Tuesday, July 5th, 2022; 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins, CO
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates
Forward Madison will conclude their two-game road trip on Tuesday, July 5th when they take on USL League One Newcomer, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. The match will kick off at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado at 8:00 pm CT.
The Flamingos head into Tuesday’s match following a 6-2 loss to Charlotte Independence. Jeremiah Streng and Rojay Smith both had strong performances in that match as they each tallied a goal against the Charlotte goalkeeper. Eric Leonard earned USL League One Team of the Week honors thanks to a dominant match against the Richmond Kickers earlier in the week. Next up on the schedule, FMFC will host a match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on July 16th at 7:00 pm.
Northern Colorado Hailstorm enters the match after a 1-2 loss at the hands of Greenville on July 25th. After they take on FMFC, the Hailstorm will hit the road for a game against FC Tucson on July 9th.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (3-4-4)
Head Coach: Éamon Zayed
Forward Madison FC (4-4-5)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison
Cyrus Rad: Cyrus Rad has solidified himself as one of the more aggressive defenders on FMFC’s backline. In Forward Madison’s most recent match against Richmond, Rad crossed the ball perfectly into the box, leading to a Matheus Cassini game-winning goal in the 82’. The 22-year-old currently sits second on the squad in assists and has seen his workload increased as the season has progressed, so expect the defender to continue to play a key role offensively.
Matheus Cassini: The Brazilian native has easily been one of the best players for the Flamingos recently. After a slow start offensively, Cassini has quickly risen to the top of the squad’s statistical leaders. The 26-year-old has the third most shots on the team (14), the fifth most shots on goal (4), and is tied for the second most goals (3). Expect Cassini to be relied upon by coach Matt Glaeser to create quality chances against Northern Colorado.
Rojay Smith: Rojay Smith enters Tuesday’s match following one of his best performances of the season against Charlotte. In the match, Smith started and played the full match, contributing an impressive goal in the 64’ assisted by Eric Leonard. The Jamaican native has been aggressive on the wing and will need to continue to be effective to help the Flamingos defeat the Hailstorm.
Key Match Up
FMFC Backline vs Hailstorm Strikers:
The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison backline of Mitch Osmond, Eric Leonard, and Cyrus Rad versus the Northern Colorado strikers, including Irvin Parra and Trevor Amann. Forward Madison’s attack has been very effective recently and it seems that the defense is the only area that needs improvement. In FMFC’s last match, the Flamingos allowed six goals, three of which came in the first 30 minutes. That match featured a new combination of FMFC defenders starting on the backline as some of the typical starters needed some hard-earned rest. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to go back to his usual starters in what will be a critical match against Northern Colorado.
The Hailstorm attack has been pretty inconsistent all season as the squad has only scored 16 goals in 11 games. Much of Northern Colorado’s attack has been heavily reliant on production coming from Irvin Parra and Trevor Amann. The two players have combined to score half of the Hailstorms’ 16 goals on the season. If Forward Madison’s backline is able to slow down Parra and Amann they should have no trouble shutting down the rest of the Northern Colorado attack. Expect FMFC to put an emphasis on stopping Parra, who’s scored the second most goals in the league (6).
Keys to the Match
- Aggressive Defense: Forward Madison has been one of the best teams in the league at controlling the possession. The club has passed the ball more than any other team in the league (5,763 passes) and currently hold the highest passing accuracy (82%). On the other hand, Northern Colorado ranks in the bottom half of the league in passing accuracy, so expect FMFC to be aggressive defensively in attempting to shut down the Hailstorm’s attacks.
- Record More Shots on Target: One of the few weaknesses of the Forward Madison attack this season has been the club’s shooting accuracy. On the year, FMFC has taken three more shots than the Hailstorm, however the Flamingos’ shooting accuracy is around 37%, while Northern Colorado’s is right below 50%. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to have his team ready to take higher quality shots on goal against the Hailstorm.
Previous and Next Match
Forward Madison heads to Colorado following a loss against the Charlotte Independence on June 26th. After the Flamingos’ final match of the road trip, FMFC will head home to take on South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, July 16th.
Northern Colorado hosts Forward Madison following a match against Chattanooga on Thursday. The Hailstorm will then travel to Arizona to duel with FC Tucson on July 9th.
