Forward Madison FC vs. Central Valley Fuego FC
Saturday, April 30th, 2022; 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: Breese Stevens Field
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter and Instagram for live updates
Forward Madison will welcome Central Valley Fuego FC to Breese Stevens Field this Saturday, April 30th! The fourth match of the USL League One season will kick off at 5:00 pm CT. The Flamingos matchup with Fuego will be the first ever matchup between the clubs!
In Forward Madison’s last match, the Flamingos notched a 1-1 draw against FC Tucson. Christian Enriquez scored the lone goal for Forward Madison as the team managed to draw in their second road match of the USL League One season. In Forward Madison’s Battle for Madison friendly against UW-Madison, Abdou Mbacke Thiam scored the equalizing goal to notch a 1-1 draw against the Badgers.
Central Valley Fuego FC is entering Saturday’s match after a rough 3-0 loss to Union Omaha. As for the road ahead, the Flamingos will take on Richmond Kickers on the road on Saturday, May 7th. Fuego will battle with Greenville Triumph at home on May 7th.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records
Forward Madison FC (0-0-3)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Central Valley Fuego FC (1-1-1)
Head Coach: Martín Vásquez
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison:
Mikey Maldonado: The defender has been one of the most consistent Flamingos so far this season. Maldonado is maintaining a pass accuracy over 82% while having passed the ball 120 times! The San Antonio native will play a key role stopping Fuego’s attack as he is currently leading the team in blocks (2) and interceptions (6), while he’s second on the team in tackles (7).
Abdou Mbacke Thiam: The Senegalese forward has seen an important role attacking for Forward Madison. Thiam currently leads the Flamingos in shots (4) and has played the most minutes compared to any other striker. Coming off a big goal against UW Madison, FMFC has high hopes for the 30-year-old against a shaky Fuego defense.
Eric Leonard: Leonard has been the core of the Flamingos’ back line all season. The Illinois product leads the team in clearances (17) with the next closest player only at 6 (Cesar Murillo Jr.). Expect another big game from the veteran Flamingo, as he’s taking on a Fuego club that struggled offensively in their last match.
Key Match Up
Battle of the Goalkeepers:
For this match we are going to take a look at the matchup of Phil Breno vs. Ofek Antman. Both goalkeepers have recorded relatively similar stats all season while facing double-digit shot totals. Breno has allowed four goals, but has managed to maintain a 60% save success rate. On the other hand, Antman has conceded six goals, but has a save success rate right at 58.3%. Antman has a clean sheet on his record, while Breno will look to record his first clean sheet of the season Saturday. Expect a close matchup between the keepers.
Keys to the Match
- Strong Counterattacks: With Fuego coming off a brutal 3-0 loss against Union Omaha, it’ll be key for the Flamingos to rattle Central Valley Fuego FC early with strong counterattacks. If FMFC can successfully stop Fuego and get counterattacks going right after the turnover, Central Valley will break down just like they did against Omaha. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to have his squad ready to counter attack this Saturday.
- Playing Through the Elements: With the weather set to be messy for Saturday, it’ll be important for the Flamingos to get what they want done given the circumstances. Forward Madison has done an impressive job playing through poor conditions so far this year and if the Flamingos can continue to do so, they should control the match against Fuego.
Previous and Next Match
Forward Madison notched 1-1 draws in their last two matches. In the Battle for Madison, the Flamingos scored late to draw against the UW Madison Badgers. As for their last USL League One match, Forward Madison managed to survive a red card and still draw against FC Tucson. Next up, the Flamingos will head to Virginia to battle the Richmond Kickers on Saturday, May 7th at 5:00 pm CT!
Central Valley Fuego FC lost their most recent USL League One match against the defending champions, Union Omaha 3-0. Looking ahead, Fuego will take on Greenville Triumph at home on May 7th at 9:30 pm CT.
