Wednesday, August 31st, 2022; 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Werner Park, Papillion, NE
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Forward Madison FC is set to travel to Papillion, Nebraska to take on Union Omaha on Wednesday, August 31st at 7:00 pm CT. The crucial match will feature two squads who are both making a strong push for USL League One playoff berths. The last time FMFC took on Omaha, on July 26th, the club’s tied 0-0 in Madison, WI.
The Flamingos head to Nebraska following a 0-0 draw against North Carolina FC at home. Eric Leonard and the whole Pink and Blue defense played strongly against North Carolina as they shut down the NCFC attack, holding them to only two shots on target. Next up, after taking on Union Omaha, the ‘Gos will stay on the road to conclude a two-game road trip in Greenville, South Carolina. Forward Madison FC will battle the league’s top-seeded Greenville Triumph SC on Saturday, September 3rd at 6:00 pm CT.
Union Omaha enters Wednesday’s match following a contest against the Richmond Kickers on Saturday, August 27th. After they take on FMFC, Omaha will welcome Chattanooga for a match on September 3rd.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records
Union Omaha (8-2-10)
Head Coach: Jay Mims
Forward Madison FC (7-5-10)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison
Eric Leonard: After playing in his 100th match in the Pink and Blue last Wednesday, Leonard has proven why he’s one of the best defenders in the league. The Illinois native is leading his squad in almost every key defensive statistic: clearances (80), blocks (16), interceptions (40). Leonard also has the fourth most clearances in the league while he has the tenth most passes made in the league (1019). Expect the 26-year-old to lead his squad into this important match against Omaha.
Raiko Arozarena: The Cuban goalie has made his presence felt ever since joining the squad early in July. Arozarena has allowed five goals in eight total matches, while he’s recorded four clean sheets in those eight matches. In his last match against Omaha, Arozarena recorded a clean sheet while he faced 11 total shots. Expect the 25-year-old keeper to continue to be a force protecting the goal.
Mikey Maldonado: All season, the 24-year-old has been a threat creating chances in the opponents’ half of the field. Maldonado managed to make a few good runs against North Carolina FC, although he couldn’t create a chance good enough for the ‘Mingos to score. The midfielder leads his squad in chances created (33), so expect the San Antonio native to continue to do what he does best against an impressive Omaha backline.
Key Match Up:
Forward Madison Strikers vs. Union Omaha Strikers
The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison strikers of Jeremiah Streng, Abdou Mbacke-Thiam, Rojay Smith, and Nazeem Bartman versus the Union Omaha strikers of Hugo Kametani, Alex Bruce, and Noe Meza. The last matchup between these squads ended up very close as both club’s weren’t able to score, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. This matchup should be a good one, as it’s the last time these squads face off in the regular season, after back-to-back draws.
The Union Omaha strikers enter Wednesday’s match following a dominant 4-1 over North Carolina FC. In that match, three of Omaha’s four goals were scored by strikers, more specifically Noe Meza contributed two goals for his squad. Although Omaha heads into the match following a strong offensive performance, they’ve had one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league. Omaha is tied for the second-least amount of goals scored with 25. Expect the FMFC backline along with Raiko Arozarena to step up and make it tough for the Omaha strikers.
On the other side of this matchup is the Forward Madison strikers. The Flamingo strikers struggled in their last outing against North Carolina FC, as the squad couldn’t score any goals in a 0-0 draw. In the match before taking on NCFC, Jeremiah Streng led the ‘Mingo strikers with a brace en route to a 3-1 win over the Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. While Forward Madison has only scored two goals against Omaha this season, this match is crucial, and it’s very likely that coach Matt Glaeser will have his strikers ready to step up and lead his team in this key match. This matchup should be a close one as Omaha has conceded the least number of goals in the league (16).
Keys to the Match
- Start Hot – Forward Madison has struggled to get off to hot starts recently even though scoring early has been key to the squad’s successes. Especially on the road, this will be crucial, as Omaha has a decent crowd size and FMFC will need to score early to quiet the Union Omaha fans. If the Flamingos can grab an early lead and momentum, the squad can focus more on the defensive end, which will be critical especially against a low-scoring Omaha club.
- Control Possession – The ‘Mingos have done a great job of controlling possession in recent matches and that’s been a big part of the reason why the squad has been successful. FMFC controlled possession in the last match against Omaha and in the recent match against the Hailstorm, which the squad ended up winning easily 3-1. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to do everything in his power to have his club ready to control possession against Omaha once again.
Previous and Next Match
Forward Madison takes on Union Omaha following a 0-0 draw against North Carolina FC in Madison, WI on August 24th. Eric Leonard had a strong defensive showing to help the ‘Mingos earn a point against NCFC. Next up for the Flamingos after taking on Omaha, Forward Madison will conclude its two-game road trip with a match against the Greenville Triumph SC on September 3rd at 6:00 pm CT.
On the other hand, Union Omaha head into Wednesday’s match following a contest against the Richmond Kickers on August 27th. Looking ahead, Omaha will face off with Chattanooga on September 3rd.
