Bachstein scores his first goal for the Sharks as Corpus Christi continues its push for a playoff spot
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (September 12, 2026) — On a windy Saturday night in Corpus Christi, the Sharks pushed second-place Union Omaha to its limits at Cabaniss Athletic Complex, but a late goal ultimately handed CCFC a 2-1 defeat.
Entering the match on a three-game winless streak, Corpus Christi looked to capitalize on its home-field advantage with eight regular-season matches remaining in its pursuit of a USL League One playoff spot. Head coach Eamon Zayed also returned to the touchline following his one-match suspension, while defender Shannon Gomez missed his first start of the season while serving a suspension of his own.
The complexion of the match changed almost immediately.
In the fifth minute, Omaha captain Brent Kallman was shown a red card following a hard challenge on EJ Johnson as the Sharks forward attempted to break toward an exposed Omaha penalty area. The dismissal reduced the visitors to 10 men with nearly the entire match still to play.
It proved to be an early indication of a frustrating night for Omaha and its staff, as the visitors received four yellow cards and saw a second ejection from their sideline. Corpus Christi’s numerical advantage kept Omaha’s composure tested throughout the night.
The Sharks then began creating opportunities through Nacho Abeal and Johnson. In the 13th minute, Abeal broke beyond his defender and slipped a dangerous ball toward Jake Keegan inside the six-yard box, but the forward narrowly missed the connection.
Abeal again unlocked Omaha’s defense in the 19th minute, working his way down the right side before cutting a pass back toward Johnson in the center of the box. Johnson fired toward the upper-right corner, forcing the Omaha goalkeeper to extend and punch the attempt away.
Despite playing shorthanded, Omaha struck first in the 37th minute. Diego Gutierrez maneuvered his way inside the six-yard box and finished into the upper portion of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
The Sharks nearly responded two minutes later when another Abeal effort from the right forced a diving intervention from the Omaha goalkeeper. Corpus Christi continued applying pressure through the closing minutes of the half but entered the break trailing 1-0.
One of Corpus Christi’s best opportunities to equalize arrived under unusual circumstances following the restart in the 54th minute.
After goalkeeper Cole Jensen inadvertently picked the ball back up after releasing it to the ground for a goal kick, the Sharks were awarded an indirect free kick from inside the six-yard box. Omaha packed its players along the goal line and survived multiple attempts from Corpus Christi to preserve its lead.
While the Sharks struggled to convert their numerical advantage into goals, they succeeded in turning the match into an increasingly uncomfortable battle for Omaha. The visitors were forced to defend shorthanded for more than 80 minutes, while repeated pressure from Corpus Christi contributed to multiple cautions involving Omaha’s players and technical area.
The Sharks’ persistence eventually resulted in an equalizer in the 82nd minute.
Blake Bowen delivered a cross from the right wing toward the center of the box, where Dominick Bachstein connected with a header to bring Corpus Christi level at 1-1. The goal marked Bachstein’s first for the Sharks, while Bowen recorded his seventh assist of the season.
The equalizer ignited Corpus Christi, which took control of possession and continued pushing numbers forward in search of a winner.
However, Omaha found the decisive goal against the run of momentum just five minutes later. Sergio Ors maneuvered around multiple Corpus Christi defenders inside the penalty area before finishing low to the left side of the goal, catching James Talbot out of position and restoring Omaha’s advantage at 2-1.
Corpus Christi pushed through seven minutes of second-half stoppage time but could not find another equalizer.
The Sharks finished with a 12-10 advantage in shots and earned six corners to Omaha’s five, but the visitors escaped Cabaniss Athletic Complex with all three points despite playing with 10 men for the majority of the match.
After the match, Bowen acknowledged the disappointment of failing to turn the numerical advantage into points.
“[It’s a] disappointing result considering they only had 10 men,” Bowen said. “We are going to continue to push for playoffs, but we need to come together and stack some wins.”
For head coach Eamon Zayed, the difference came down to Corpus Christi’s execution when opportunities presented themselves.
“Tonight was not the result we wanted or hoped for,” Zayed said. “We didn’t have enough quality in the big moments, and that cost us tonight.”
Zayed also credited Omaha for demonstrating the standard Corpus Christi hopes to reach as the Sharks continue building in their inaugural professional season.
“Omaha showed why they are the number one club in USL League One. As a first year club, we aim to get to the level that Omaha are at, and that takes time to build.”
With seven matches remaining, however, Zayed made clear that the Sharks’ playoff pursuit is far from over.
“As far as after tonight goes, we have seven games to go. Seven cup finals,” Zayed said. “We need 15 points minimum from the next 21 points. It’s a big ask, but I can promise the fans and everyone around the club that we will keep fighting until the end.”
Coming Up:
The Sharks are back on the road next Wednesday as they travel to Mauldin, South Carolina, to challenge Greenville Triumph SC at GE Vernova Park on September 16.
Notable:
- Just days after signing his first contract, Parker Vasic made his professional debut for Corpus Christi FC in the 68th minute.
- Dominick Bachstein’s 82nd-minute header was his first goal for the Sharks since joining the club on loan last month.
- Blake Bowen recorded his seventh assist of the season. He now leads the team in both goals and assists.
Goals: Bachstein (82’)
Assists: Bowen (1)
Yellow Cards: Roscoe (1), Keaney (1)
| CORPUS CHRISTI FC | UNION OMAHA | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | SHOTS | 10 |
| 3 | SHOTS ON TARGET | 3 |
| 1 | SAVES | 2 |
| 17 | FOULS | 11 |
| 6 | CORNERS WON | 5 |
| 2 | YELLOW CARDS | 1 |
| 0 | RED CARDS | 2* |
*One of the red cards shown to Union Omaha was given to a member of its technical staff.
Written by Corpus Christi FC Communications Contributor Nate Martinez
About Corpus Christi FC
CCFC was established in 2017 by Dr. Kingsley Okonkwo. The club previously played in USL League Two, the nation’s leading pre-professional league, and won their first Lone Star Division title in 2024. That same year, Corpus Christi was awarded a USL League One franchise and will kick off its first professional season in 2026. CCFC is building a new home at the Corpus Christi Multi-Sport Complex currently being constructed at 5102 Old Brownsville Road. Phase One of the $28.3 million complex was completed in summer 2025 and a 5,000-seat stadium, which will serve as home for all of the Sharks’ USL League One home games, is currently under construction.
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