Who’s the best goalkeeper in League One? Fort Wayne’s Bernd Schipmann currently leads the race for the Golden Glove, having allowed just 0.9 goals per 90. Still, he’s only making 2.4 saves per 90. Omaha’s Cole Jensen is nearly doubling that saves number while allowing a flat 1.0 goals a game, but there’s a problem: he isn’t even an uncontested starter and splits time with Rashid Nuhu. Corpus Christi’s James Talbot is a workhorse; he should be in the Goalkeeper of the Year conversation even if an up-and-down defense in front of him hurts the numbers.
The moral of the story is that League One is stacked with strong talent in net. It’s no coincidence that seven of the nine clubs currently below the playoff cut line have posted a negative goals prevented mark – in other words, their goalkeepers have allowed more concessions than xG modeling would suggest. Standout goalkeeping was a theme in Week 21 – a jam-packed round that continued to sharpen the playoff picture. What stood out? I’m digging into every League One club that played to help find out.
Omaha and the art of the comeback
Between the end of May and their Week 21 win over Portland Hearts of Pine, Union Omaha posted an expected goal difference of +3.4, third-best in League One. During that same span, Los Búhos’ actual goal difference was a full goal underwater, 10th ranked in the league. Bad luck played a part in that trend, but the numbers are also a byproduct of the way manager Vincenzo Candela wants to play.
In 2026, Omaha is second-ranked for possession (58%) and first for field tilt (60%). They keep a lot of the ball, and they keep it very close to the opposing goal. In even game states, that profile hasn’t been problematic. Still, Omaha has lacked a different gear when they’ve trailed and, thus, faced down set, low-block defenses.
If you’re looking for a cause behind the xG underperformance, look no further. Omaha conceded the opening goal in five of their six most recent League One games entering Week 21. They did it again in Maine – and that’s why a comeback 2-1 victory was a major stepping stone for this club.
