News Collection

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!

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!

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 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.

 

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.

Forward Madison has signed 27-year-old midfielder Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu. Originally from Massachusetts, the MLS Cup winning-defensive midfielder joins the Flamingos from Sacramento Republic FC of the USL Championship.

“I want to come in and make as much of a positive impact as I can for the club on and off the field,” Wheeler-Omiunu said. “The collaborative nature of our sport is something that is very special, and for me, if one of us struggles, we all struggle. Conversely, if one of us eats, we all eat. So my goal is to try and be a person in the team that helps bring us together and drive us all forward as a group. Hopefully we will all be well fed come the end of the year.”

Wheeler-Omiunu played collegiately for Harvard Crimson, where he captained the squad during his junior year and was a 2x All-Ivy League First Team honoree. Upon graduating, he played one season for Seattle Sounders FC before joining Atlanta United. During his time with Atlanta United, Wheeler-Omiunu contributed to their 2018 MLS Cup win.

In 2019, Wheeler-Omiunu joined USL League One squad FC Tucson, where he was awarded USL League One Team of the Week twice and was second on the team in Tackles, Duels, Duels Won, and Interceptions. He was temporarily loaned to USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC during the 2019 season, making six appearances. 

This past season, Wheeler-Omiunu played for Sacramento Republic FC out of the USL Championship. Wheeler-Omiunu made 19 appearances and tallied 1,314 minutes for Sacramento in 2021.

Having previously played under newly appointed FMFC Head Coach Matt Glaeser, Wheeler-Omiunu is eager to join him at Forward Madison. “I have a great deal of respect for Coach Glaeser,” Wheeler-Omiunu said. “I think he has a high soccer intelligence, a really strong work ethic, and an excellent demeanor and approach to how he prepares and expresses his ideas. I imagine those qualities will continue to lead to a lot of individual success for us this year. And ultimately, working with people with exceptional character is one of the things I cherish most about my time in football. So anytime I get the opportunity to work with someone like Coach Glaeser in that regard, I am grateful.”

Forward Madison FC is transferring Aaron Molloy to USL Championship team Memphis 901 FC for an undisclosed fee. Molloy exercised an option in his contract to buy out of the agreement and move to a USL Championship club. Molloy expressed his desire to Forward Madison leadership to advance his playing career by moving to the USL Championship. Molloy was signed to the Flamingos on a two-year contract which included a buyout option.

“I just want to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to grow both as a person and as a professional,” Molloy said. “The platform Madison provides players is second to none. This past season made me fall back in love with football. I also want to thank all the staff, players, and everyone behind the scenes. I made a special connection with the fans that I’ll treasure forever shoutout to The Flock! I’m excited to watch the club grow and succeed this upcoming season. Thank you again,  Madison.”

 FMFC is proud to have been able to provide a platform for Molloy to excel and prove his talents in order to accomplish his goals as a player, both on and off the pitch. During his time with the Flamingos during the 2021 season, Molloy recorded the most passes in USL League One, was awarded Team of the Week on two occasions, and was titled Player of the Month in August. Following an impressive 2021 campaign, Molloy was chosen as a finalist for the title of USL League One MVP.

“Aaron Molloy made a significant impact on Forward Madison this past season and we wish him nothing but the best as he continues his playing career,” Forward Madison Chief Operating Officer and Owner Conor Caloia said. 

Forward Madison FC announced today that Keith Tiemeyer will be the club’s new Director of Soccer Operations and Development starting February 1st, 2022.

“The Madison area has been my family’s home for 13 years and, outside of family, soccer remains my passion,” Tiemeyer said. “My family and I are thrilled that we are able to continue combining both. I very much look forward to assisting COO Conor Caloia in executing his vision for the Club and I also look forward to supporting Coach Matt Glaeser’s technical success goals for Forward Madison.”

Tiemeyer joins Forward Madison after playing an instrumental role as Assistant Coach with the University of Wisconsin-Madison men’s soccer team since 2009. During his time at UW-Madison, Tiemeyer took the team to two NCAA tournaments and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2017. He was honored as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation in 2013 and again in 2018. In 2017, Tiemeyer helped lead the Badgers to a Big Ten Tournament Championship. In 2018, two of the players that Tiemeyer helped develop went on to be drafted in the top 10 of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Overall, he saw 12 Badger players continue on playing professionally during his time at the university.

Prior to his role as assistant coach at UW-Madison, Tiemeyer was assistant coach for the 2006 season at his alma mater, Regis University, before becoming head coach from 2007 to 2008. From 1994-1999, Tiemeyer was an assistant coach at the University of Denver, and from 1998-2002 he was a coach and evaluator for Colorado’s Olympic Development Program.

Tiemeyer is originally from Missouri but has been involved in the Madison area community for many years. He has worked with the Madison 56ers, FC Wisconsin, Waunakee Soccer Club, and the Wisconsin ODP teams. 

“Big Top Sports and Entertainment is truly a quality of life organization for our community,” Tiemeyer said. “Forward Madison soccer matches, Mallards baseball games, and the other events hosted at Breese Stevens Field provide Madison area residents and visitors with wonderful opportunities to get out and stay engaged. I very much look forward to joining this exciting organization!”

Forward Madison FC is pleased to announce John Pascarella as one of the club’s assistant coaches for the 2022 campaign.

“I’m ecstatic to join the staff at Forward Madison,” Pascarella said. “I’ve known Head Coach Matt Glaeser for a while within the game, I know Madison well from my time with Minnesota United, and I know the club is set up for success. There’s a lot of comfort here for me knowing that the fan base is embraced by the city and has a deep passion for the game.”

Pascarella is a bit of a jack of all trades when it comes to coaching abilities. He spent the past two seasons as the head coach for USL Championship team, OKC Energy, after being appointed head coach in November of 2019. Prior to Oklahoma City, Pascarella was the goalkeeping coach with MLS side Minnesota United during their 2018 season, and was the head coach of Des Moines Menace in 2017 where he took the team to the Conference Finals.

Pascarella’s coaching career began in 1998 at the University of Maryland. He next became head coach at Herndon High School, where he participated in the U.S. Olympic Development Program with USL side Northern Virginia Royals. After coaching in Virginia, Pascarella became the goalkeeping coach for Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting KC) in the MLS, before being appointed assistant coach for seven more years and leading the team to a 2013 MLS Cup Championship.

Prior to coaching, the New Jersey native played soccer in high school, followed by four years of college at Pennsylvania State University. After graduating, he played abroad in Peru before returning to the States. Upon returning to the US, Pascarella played for Richmond Kickers and Standard Falcons before joining Los Angeles Galaxy in 1996.

“The fans and the city deserve a playoff-caliber team, one that wins consistently and plays a style of football that is exciting to watch,” Pascarella said. “We want to reward all of the fans who invest so much passion and time into this club by producing a team that not only makes the playoffs, but makes a deep run in them.”

Forward Madison FC are excited to announce that Neil Hlavaty will return as the Head Assistant Coach for the 2022 season.

Hlavaty will be going into his 4th year with Forward Madison. New Head Coach Matt Glaeser expressed appreciation of Hlavaty’s coaching experience with the club. “I’m very pleased to welcome Neil back to the Forward Madison family. He has proven himself to be an intelligent, hard working and trustworthy colleague and his experience and knowledge in USL League 1 will be invaluable to myself and the rest of the staff.“

The 34-year-old former player was originally added to Daryl Shore’s technical staff in Forward Madison’s first season. Hlavaty had just finished a playing career which saw him feature for a number of clubs both domestically and abroad, winning USL and NASL trophies in both 2009 and 2011, respectively. 

“We’re happy Neil is continuing with the organization,” Forward Madison COO Conor Caloia said. “Neil has been a big part of the club on and off the field since we launched in 2019. We appreciate his commitment to the Club and the community.” 

“I’m very grateful and excited to be back with Forward Madison,” Hlavaty said. “Forward Madison has given me a great platform to learn and challenge myself as a coach. It’s a place unlike any other within the landscape of professional soccer in the United States. The club is consistently aiming to win trophies, and I plan to do everything in my power to help achieve those ambitions.”