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The Fans’ Perspective On The Final That Wasn’t

By CAMERON KOUBEK - cameron.koubek@uslsoccer.com, 05/15/21, 11:45AM EDT

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Greenville and Omaha supporters look back on 2020, and ahead to 2021


Left: Reedy River Riot Community and Membership Chair Becca Krouchick at a Triumph SC match (Image courtesy Becca Krouchick) / Right: Members of the Omaha Parliament on match day at Werner Park (Image courtesy Olivia Riehle)

A nine-hour drive. A power outage. A phone call.

That’s how this writer remembers the 2020 League One Final, which in a COVID-less world, would have happened on October 30 of last year. But we don’t live in that world, and as we all know, that game never happened.

The old saying goes that sports are the most important of the least important things, and the pandemic certainly made that feel true. While the world was (and still is) rightly focused on issues much more pressing than soccer, everyone in League One - from fans to players and coaches on both clubs - shared in the disappointment when the game was called off.

As a league staffer, I had driven nine hours from Tampa, Florida to Greenville, South Carolina to cover the game. I arrived in the middle of a storm that had knocked out the hotel’s power, and awoke to the news that the match wouldn’t be taking place. Tough Thursday, but it came with the territory of 2020.

However, the calendar has now turned to 2021, and thankfully, we all will finally get the chance to see Greenville Triumph SC take on Union Omaha - a battle between last year’s two best teams who once again look like strong challengers for the title. Both teams boast enthusiastic fanbases, and the entire event will be showcased live on national television, a first for League One.

While 2020 is firmly behind us, it’s impossible to look at Sunday’s big game and not think about what could have been last season. The people who have the best view on that are the ones who lived it most viscerally: the fans of Greenville and Omaha.

I asked a few members of both groups of supporters about their experiences last season, and how they feel about the future.


For Becca Krouchick, it started with the buzz of a phone.


Krouchick, Community and Membership Chair of the Reedy River Riot, supporting Triumph SC on gameday / Photo courtesy Becca Krouchick

“I was at work when I found out the final had been canceled,” said Krouchick, Community and Membership Chair for Greenville supporters group the Reedy River Riot. “My phone started buzzing with more notifications than normal with texts from my husband and our Riot Slack. When I initially saw the cancellation announcement I was in disbelief and confused. The fans and the players were looking forward to lifting the trophy at Legacy [Early College], and so many things felt unknown at first.”

Not the best news to get during your workday, but for four members of the Omaha Parliament, the message arrived at an even more inopportune time.

“Oh sh*t,” - that was the first reaction of Luke Opperman, President of the Parliament. The profanity was the understandable result of Opperman and three other Parliament members’ location at the time of receiving the news - they were in the Smoky Mountains, on hour 14 of a 16-hour drive to Greenville to watch the match.

“It was definitely one where we all had to figure out what to do,” said Opperman. “Luckily, we stuck through and met up with some members of the Riot, and made some great friends.”

Another Omaha fan, Clayton Stacy, found out in perhaps the most ominous way.

“I got a call at 4 a.m., and an anonymous voice on the other end said ‘Don’t get on the plane,’” said Stacy. “Any other time this would’ve been creepy, but in 2020 it only took me a few seconds to work out what was going on.”


Despite the way the season ended for both clubs, both sets of fans still have a positive outlook on the way their relationships with their respective teams remained strong. For Omaha in particular, the fact that such a strong bond was created between team and supporters, as a pandemic raged during the club’s first-ever season, is impressive.

“Having 2020 as our inaugural season for our club was certainly an unforgettable adventure,” said Omaha Parliament member Connor Husen. “As crazy and unpredictable as the season was, I know for me personally as a supporter, it felt a lot more like a family in the supporters group.

“We were all going through the same struggles, and some of us still are. The Parliament is growing stronger every day, and I think beginning in such a tough spot strengthened us as a whole.”

Triumph SC has a similarly close relationship with its fans, and 2020 created unique memories for Reedy River Riot member Giovanny Cañas.

“Looking back at 2020, it was life changing for many reasons but the positive ones really stood out to me,” said Cañas. “I was offered the opportunity to represent the Triumph in the USL eCup along with [then Triumph forward] Jake Keegan. I got to know him, have interviews done by the team and be promoted for playing FIFA.”

After the disappointment of losing in the 2019 Final, some Triumph fans were able to attend the team’s 2020 trophy ceremony at Legacy Early College. Having topped the League One standings from start to finish despite the many obstacles of playing during a pandemic, it was a special moment for players and fans alike.


Despite the challenges of having a club play its inaugural season during a pandemic, members of the Omaha Parliament consistently showed fantastic support for the team / Photo courtest Olivia Riehle

“Seeing the players finally lift the trophy at home was incredible,” said Krouchick. “All the players put in the work on and off the field while adhering to protocols that had never been dealt with before.

“The trophy ceremony was more than a celebration of winning the title; to me it was celebrating that League One was alive and thriving and the fans were going to support in any way possible.”


Sunday is set to be a celebration of the success of both clubs on the field and in their communities. For each set of fans, it’s not only an opportunity to showcase their passion on national TV, but also a chance to earn bragging rights in one of League One’s brightest budding rivalries.

“I see Sunday’s game as the biggest game in our history so far,” said Cañas. “The Reedy River Riot has banter back and forth with the Omaha Parliament and it's all in fun, but we want to win. I cannot wait for Sunday.”

“Our rivalry with Omaha is my favorite in League One,” said Krouchick. “I’m excited to have the Omaha fans travel here because I feel we have a great relationship with them and the dynamic between supporters groups is one of the best parts of soccer culture.”

Though the rivalry can get a bit heated (in a way that produces some top-notch memes) on social media, Omaha supporters share in the appreciation of their opposite numbers.

“I think most Greenville and Omaha fans circled this date on their calendars and are really looking forward to it,” said Parliament member Michael Nelsen. “What makes it even more fun is connecting with the Riot members and forming a lot of friendships as we talked about who was going to win the [Big Green] Belt.”


Sunday’s winner won’t receive any official League One silverware (though they will receive the aforementioned, fan-created Big Green Belt), but it still marks a major milestone in League One’s three-year history. 2020 is over, Greenville earned the title, and we’ll never know what would have happened if the final had been played. But what better platform to prove your 2021 credentials than the league’s first-ever nationally-televised game?

No matter who comes out on top this Sunday, both sets of fans are optimistic about the future.

“There’s no limit to the potential of [Union Omaha],” said Opperman. “Our ownership has been amazing to work with on our goals to grow the club in a metro area that is hungry for soccer. We constantly have to tell people that Omaha is not just a flyover city, and this club can really make a difference as we get closer to 2026.”

“[Triumph SC] has given the fans and the city so much excitement over the past two seasons,” said Cañas. “I love the effort that they put into the community, and I’m excited for young boys and girls to represent the Triumph in the first-ever USL Academy Cup.

“[Greenville Head Coach] John Harkes has been the perfect fit for us, and I believe the possibilities can be endless with the foundation we have started.”


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