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The Battle for Madison is Back on April 23rd!

February 9, 2022 by USL Digital

Madison’s most thrilling rivalry between Forward Madison FC and the UW-Madison Men’s Soccer team is set to take place this April. Forward Madison FC will host the 4th annual “Battle for Madison” match at Breese Stevens Field on Saturday, April 23rd at 7pm CT.

Single-game tickets will go on sale in the beginning of March, while season ticket holders will have the game automatically included in their 2022 packages.

This match will be the fourth contest between the teams since their first meeting in April of 2019, where the Flamingos pulled out a 2-0 win over the Badgers. Most recently, the squads drew 1-1 in a weather-delayed match in 2021.

The game will hold extra significance for FMFC Assistant Coach Jim Launder, who coached the Badgers from 1982 until 1996. Launder coached the Badgers to their first national championship in 1995.

Forward Madison and Wisconsin Distributors Donate $5,808 to The Flock Soccer Foundation

February 9, 2022 by USL Digital

Forward Madison is pleased to have partnered with Wisconsin Distributors to donate $5,508 to the Flock Soccer Foundation. This donation was made possible through the proceeds raised by Irruption Pale Ale sales in 2021.

“These funds directly go right back into the soccer community,” Flock Soccer Foundation Vice President Grant Pieters said. “We support programs throughout the city such as Cap[ital] East Soccer and Millenium Soccer, who provide opportunities to individuals that otherwise may not get a chance.”

Peters further explained that the funds are put into action right away. This past year, The Flock Soccer Foundation worked with the Wisconsin Warriors, a power wheelchair soccer team, to provide a player with a power wheelchair that typically costs upwards of $10,000. “We were able to go and pay for a chair for this individual so he can continue his career and move forward in the sport,” Pieters said.

Irruption Pale Ale was created in partnership with Flock members and Vintage Brewing Company in Madison. They tirelessly worked to develop a great tasting, hop-forward pale ale that is a perfect drink for any FMFC game. Featuring Brambling Cross, Cashmere, and Sultana hops, the beer clocks in at 0.38 IBUs and 5.0% ABV. Irruption Pale Ale is widely available throughout Madison, including all Vintage Brewing Company locations!

A Captain’s Impact

February 4, 2022 by USL Digital

Connor Tobin’s impact on Forward Madison and the Madison community cannot be overstated. A club captain since the team’s inception in 2019, Connor Tobin embodied the Forward Madison spirit to its fullest extent.

Tobin is a seasoned veteran of the American lower divisions, previously having successful stints with Minnesota Stars FC and North Carolina FC. In coming to Madison, Tobin was tasked with helping a newly-created club cement itself within the community as a pillar of positivity and fun, all while leading the team on the field. Tobin went above and beyond helping to accomplish this by interacting with Forward Madison’s supporters through his off-the-field activities like baking cookies for season ticket holders, driving to Kentucky to meet fans and co-founding the USL Players Association.

Additionally, Tobin played a massive role in making Forward Madison a globally-revered club. Tobin was the brains behind the Irruption Tour, a now-yearly trip made by FMFC staff and Forward fans spreading goodwill, soccer spirit, and Wisconsin beer all throughout the country. Tobin continued to foster this global connection with Mingos Worldwide, an initiative developed to keep Forward Madison fans who are not in the Madison area involved and engaged with the club. Most recently, Tobin conceptualized the Friends with Benefits kit that aimed to connect the global soccer community together through the love of the game and beer.

On the pitch, Tobin solidified himself as one of the best defenders in USL League One by anchoring the FMFC defense. In 2020, Tobin started 14 of 16 matches, leading the Flamingos defense that conceded the second-fewest goals in the league. Tobin was named to the USL League One All-League Second-Team after his stellar 2020 performance. Returning to Breese in 2021, Tobin had an Ironman-type season, starting each of the club’s 28 matches and leading the team in minutes played with 2,519. Tobin was named to USL League One’s Team of the Week for Week 8 following a defensive performance that saw the Flamingos concede only 2 goals in a stretch of 4 matches. Tobin added two goals of his own during the 2021 campaign, keeping FMFC in the playoff race until the last match of the season.

Forward Madison FC cannot thank Connor Tobin enough for his contributions to this club, this city. He set a precedent for all future Forward Madison players, coaches, and front office staff to follow with his passion for the game and commitment to give back to the community. The club looks forward to seeing what the future holds for the man Forward Madison fans lovingly refer to as “Turbo”.

Forward Madison Begin Pre-Season Against Marquette University

February 1, 2022 by USL Digital

Forward Madison’s pre-season campaign kicks off on February 26th against the Marquette University men’s soccer team. The match will be played at 5:30pm CT at Valley Fields (1818 W. Canal St.) in Milwaukee. Valley Fields is a domed complex, the match will be played indoors on a full-length soccer pitch.

Admission to this match is free, no tickets are required for entry. This is your first opportunity to see the Flamingos in action for the 2022 campaign, join us down in Milwaukee on the 26th!

Into the Stands: Tim Elliott

January 31, 2022 by USL Digital

Tim Elliott is a household name in the Madison area. The Madison-area NBC15 anchor and reporter is beloved by many, with his warm and inviting personality bursting through the television screen. But what if we told you there is more to Tim Elliott than meets the eye?

Elliott was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Janesville and quickly became accustomed to the game of soccer. “I was a crazy little kid, running around with a ton of energy,” Elliott said. “My parents put me in soccer to burn off all this energy and I took to it immediately. I was just fast, faster than all the other kids on the field. I made the all-star teams with my sister, who was also on the team, and ever since then I’ve kept up playing the game.”

As many soccer supporters know, it’s one thing to play soccer, but it’s quite different to enter the world of avid soccer fandom. “I fell in love with soccer during the 2002 World Cup. It was in South Korea and Japan, so the games were at 2:00am in the States, but I didn’t care because I was 16 and it was summer vacation. I distinctly remember taking to David Beckham during that World Cup. He was in his prime and he made me an international soccer fan and at the time, a Manchester United fan. At that point, Man U was one of the only teams you could watch on TV, so it worked out perfectly.”

After going to college for broadcasting, Elliott moved to Alabama for his first job in television. After a successful stint, he then moved to NBC15 in Madison in 2010. Around the same time, he also made a major switch in his soccer fandom. “During the 2008-2009 Premier League season, I became a Tottenham Hotspur supporter. It was back in the days of Jermaine Defoe and Luka Modric, and ever since then I’ve been a massive supporter of Tottenham. I’ve never made it out to a Spurs match, it’s definitely on my bucket list.”

Following his initial Madison experience with NBC15, Tim moved to Louisville and Milwaukee before eventually returning to Madison, where he remains today. “Something in my head told me that I might be back in Madison, I’m so happy that it actually came to fruition. Madison is always going to be home for me.”

Elliott and his wife Lindsey, along with their newly-born son Ty and their dog Dempsey (named after Clint Dempsey), quickly re-established their roots in the Madison area and community, and when a rumbling about a professional soccer team started up, he jumped all over it. “I went to the Wisconsin Historical Society for the unveiling of the team logo and name. When it was revealed as Forward Madison FC, I was like okay, these people know what they’re doing with the flamingo and tying in the state motto. I love the uniqueness of the name, you just don’t see that in soccer. After that day, I was all in. I went to five games that first season, including the home opener. It was an awesome, surreal first season.”

The second season of Forward Madison soccer started out like any other season, but then took a sharp turn when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “The pandemic slowed things down for me as far as attending games. Heading to the games when the team was playing in Wauwatosa was difficult for my family and me. Things started to get back to normal in 2021, but that’s why I’m looking forward to 2022 so much. Normalcy is hopefully just around the corner, and that means I’ll be back in the atmosphere that I’ve come to love so much.”

Having experienced the ins and outs of Madison through his reporting at NBC15, Elliott considers Forward Madison an essential part of the growing community. “It’s the commitment to the fans and the constant engagement with the Madison community that make this club so special. I go to the matches because I know that I’m going to have a great time on a Saturday night. You just can’t beat it.”

With the 2022 season just around the corner, Elliott wanted to make one thing abundantly clear: “I think we challenge for the title this year. Why not us?”

We agree, why not us.

Forward Madison Sign Australian Defender Mitch Osmond

January 27, 2022 by USL Digital

Forward Madison FC have signed Mitchell Osmond, a defender from Sydney, Australia. The 27-year-old defender joins the Flamingos after most recently playing for OKC Energy FC where he started 32 matches under the FMFC’s new assistant coach, John Pascarella.

“I’ve known Mitch for a number of years, both playing against him and then coaching him at OKC,” said Assistant Coach John Pascarella. “He brings a lot of maturity and experience to the locker room, all while having winning-mentality.”

Osmond earned some impressive honors during his time in college when he played for Thunder Bay Chill and Rio Grande Red Storm. In 2017, he was named USL League Two Defender of the Year while playing for the USL League Two team Thunder Bay Chill. In 2018, he earned NAIA First Team All-American honors, River States Conference Player of the Year, River States Conference Defender of the Year, and First Team All-River States Conference while playing for Rio Grande Red Storm.

Upon graduating college, Osmond was drafted by Minnesota United in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. He played for Indy Eleven from 2019 to 2020, where he made 17 appearances and finished second on the team with a high passing accuracy before moving on to Energy FC for the 2021 season.

FMFC is excited to welcome Osmond to the 608 and has high hopes for this new defender.

Forward Madison to Play SC Paderborn 07 on June 15th

January 26, 2022 by USL Digital

Forward Madison FC is thrilled to welcome 2. Bundesliga squad SC Paderborn 07 to Breese Stevens Field for an international friendly on June 15th, 2022 at 7pm CT.

“We’re excited to bring a quality opponent in SC Paderborn 07 to Madison for a match-up against our squad,” said Forward Madison FC Chief Operating Officer and Owner Conor Caloia. “Forward Madison is committed to giving our fans access to some of the top clubs around the world, and international friendlies have become unique, annual experiences at Breese Stevens Field.”

Paderborn is a mainstay of German soccer, having been in the Bundesliga, Germany’s premier division, as soon as the 2019-20 season. Founded through the merger of two Paderborn soccer clubs in 1985, SC Paderborn 07 has competed in a vast majority of German soccer leagues, finding success and promotion in many of them. At the time of this article, Paderborn sit 9th in the 2. Bundesliga standings, just five points off a top-three spot in the league standings. Led by forward Sven Michel, the club has amassed a total of 36 goals and 24 assists so far this season, tying them for 5th-best in the league in offensive efficiency.

The current Paderborn squad is composed of a significant amount of international talent, featuring players from Ghana, Switzerland, Kosovo, Nigeria, and Germany. They are currently managed by Lukas Kwasnoik.

This international friendly will be open to the public, with this match being included in the Season Ticket and Six Pack ticket packages. Individual tickets to this match will be made available when single game tickets go on sale in March.

Forward Madison Sign Brazilian Attacking Midfielder Matheus Cassini

January 20, 2022 by USL Digital

Matheus Cassini is the newest player signed to the 2022 roster for Forward Madison FC, pending league and federation approval. The Brazil 25-year-old attacking midfielder joins FMFC from his most recent season with 1st division Bulgarian squad Botev Vratsa.

“Matheus has a wealth of international experience,” said Head Coach Matt Glaeser. “He’s played at high levels and we anticipate him to be a high-impact performer for our team and in the league. He’s hardworking, versatile in and out of possession, and has a deadly left foot.”

Cassini’s career began in 2008 when he joined his hometown club Corinthians in Brazil’s top division and played with the club until 2015 when he was picked up by an Italian club Palermo. During his time with Palermo, Cassini was loaned to Croatian and Italian squads, making fifteen appearances with the Italian side Siracusa. In 2017, Cassini signed a 5-month deal with club Ponte Preta in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A league. Later that year, he signed with Santos FC and then Oeste FC. In 2018, Cassini signed a two and a half year contract with Amiens SC, a French Ligue 1 club. In 2021, Cassini played for Sampaio Corrêa making 11 appearances before most recently playing for Botev Vratsa where he also made 11 appearances.

Cassini’s crafty skillset will bode well for creating chances in the opponent’s third for the Flamingos this upcoming season.

Forward Madison Sign 25-Year-Old Jamaican Forward Rojay Smith

January 17, 2022 by USL Digital

Rojay Smith, a 25-year-old Jamaican forward, is the newest member of Forward Madison FC. Smith most recently played for USL Championship team Sporting Kansas City II in 2021.

“We’re very excited to welcome Rojay to the FMFC family,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said. “Rojay is a dynamic and explosive young player with a very high ceiling. We expect him to play an important role for us in 2022.”

Smith’s career began when he played for Jamaican National Premier League team Harbour View before playing collegiately in the United States. From 2016 to 2017, Smith played at Northern Oklahoma College where he scored an impressive 33 goals, made 37 appearances, and 8 assists.

After his sophomore year of college, Smith transferred to University of Tampa and played for the team from 2018 to 2019, where he scored 8 goals, made 27 appearances, and had 7 assists. To begin his senior career, Smith signed with Sporting Kansas City II where he contributed to the team’s 2021 campaign.

Smith will provide the Flamingos with attacking prowess on the wing and look to make an impact immediately for the squad.

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