Tuesday, July 26th, 2022; 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Breese Stevens Field, Madison, WI
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates
Forward Madison will be facing off with Union Omaha on Tuesday, July 20th at Breese Stevens Field. The match kicks off at 7:00 pm CT and the theme is Out of the Park Night, so be ready for a baseball-themed activation at halftime! Stick around after the match to watch the Unified Series Cup matchup between Forward Madison’s Unified Team and Union Omaha’s Unified Team.
Last time the ‘Mingos took on Union Omaha, the match resulted in a 2-2 draw. Forward Madison enters this upcoming match against Omaha following a crucial 2-0 league win over South Georgia Tormenta. Although their last league match came against Tormenta, the Flamingos most recently took on Pumas Tabasco on Wednesday and the match resulted in a 2-2 draw. Jeremiah Streng played impressively, scoring a goal and notching an assist in 62 minutes of play. Looking ahead, FMFC will battle against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Saturday, July 30th.
Union Omaha heads to Madison following an important match against the USL League One’s top-seeded Greenville Triumph. Next up for Omaha, they’ll duel against Chattanooga on July 30th.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records
Forward Madison FC (6-4-5)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Union Omaha (5-2-6)
Head Coach: Jay Mims
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison
Nazeem Bartman: The South African striker has been one of the best offensive players for Forward Madison all season. Bartman has the fourth most shots on the squad and is tied for second on the team in goals (3). Expect the striker to see a large workload and to be relied upon by coach Matt Glaeser to provide a spark offensively.
Matheus Cassini: What isn’t there to say about Cassini. The Brazilian midfielder dominated against Tormenta, scoring a goal and logging an assist to help FMFC grab the win. Expect Cassini to have a big role helping to create quality chances for the ‘Mingos attack.
Raiko Arozarena: Arozarena is coming off an impressive performance against South Georgia Tormenta FC. The Cuban goalkeeper logged five saves and a clean sheet in his first match for the Flamingos. Expect Arozarena to face a lot more pressure against this fourth place Union Omaha team.
Key Match Up
FMFC Goalkeeper vs. Omaha Goalkeeper
The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena against Union Omaha’s goalie Rashid Nuhu. Union Omaha has been one of the best defensive teams in the league all season as they’ve allowed the least goals in the league (12). Omaha’s defense has been solid thanks to Nuhu who has been dominant in between the posts. Nuhu is tied for second-most clean sheets in the league with 5 and he’s recorded 20 saves on the year.
Luckily for the ‘Mingos, Union Omaha has struggled on the offensive end. Omaha currently has the lowest conversion rate in the league (13%) while they’ve scored the second-least goals in the league (16). Forward Madison’s newest goalie, Raiko Arozarena, is coming off a masterclass of a performance in his first start in the Pink and Blue. Arozarena recorded five saves and a clean sheet in his first match for the Flamingos. Expect Arozarena and Nuhu to get tested on Tuesday. This goalie vs. goalie matchup should be a great one!
Keys to the Match
- Counterattacks, counterattacks, oh and counterattacks – Forward Madison’s chances have come in large part thanks to counterattacks. Against Tormenta, FMFC put the game away thanks to Drew Conner pressing, then stealing the ball and passing to Matheus Cassini who scored immediately off the counter. Expect coach Glaeser to have his team pressing and ready for quick counters against Omaha.
- Dominate Possession – In FMFC’s most recent match against Omaha, which ended 2-2, the ‘Mingos controlled possession (69% to 31%) and passed the ball significantly better than Omaha (79% to 61%). The game plan seemed to work however the match still ended in a draw. Expect coach Glaeser to have his team ready to outpossess and outpass Union Omaha yet again.
Previous and Next Match
Forward Madison hosts Union Omaha after an international friendly against Pumas Tabasco on Wednesday. The friendly resulted in a 2-2 draw. Looking ahead, the Flamingos will welcome Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC for an important USL League One match on Saturday, July 30th.
Union Omaha enters Tuesday’s match following a crucial match against the top-seeded Greenville Triumph. After facing FMFC, Omaha will then take on Chattanooga on July 30th.
