81st minute, as Omaha defender Luca Mastrantonio was shown a red card for a hard slide tackle on forward Gio Calixtro. While One Knox had opportunities to add a second goal, they just couldn’t capitalize on their chances.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Omaha forward and super-sub Dion Acoff got past the Knoxville defense and scored to steal the victory. The game ended 2-1.
With its third consecutive loss, One Knox remains in eighth place with 22 points and 19 games played. Union Omaha passes the Richmond Kickers to enter sixth place in the standings with 25 points.
One Knox will be back at Regal Stadium on Saturday, July 22, against in-state rivals Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale online and at the gate. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.