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Forward Madison FC took on Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC for the first time in club history on Tuesday, July 5th at 8:00 pm CT. The match resulted in a 2-1 win for Forward Madison, moving FMFC into third place in the USL League One table. Tuesday’s win over Hailstorm kicked off at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado. 

The match began slowly with both teams jockeying to control possession from the start. In the 4th minute of his first match starting in the Pink and Blue, goalkeeper Parker Smith made a massive save to keep Northern Colorado off the scoreboard. At the 8th minute mark, Alvin Jones passed the ball down the right wing of the pitch to Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu. The 27-year-old midfielder caught the Hailstorm goalie off guard and rocketed in a goal from way outside of the box to give FMFC an early 1-0 lead. Parker Smith came up huge with another crucial save for the ‘Mingos in the 19th minute when the Hailstorm nearly scored off a free kick. 

In the 28th minute, Northern Colorado stole the ball from FMFC and quickly started up the counter attack. Hailstorm’s midfielder Jerry Desdunes launched a shot across the Forward Madison backline and into the net to knot up the score at 1-1. The first half winded down slowly as both teams struggled to try to bring momentum into the half. Luckily for the FMFC faithful, in the 44th minute, Cyrus Rad drove the ball into the Hailstorm defense then passed the ball ahead to Alann Torres. Torres raced forward then fired a speedy shot from outside the box that flew past the Hailstorm goalkeeper. Thanks to Torres’ first professional goal of his career, Forward Madison entered the half with a 2-1 lead.

The second half kicked off with coach Matt Glaeser subbing in Drew Conner for goal scorer Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu. The early sub helped as Forward Madison nearly scored in the 52nd minute thanks to a Mikey Maldonado nutmeg and cross into the Hailstorm box. The next 15 minutes of the match went back and forth as neither team logged any shots besides Forward Madison’s Drew Conner in the 64th minute. Coach Matt Glaeser pumped some fresh legs into his squad in the 72nd minute, when Glaeser subbed on Derek Gebhard and Christian Dean for Alvin Jones and Mikey Maldonado. FMFC’s Parker Smith made another important stop in the 82nd minute when he came out of the box to prevent a Hailstorm one-on-one opportunity. The Flamingos continued to build on their momentum in the 84th minute when Jeremiah Streng blasted a shot at the Northern Colorado keeper that barely got saved. In the 88th minute, Coach Matt Glaeser was issued a Red Card. With six minutes of stoppage time added to the end of the second half, Derek Gebhard made a massive deflection to force a corner kick which the ‘Mingos ended up fending off. In the 90+8th minute mark, Parker Smith jumped in front of a shot to make the game-sealing catch. Forward Madison defeated the Hailstorm in their first ever match 2-1. 

“It felt amazing,” Parker Smith said. “I’ve been working really hard for years now, it’s great knowing the guys had my back.”

“We knew it was going to be tough at altitude against a good team,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said. “We trained our mentality to find a way to win no matter what. I give a lot of credit to our guys for executing the game plan tonight.”

Looking ahead on the schedule, Forward Madison will host South Georgia Tormenta FC at Breese Stevens Field on July 16th at 7pm. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC will head South, after taking on FMFC, for a battle against FC Tucson on July 9th. 

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Major Moments:  

• 3’ NCO Corner Kick
• 4’ MAD Parker Smith Save
• 8’ MAD GOAL Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Alvin Jones Assist)
• 14’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 17’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 18’ MAD Foul Mikey Maldonado Yellow Card
• 19’ MAD Parker Smith Save
• 24’ MAD Alvin Jones Yellow Card
• 28’ NCO GOAL Jerry Desdunes
• 28’ MAD Yellow Card Bench
• 34’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 37’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 41’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 44’ MAD GOAL Alann Torres (Cyrus Rad Assist)
• 2 Minutes of Stoppage Time
• 45+2’ NCO Yellow Card (Parra)
• 45+3’ NCO Corner Kick

Halftime

• HALFTIME – MAD SUB:
  • Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu off for Drew Conner
• 46’ NCO Yellow Card (Cornwall)
• 52’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 53’ MAD Offsides
• 56’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 58’ NCO Yellow Card (Folla)
• 59’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 61’ MAD Corner Kick
• 64’ MAD Shot Saved
• 69’ NCO SUBS:
  • Lukic and Scally subbed in for 5 Folla and 9 McLean
• 71’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 72’ MAD SUB:
  • Derek Gebhard and Christian Dean subbed in for Alvin Jones and Mikey Maldonado
• 73’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 77’ NCO Corner Kick
• 78’ MAD SUB:
  • Jeremiah Streng subbed in for Abdou Mbacke Thiam
• 79’ MAD Yellow Card Matheus Cassini
• 83’ NCO Offsides
• 84’ MAD Shot Saved (Streng Shot)
• 85’ NCO Yellow Card (Nortey)
• 88’ MAD Red Card (Matt Glaeser)
• 88’ NCO SUB: 
  • Vanacore-Decker subbed in for Nortey
• 6 Minutes of Stoppage Time
• 90+1’ NCO Corner Kick
• 90+2’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 90+3’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 90+4’ NCO Corner Kick
• 90+5’ MAD SUB:
  • Mele Temguia subbed in for Nazeem Bartman
• 90+6’ MAD Yellow Card Mitch Osmond
• 90+7’ NCO Foul, No Card

Forward Madison FC

0 P. Smith

3 E. Leonard

4 M. Osmond ©

47 C. Rad

15 M. Maldonado

16 A. Jones

18 A. Torres

28 A. Wheeler-Omiunu

24 N. Bartman

7 A. Mbacke Thiam

10 M. Cassini

Substitutes: P. Breno, M. Temguia, C. Dean, D. Conner, D. Gebhard, R. Smith, J. Streng

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

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Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

1 T. Olsen

2 B. Evans

5 L. Folla

4 R. Cornwall ©

8 N. Nortey

3 A. Rogers

17 D. Robles

19 J. Desdunes

9 L. McLean 

10 I. Parra

11 M. Hernandez

Substitutes: J. Penaranda, L. Folla, O. Damm, D. Scally, E. Vanacore-Decker, T. Amann, D. Norman, S. Lukic, D. Ulysse

Head Coach: Éamon Zayed

——————————————————

Goals

Forward Madison FC

• 8’ Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Alvin Jones Assist)
• 44’ Alann Torres (Cyrus Rad Assist)

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

• 28’ Jerry Desdunes 

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Discipline

Forward Madison FC

• 18’ Yellow Card Mikey Maldonado
• 24’ Yellow Card Alvin Jones
• 28’ Yellow Card Bench
• 79’ Yellow Card Matheus Cassini
• 88’ Red Card Matt Glaeser
• 90+6’ Yellow Card Mitch Osmond

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

• 45+2’ Yellow Card Parra
• 46’ Yellow Card Cornwall
• 58’ Yellow Card Folla
• 85’ Yellow Card Nortey

——————————————————Venue: Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins, CO

Forward Madison FC Steals Three Points on the Road to Move Up in the Table

Forward Madison FC took on Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC for the first time in club history on Tuesday, July 5th at 8:00 pm CT. The match resulted in a 2-1 win for Forward Madison, moving FMFC into third place in the USL League One table. Tuesday’s win over Hailstorm kicked off at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado. 

The match began slowly with both teams jockeying to control possession from the start. In the 4th minute of his first match starting in the Pink and Blue, goalkeeper Parker Smith made a massive save to keep Northern Colorado off the scoreboard. At the 8th minute mark, Alvin Jones passed the ball down the right wing of the pitch to Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu. The 27-year-old midfielder caught the Hailstorm goalie off guard and rocketed in a goal from way outside of the box to give FMFC an early 1-0 lead. Parker Smith came up huge with another crucial save for the ‘Mingos in the 19th minute when the Hailstorm nearly scored off a free kick. 

In the 28th minute, Northern Colorado stole the ball from FMFC and quickly started up the counter attack. Hailstorm’s midfielder Jerry Desdunes launched a shot across the Forward Madison backline and into the net to knot up the score at 1-1. The first half winded down slowly as both teams struggled to try to bring momentum into the half. Luckily for the FMFC faithful, in the 44th minute, Cyrus Rad drove the ball into the Hailstorm defense then passed the ball ahead to Alann Torres. Torres raced forward then fired a speedy shot from outside the box that flew past the Hailstorm goalkeeper. Thanks to Torres’ first professional goal of his career, Forward Madison entered the half with a 2-1 lead.

The second half kicked off with coach Matt Glaeser subbing in Drew Conner for goal scorer Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu. The early sub helped as Forward Madison nearly scored in the 52nd minute thanks to a Mikey Maldonado nutmeg and cross into the Hailstorm box. The next 15 minutes of the match went back and forth as neither team logged any shots besides Forward Madison’s Drew Conner in the 64th minute. Coach Matt Glaeser pumped some fresh legs into his squad in the 72nd minute, when Glaeser subbed on Derek Gebhard and Christian Dean for Alvin Jones and Mikey Maldonado. FMFC’s Parker Smith made another important stop in the 82nd minute when he came out of the box to prevent a Hailstorm one-on-one opportunity. The Flamingos continued to build on their momentum in the 84th minute when Jeremiah Streng blasted a shot at the Northern Colorado keeper that barely got saved. In the 88th minute, Coach Matt Glaeser was issued a Red Card. With six minutes of stoppage time added to the end of the second half, Derek Gebhard made a massive deflection to force a corner kick which the ‘Mingos ended up fending off. In the 90+8th minute mark, Parker Smith jumped in front of a shot to make the game-sealing catch. Forward Madison defeated the Hailstorm in their first ever match 2-1. 

Looking ahead on the schedule, Forward Madison will host South Georgia Tormenta FC at Breese Stevens Field on July 16th at 7pm. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC will head South, after taking on FMFC, for a battle against FC Tucson on July 9th. 

——————————————————

Major Moments:  

• 3’ NCO Corner Kick
• 4’ MAD Parker Smith Save
• 8’ MAD GOAL Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Alvin Jones Assist)
• 14’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 17’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 18’ MAD Foul Mikey Maldonado Yellow Card
• 19’ MAD Parker Smith Save
• 24’ MAD Alvin Jones Yellow Card
• 28’ NCO GOAL Jerry Desdunes
• 28’ MAD Yellow Card Bench
• 34’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 37’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 41’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 44’ MAD GOAL Alann Torres (Cyrus Rad Assist)
• 2 Minutes of Stoppage Time
• 45+2’ NCO Yellow Card (Parra)
• 45+3’ NCO Corner Kick

Halftime

• HALFTIME – MAD SUB:
  • Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu off for Drew Conner
• 46’ NCO Yellow Card (Cornwall)
• 52’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 53’ MAD Offsides
• 56’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 58’ NCO Yellow Card (Folla)
• 59’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 61’ MAD Corner Kick
• 64’ MAD Shot Saved
• 69’ NCO SUBS:
  • Lukic and Scally subbed in for 5 Folla and 9 McLean
• 71’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 72’ MAD SUB:
  • Derek Gebhard and Christian Dean subbed in for Alvin Jones and Mikey Maldonado
• 73’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 77’ NCO Corner Kick
• 78’ MAD SUB:
  • Jeremiah Streng subbed in for Abdou Mbacke Thiam
• 79’ MAD Yellow Card Matheus Cassini
• 83’ NCO Offsides
• 84’ MAD Shot Saved (Streng Shot)
• 85’ NCO Yellow Card (Nortey)
• 88’ MAD Red Card (Matt Glaeser)
• 88’ NCO SUB: 
  • Vanacore-Decker subbed in for Nortey
• 6 Minutes of Stoppage Time
• 90+1’ NCO Corner Kick
• 90+2’ MAD Foul, No Card
• 90+3’ NCO Foul, No Card
• 90+4’ NCO Corner Kick
• 90+5’ MAD SUB:
  • Mele Temguia subbed in for Nazeem Bartman
• 90+6’ MAD Yellow Card Mitch Osmond
• 90+7’ NCO Foul, No Card

Forward Madison FC

0 P. Smith

3 E. Leonard

4 M. Osmond ©

47 C. Rad

15 M. Maldonado

16 A. Jones

18 A. Torres

28 A. Wheeler-Omiunu

24 N. Bartman

7 A. Mbacke Thiam

10 M. Cassini

Substitutes: P. Breno, M. Temguia, C. Dean, D. Conner, D. Gebhard, R. Smith, J. Streng

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

————————————————–

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

1 T. Olsen

2 B. Evans

5 L. Folla

4 R. Cornwall ©

8 N. Nortey

3 A. Rogers

17 D. Robles

19 J. Desdunes

9 L. McLean 

10 I. Parra

11 M. Hernandez

Substitutes: J. Penaranda, L. Folla, O. Damm, D. Scally, E. Vanacore-Decker, T. Amann, D. Norman, S. Lukic, D. Ulysse

Head Coach: Éamon Zayed

——————————————————

Goals

Forward Madison FC

• 8’ Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Alvin Jones Assist)
• 44’ Alann Torres (Cyrus Rad Assist)

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

• 28’ Jerry Desdunes 

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Discipline

Forward Madison FC

• 18’ Yellow Card Mikey Maldonado
• 24’ Yellow Card Alvin Jones
• 28’ Yellow Card Bench
• 79’ Yellow Card Matheus Cassini
• 88’ Red Card Matt Glaeser
• 90+6’ Yellow Card Mitch Osmond

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

• 45+2’ Yellow Card Parra
• 46’ Yellow Card Cornwall
• 58’ Yellow Card Folla
• 85’ Yellow Card Nortey

——————————————————

Venue: Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins, CO

Tuesday, July 5th, 2022; 8:00 p.m. CT

ESPN+

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

1. 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.
2. 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.

Forward Madison FC started its two match road trip, heading south to Charlotte, North Carolina to take on Charlotte Independence. The second battle between the two clubs kicked off at 5:00 pm CDT at the historic American Legion Memorial Stadium. 

The Flamingos began the first half slowly, as they struggled to get their attack going. Charlotte,  on the other hand, recorded four corner kicks in the first five minutes. Phil Breno made a crucial save in the 4’ to keep the score tied. In the 9’, Tresor Mbuyu pressed the FMFC backline and managed to steal the ball from Phil Breno in the box. Mbuyu then shot the ball into a wide open goal to give the Indepence an early 1-0 lead. Forward Madison responded to Charlotte’s early goal with a quick attack, where the Flamingos logged their first shot of the match. At the 22’ mark, Charlotte’s Gabriel Obertan snuck through Madison’s defense and shot a ball right over the head of Breno and into the goal, giving his squad a 2-0 lead. The Independence continued to build on their momentum in the 28’, as a Charlotte player crossed the ball into Ilya Shevtsov who headed the ball perfectly into the left corner of the goal. 

Down 0-3 in the 34’, FMFC tried to spark their offense through a quick counterattack. The attack resulted in a Justin Sukow shot getting saved by the Charlotte keeper. Forward Madison finally got a goal on the scoreboard in the 37’ thanks to a perfectly placed deep pass by Andrew Wheeler Omiunu. The pass led to Jeremiah Streng having a one-on-one with the Charlotte keeper, which Streng converted on, making the score 3-1. As the final minutes of the first half ticked off, Forward Madison managed to regain some momentum, even though they ended up entering halftime down 3-1. 

The Flamingos started the second half with an early corner, while the chance ended in a foul, the early corner was a catalyst to a few chances in the opening moments of the second half. A chance came from Enriquez when he loaded up a shot from just outside the 18 that tested the Charlotte goalie early. A goal came from Charlotte in the 58’ to settle the pressure that Forward Madison was applying early. The goal came off a broken play with Ibarra picking it up and playing it to Ciss who found the back of the net. A goal from the Flamingos came in the 64’ when Leonard’s first touch of the game was a long ball assist to Rojay Smith who beat the fist defender, sent another one sliding past and then slotted the ball home for the 2nd goal of the game for Forward Madison. Charlotte added another off a corner kick that was floated into the box and finished home from the head of Talboys. The Flamingos again started to look threatening, holding more possession in the Independence half. Charlotte finished the match with a goal late in the 90th. The game ended in a final score of 6-2, with Charlotte coming out victorious at home. 

“We’re going to work hard and not let it happen again,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said. “We still feel as though we can have a successful season and will look to bounce back next match.”

Next on the schedule, the Flamingos will switch directions and head west for a July 5th matchup and first meeting with USL League One newcomers Northern Colorado Hailstorm.

——————————————————-

Major Moments:  

• 3’ CLT Corner
• 4’ CLT Corner
• 4’ CLT Shot
• 5’ CLT Corner
• 5’ CLT Corner
• 8’ CLT Foul
• 9’ CLT GOAL (Mbuyu)
• 10’ MAD Shot
• 12’ MAD Foul
• 14’ CLT Yellow Card (Maya)
• 22’ CLT GOAL (Obertan)
• 24’ CLT Corner
• 25’ CLT Shot
• ‘28 CLT GOAL (Shevtsov)
• 34’ MAD Shot
• 36’ MAD Yellow Card (Wheeler-Omiunu) 
• 37’ MAD GOAL (Streng)
• 38’ CLT Yellow Card (M. Ibarra)
• 38’ MAD Yellow Card (Maldonado)
• 44’ MAD Shot 

Second Half

• 46’ MAD SUB

> Alvin Jones

< Mikey Maldonado

• 46’ MAD Foul
• 48’ MAD Corner
• 49’ MAD Foul
• 50’ CLT Corner
• 51’ MAD Shot
• 53’ MAD Shot
• 56’ CTL Foul
• 58’ CLT GOAL (Ciss)
• 60’ MAD SUB

Cassini ON Sukow OFF

Torres ON Enriquez OFF

Leonard ON Murillo OFF

• 64’ MAD GOAL (R. Smith)
• 67’ MAD Yellow Card (Cassini)
• 69’ CLT GOAL (Talboys) 
• 70’ CLT Sub 

Bennet ON Shevtsov OFF

Barber ON Obertan

• 72’ MAD Corner
• 73’ MAD Shot
• 77’ MAD Sub 

Rad ON Gebhard OFF 

• 78’ MAD Shot
• 82’ MAD Yellow Card (Dean)
• 82’ CLT Sub
•  Rocha ON Amaya OFF
• 83’ MAD Yellow Card (Bench) 
• 88’ CLT Sub 

Barone ON Mbuyu OFF

Acosta ON Ibarra OFF

• 90’ CLT GOAL (Bennett)
• 90+5’ MAD Yellow Card (Temguia)

Forward Madison FC

1 Breno

2 Murillo

5 Dean

6 Temguia

9 Streng

11 R. Smith

13 Enriquez

15 Maldonado

17 Gebhard

19 Sukow

28 Wheeler-Omiunu

Substitutes: P. Smith, Leonard, Rad, Torres, Jones, Cassini, Mbacke-Thiam

Lead Coach: Matt Glaeser 

————————————————–

Charlotte Independence

1 Meyer

5 Dutey

6 Ciss

7 M Ibarra

11 Mbuyu

15 Talboys

16 Maya

17 Dimick

18 Shevtsov

27 Amaya

56 Obertan

Substitutes:  Bellina, Acosta, Rocha, Luquetta, Bennett, Barber, Barone

Head Coach: Mike Jeffries

——————————————————–

Goals

Forward Madison

• 37’ Streng

Charlotte Independence

• 9’ Mbuyu
• 22’ Obertan
• 28’ Shevtsov
• 58’ Ciss
• 69’ Talboys
• 90’ Bennett

——————————————————-

Discipline

Forward Madison

• 36’ Yellow Card Wheeler-Omiunu 
• 38’ Yellow Card Maldonado
• 67’ Yellow Card Cassini
• 83’ MAD Yellow Card Bench 
• 90+5’ MAD Yellow Card Temguia

Charlotte Independence

• 14’ Yellow Card Maya
• 38’ Yellow Card M. Ibarra

——————————————————-
Venue: American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Sunday, June 26th, 2022; 5:00 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Following a dramatic comeback win in the Henny Derby against the USL League One’s top-ranked Richmond Kickers on Thursday night, Forward Madison will return to action this Sunday when they travel to North Carolina to face the Charlotte Independence. This upcoming match will kick off at 5:00 pm CT at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The last time these clubs met, earlier this season, the Flamingos fell at home 1-2, even though Nazeem Bartman had a strong showing, as he tallied a late goal to give Madison a chance. 

As mentioned above, Forward Madison enters Sunday’s match after a 2-1 win against the Kickers on Thursday. Jeremiah Streng and Matheus Cassini scored goals within 2 minutes of each other to secure the victory for the Flamingos. FMFC will finish off their two-game road trip on Tuesday when they battle Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on July 5th. 

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Charlotte Independence (4-6-2)

Head Coach: Mike Jeffries

Forward Madison FC (4-3-5)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Abdou Mbacke-Thiam: One of the quiet leaders of the Forward Madison attack all season has been Abdou Mbacke-Thiam. The striker leads the team in shots with 13, and five of those shots were on goal, which ties for the second-most on the team. Mbacke-Thiam has been a force on the field recently and will continue to be an important part of FMFC’s push going forward. Expect the 30-year-old to continue to be relied upon to carry a bulk of the workload offensively for the ‘Mingos. 

Phil Breno: Phil Breno’s performances this season have in part dictated the Flamingos momentum in each match. The 6’2’’ goalkeeper has recorded a number of stellar performances protecting the goal and in those matches the whole team’s confidence grew as a result of Breno’s strong performance. If Breno can play impressively just as he did at home against Greenville (saving 16 of 18 shots), expect the Flamingos to come away with the win over Charlotte. 

Christian Dean: In his first match in the pink and blue, Christian Dean started and played 71 crucial minutes against Tormenta. The California native had an impressive showing in his debut, recording two tackles, a clearance and two interceptions. Expect Dean to see his role supporting the Flamingos’ backline increase as the season progresses.

Key Match Up

FMFC Strikers vs Charlotte Backline/Goalkeepers:

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison strikers, Abdou Mbacke-Thiam, Jeremiah Streng, and Nazeem Bartman, versus the Charlotte Independence defense as a whole. Forward Madison’s attack has ramped up recently and been a lot more efficient as of late, scoring nine goals in their last four league matches. Besides the FC Tucson match, a majority of Forward Madison’s offense has come thanks to the help of midfielders, including Mikey Maldonado and Matheus Cassini. In the last match against Charlotte, Nazeem Bartman was especially aggressive, so much so that he scored a key goal in the 76th minute and led the offense in shots. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to have his offense ready to put up a big rebound performance against Charlotte. 

On the other hand, the Independence defense has struggled this season, conceding the most goals in the league (26). Charlotte clearly has had a difficult time deciding on a goalkeeper as they’ve played five different goalies already. The goalie that’s seen the most run this year has been Adrián Zendejas, who’s recorded 13 saves on 20 shots faced. In the match earlier this season against FMFC, Charlotte started goalie Keegan Meyer, who played well, saving 10 of the 11 shots he faced. Forward Madison will need to get out to a quick start against Charlotte to rattle whichever goalie the Independence decides to start.

Keys to the Match

1. Convert on Set Piece Opportunities: One of the few takeaways from the last match against Charlotte was that FMFC couldn’t convert on their set piece chances. The Flamingos racked up seven corner kicks and a decent number of free kicks but couldn’t score until the 76th minute mark. Expect Forward Madison to be aggressive on their set piece chances in this rematch against Charlotte. 
2. Dominate the Backline: In Forward Madison’s last match against Charlotte, the Flamingos controlled the backline and allowed only five total shots. Eric Leonard and Mitch Osmond will be ready for the Charlotte attack this match and won’t allow the Independence attack to be as efficient as they were last game. Expect Forward Madison to put an emphasis on shutting down Charlotte’s attack once again. 

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison enters Sunday’s match following a win against the Richmond Kickers on Thursday. Looking ahead on the schedule, FMFC will head west to take on Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on July 5th.

Charlotte welcomes FMFC following a loss against Chattanooga on Wednesday. Up next for the Charlotte Independence, they’ll travel to Nebraska to battle against Union Omaha on July 1st. 

Forward Madison welcomed league-leaders Richmond Kickers to Breese Stevens Field for a USL League One match on Thursday, June 23rd. The match kicked off at 7:07pm CT.

Forward Madison started off the half as they meant to go on with Cassini forcing the Richmond keeper into a fine early save with a fierce shot in the 9th minute. After consistently forcing Richmond back, Abdou Mbake Thiam had two chances on goal called off. First for straying marginally offside after great footwork and a through ball from Mikey Maldonado then in the 34’, Mbacke-Thiam converted from a great cross from the right but the referee ruled a hand ball.

In the 44’, Forward came the closest after Nazeem Bartman hit a sweet shot into the ground on the volley which was superbly kept out by the Richmond keeper. Then, as the time moved to 45 +3’, Richmond scored with their first real chance from a breakaway move and an excellent finish from Nil Vinyals. It was a crushing end to a far superior half of play from Forward.

Richmond made a change at the half but Forward kept up the pressure on. Richmond were creating more chances than in the first half but Madison were still the better team. A triple sub from Matt Glaeser in the 70’ brought in Dean, Streng, and Smith who brought some added energy into the match. In the 80’, it was Streng who latched onto a Cassini pass to fire the equalizer low and hard across the keeper, who had been Man of the Match up to this point. Just 3 minutes later it was 2-1 as Rad whipped in a wonderful cross to the center of the box and Cassini leapt up higher than anyone else around him to head the ball firmly into the top left corner. The first comeback win of the season for Madison!

“Gosh, I couldn’t even hear my teammates on the field, man,” Alann Torres said. “The crowd was lovely tonight.”

“We played a really good first half,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said. “We maybe should have scored one or two in the first half, but the resilience of the second half was great.”

Forward Madison next heads on a two match road trip beginning this Sunday in Charlotte against Charlotte Independence. 

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Major Moments:  

• 6’  First corner of the game gos to the Flamingos
• 6’ Good delivery, headed away
• 7’ free kick at the halfway to Richmond
• 9’ Bartman plays a beautiful ball with the outside of his right foot to Cassini who hits a fierce shot saved down low with an outstretched leg – corner to Madison – outstanding save
• 11’ Free kick Richmond, around the halfway
• 11’ free kick in the defending box for Madison’
• 12’ Great ball over the top from way back in his own half from Mikey plays in Jones who makes space but cannot get any power on the shot
• 13’ Attempt missed from a header by Richmond’s Owayne Gordon
• 16’ Richmond Kickers caught offside
• 16’ Cassini nearly plays in Maldonado with a sublime ball but it’s blocked, falling to Cyrus Rad whose cross just evades Bartman
• 18’ Richmond Kickers caught offside
• 21’ Free kick for a foul on Cassini in the center circle
• 22’ Cross by Madison claimed by the Richmond keeper
• 23’ Great feet by Maldonado releases Abdou who slides a finish into the bottom corner but he’s just offside
• 25’ danger blocked by Leonard
• 26’ Abdou is in again but the referee deems him to have clipped the defenders foot to gain an advantage
• 29’ after a minor injury (and quick water break) the game is back underway
• 29’ Richmond offside
• 30’ Free kick Madison just inside the half
• 31’ Richmond player Vinyals down after fouling the Madison player
• 32’ Get work from the free kick, Jones is in on the right, plays it back with pace to Bartman who cannot keep it down on the volley
• 34’ Adbou has the ball in the net again but is judges to have used his hand not his head
• 35’ Abdou #7 yellow card (Forward)
• 36’ Yellow card to #15 Chrisler (Richmond)
• 37’ Header just over from Forward
• 38’ dangerous cross from Richmond, low across the goal, just behind the Richmond player
• 38’ great ball forward to Jones on the run, skews it wide into the side netting
• 39’ another fine blok from Leonard
• 41’ Madison #28 with a fierce shot that flies just over
• 44’ Incredible save from a Bartman volley, corner to Madison
• 45’ Corner have cleared and there’s a scramble to get it away but eventually a clearance hits a Forward player and loops up into the air to the keeper 
• 45 +3 Richmond goal on the break away – scored by Nil Vinyals #10
• 45 +5 Richmond caught offside on another break away chance
• 45 +7 Halftime – Forward Madison 0 – 1 Richmond Kickers
• 46’ Simon Fitch 4 in for Nathan Aune #24 Richmond substitution
• 49’ good defending from Osmond to head back to Breno
• 50’ save from Richmond from a good strike from distance from Forward Madison #18
• 51’ shot just around the post covered by Breno but the shot was good
• 53’ excellent defending from Bartman
• 53’ great cross from Cassini just too high at the back post
• 55’ so close from Abdou, just low past the far post from the top of the box – goalkeeper was rooted to the spot
• 64’ shot over from Richmond, was not troubling Breno
• 65’ Yellow card #91 Richmond
• 66’ Bartman drives into the Richmond box but cannot get around the defender
• 67’ Free kick Richmond, midway into the Madison half
• 70’ Christian Dean 5, Jeremiah Streng 9, Rojay Smith 11 enter the match for Nazeem Bartman 24, Alvin Jones16, 7 Abdul Mbake-Thiam
• 72’ free kick top of the box to Madison
• 73’ 9 Matthew Bentley in for 91 Owayne Gordon
• 74’ Incredible save again from the Richmond keeper keeps out Streng’s almost perfect free kick – Madison keep it alive and Maldonado crosses to Streng who cannot direct it on target
• 75’ Smart claim from the Richmond keeper from a quality cross 
• 76’ Richmond #5 yellow card
• 77’ Yellow card to Richmond #9
• 80’ GOAL Jeremiah Streng #9 – great waiting and weight on the pass from Cassini and Jeremiah laces it hard and low right into the bottom corner across the keeper
• 81’ Yellow card Richmond #6
• 83’ GOAL Matheus Cassini #10 – incredible leap from Cassini to head in from a wicked Rad cross
• 83’ Yellow card Cassini for removing his shirt in celebration
• 86’ Mele Temguia #6 on for Cassini #10 (Madison Sub)
• 89’ Yellow card, Madison Christian Dean #5
• 89’ Richmond sub – 23 in for 17 
• 90’ Free kick whipped in and flicked away by a Madison head, corner comes to nothing, Madison goal kick
• 91’ 5 minutes of additional time
• 90 +2’ Streng does well to make room for the shot but lifts his high shot just over
• 90 +4’ free kick awarded to Richmond in a dangerous area on the edge of the box 
• 90 +5’ free kick blocked by the way and the ball in catches a Richmond player offside
• 90 +6’ keeper takes a deep deep free kick and Leonard clears!
• FULL TIME! 2-1 Forward Madison FC!

Forward Madison FC

Goalkeepers:

Phil Breno #1

Defenders: 

Mitch Osmond #4 (Captain)

Eric Leonard #3

Cyrus Rad #47

Midfielders:

Alvin Jones #16

Mikey Maldonado #15

Alann Torres #18

Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu #28

Forwards: 

Nazeem Bartman #24

Matheus Cassini #10

Abdou Mbacke-Thiam #7

Unused Substitutes: Parker Smith 0, Christian Dean 5, Mele Temguia 6, Christian Enriquez 13, Justin Sukow 19, Rojay Smith 11, Jeremiah Streng 9

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

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Richmond Kickers FC

Formation:

Goalkeepers: 

Akira Fitzgerald #1

Defenders:  

Stuart Ritchie #5

Nathan Auve #24

Jalen Crisler #15

Stephen Payne #22

Midfielders: 

Zaca Moran #6

Nil Vinyals #10

Erhart Bryant #8

Forwards: 

Owayne Gordon #91

Emi Terzaghi #32

Jonathan Bolauos #17

Unused Substitutes: Austin Causey 13, Simon Fitch 4, Dakota Barnathan 2, Vincenzo Candela 99, Chandler O’Dwyer 27, David Olsen 23, Matthew Bentley 9

Head Coach: 

Darren Sawatzky

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Goals

Forward Madison

• 80’ GOAL Jeremiah Streng #9 
• 83’ GOAL Matheus Cassini #10

Away Team

• 45 +3’ Nil Vinyals #10

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Discipline

Forward Madison

83′ Yellow Card, Matheus Cassini #10

89’ Yellow card, Christian Dean #5

Away Team

76’ Richmond #5 yellow card

77’ Yellow card, Matthew Bentley #9

81’ Yellow card, Zaca Moran #6

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Referee Name

Forward Madison vs Richmond Kickers

Breese Stevens Field (8PM ET)

REF: Brian Wood

AR1: Charles Woodcock

AR2: Zach Gaidar

4TH: Dylan Seitz

Venue: Breese Stevens Field, Madison WI 

Attendance: 4082

Forward Madison FC have announced their second international friendly of the 2022 season against Pumas Tabasco on Wednesday, July 20th at 7pm at Breese Stevens Field. Tickets for this match will go on sale this Wednesday, June 22nd at 10am on www.forwardmadisonfc.com. 

Pumas Tabasco is a Mexican club team that plays in the Liga de Expansión MX, the second tier of professional soccer in Mexico. Pumas Tabasco is an affiliated team of Club Universidad Nacional (U.N.A.M), playing in Liga MX. U.N.A.M have won 10 domestic trophies and 3 CONCACAF Champions Cups internationally. U.N.A.M is looking to continue their club success with the creation of Pumas Tabasco. Pumas Tobasco is managed by Carlos Cariño and has a squad of promising young talent.

This will be Forward Madison’s second time hosting a Liga de Expansión side at Breese Stevens Field, after 2021’s international friendly against Atlético Morelia. More recently, the Flamingos just hosted their first international friendly of the 2022 season against SC Paderborn 07 on June 16th.

Thursday, June 23rd, 2022; 7:00 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: Breese Stevens Field, Madison

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Forward Madison is back at home for a midweek clash against USL League One league-leaders Richmond Kickers on Thursday, June 23rd at 7pm. This is the second matchup of the year for the two clubs, with FMFC taking home 3 points on the road in Richmond on May 7th.

Forward Madison comes into Thursday’s match on a four match unbeaten run in USL League One play. Most recently, FMFC drew 2-2 on June 19th at South Georgia Tormenta FC. Prior to that match, Forward hosted its first international friendly of the season against SC Paderborn 07 on June 16th. The Flamingos recent good run of form has also seen its players recognized for their stellar performances. Mikey Maldonado was awarded both Team of the Week and Player of the Week honors for USL League One this past Monday.

Looking ahead, FMFC will begin a two match roadtrip against Charlotte Independence on Sunday, June 26th at 5pm. 

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Forward Madison FC (3-5-3)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

Richmond Kickers (5-3-3)

Head Coach: Darren Sawatzky

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Mikey Maldonado: The Texas-native has been on a tear as of late, being awarded Team of the Week and Player of the Week honors for his goal and overall fantastic performance against South Georgia Tormenta. Most notably, Maldonado’s presence has been felt in the attacking third, cutting in from the wing to make darting, dangerous runs into the box. Look for Maldonado to play a key role in picking apart the Richmond defense this Thursday.

Derek Gebhard: Derek Gebard returned to the FMFC starting XI this past Sunday and made an impressive impact on the match, specifically in his defensive duties. This is a stark difference from 2021, when Gebhard played in more of an attacking role for the Flamingos. Gebhard will continue to use his defensive skill set to solidify a backline that has been solid thus far in USL League One play.

Key Match Up

FMFC Attack vs Richmond Attack:

This contest has the chance to be a high-powered offensive showdown. It’s no secret that Richmond has all the keys offensively to outscore their opponents by multiple goals every match. That said, Richmond has not shown this consistently yet, giving the Flamingos a big opportunity to gain three points at home this Thursday. Be on the lookout for a fast start from FMFC, looking to build an early lead and expand on it as the game progresses. The FMFC backline will have their hands full with the likes of Emiliano Terzaghi and Nil Vinyals looking to provide shots for Richmond.  

Keys to the Match

1. Corner Defense: A continued area for growth for the Flamingos is defending set pieces and corners specifically. Mitch Osmond and Eric Leonard will need to continue to be vocal on the pitch, organizing the squad to defend these dangerous opportunities.
2. Start Hot: Richmond has been a streaky side all season thus far that gains a lot of confidence from going up early in the match. If the Flamingos can grab an early goal against the Kickers, momentum should be on the side of the home team the rest of the match and help propel FMFC to a crucial three points.

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison heads on a two match away trip to Charlotte and Northern Colorado following the conclusion of Thursday’s match.

Richmond continues their away trip on Wednesday, June 29th against FC Tucson.

Forward Madison FC headed to Georgia for a Sunday evening matchup against USL League One opponent South Georgia Tormenta FC. The match kicked off at 6:30pm CT from Eagle Field in Statesboro, GA.

The match got off to a slow start for the Flamingos with Tormenta FC Showing their attacking threat early. With a few quick chances, they were able to get on the board off a corner kick in the 13’ courtesy of Jake Dengler. The first chance for the Flamingos came off a shot from Mikey Maldonado in 19’ when he dribbled past a defender and entered the box, pushing his shot just wide of the goal. The tides shifted as Forward Madison got into rhythm of the match with a flurry of chances in the 30’. One such chance came via Abdou Mbacke-Thiam on an acrobatic attempt at goal that scurried just wide of the net. The Flamingos entered the half down 1-0. 

The second half started with a stint of possession for the Flamingos with no chances coming from it. The game then became very back and forth, with a majority of the match being played in the middle third of the pitch. A goal for the Flamingos came from the foot of Mikey Maldonado in the 56’ when he received a flighted through ball from Alann Torres. Mikey snuck it by the goalie and played it into the back of the net. The game changed course with the momentum riding with the Flamingos. Another chance came for FMFC in the 76’ as they broke out into a counter, ending with the Tormenta defender heading the ball out of play for a Forward corner. The go ahead goal came in the 82’ when Mikey Maldonado laid the ball off to Rojay Smith, who sent a shot at goal that took a deflection into the back of the net. Tormenta equalized late in the game with the goal coming from their winger Kingsford Adjei. After a frantic last couple of minutes, the match ended in a 2-2 tie.

“It’s always good to get a point on the road,” Neil Hlavaty, leading coach of tonight’s squad said. “We put ourselves in a position to obtain three, so there’s disappointment there. Given the reaction in the 2nd half, the group can take positives from it. We needed to find a group reaction, which you saw that in the way we played. We had very impactful subs, definitely changed the game for us.”

Hlavaty expanded to touch on Alann Torres impact out on the pitch. “Alann is a guy that we all know has potential. He’s been in the equation to start games, it was an easy decision to bring him in when Drew went down with that unfortunate injury. Alann’s diagonal passing ability and confidence speak for itself.”

Next on the schedule, the Flamingos will take on Richmond Kickers at Breese Stevens Field on June 23rd at 7pm. 

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Major Moments:  

• 9’ TRM Foul
• 12’ TRM Shot 
• 13’ TRM Corner
• 13’ TRM GOAL (Jake Dengler)
• 14’ MAD Shot
• 19’ MAD Shot 
• 23’ TRM Foul
• 25’ TRM Foul
• 32’ TRM Foul Yellow (Adeniyi)
• 33’ MAD Shot
• 35’ TRM Foul 
• 40’ TRM Corner
• 41’ MAD Foul Yellow (Dean)
• 42’ TRM Foul

Second Half

• 46’ TRM Sub 

55 TRM Sub (Otieno ON 14 Morrell OFF)

• 48’ MAD Sub (18 Torres ON 8 Conner OFF)
•  51’ MAD Yellow (Torres) 
• 53’ MAD Corner
• 56’ MAD Goal (Maldonado)
• 70’ MAD Sub (11 R. Smith, 9 Streng, 47 Rad ON 24 Bartman, 7 Mbacke-Thiam, 5 Dean OFF) 
• 73’ TRM Corner
• 74’ TRM Shot
• 76’ MAD Shot 
• 77’ TRM Sub (13 Umeda ON 8 Cabral OFF)
• 80’ TRM Foul
• 81’ MAD Foul
• 82’ MAD Goal (Rojay Smith)
• 86’ TRM Goal (Adjei)
• 88’ MAD Foul (Rad)
• 90+3’ TRM Foul
• 90+3’ TRM Yellow (25 Dengler)
• 90+4’ TRM Foul 
• 90+4’ TRM Yellow (12 Nembhard)
• 90+5’ MAD Shot 
• 90+5’ MAD Corner
• 90+5’ MAD Foul

Forward Madison FC

1 Breno

3 Leonard

4 Osmond ©

5 Dean

7 Mbacke-Thiam

8 Conner

10 Cassini

15 Maldonado

17 Gebhard

24 Bartman

28 Wheeler-Omiunu

Substitutes: P. Smith, Rad, Torres, Temguia, R. Smith, Sukow, Streng

Lead Coach: Neil Hlavaty

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South Georgia Tormenta FC

1 Pablo Jara ©

3 Owen Green

7 Kingsford Adjei

8 Gabriel Cabral 

10 Adrian Billhardt

11 Jamil Roberts

12 Deshawon Nembhard

14 Alex Morrell

20 Fuad Adeniyi

21 Chris Heckenberg

25 Jake Dengler

Substitutes: Bush, Boegel, Gottlieb, Otieno, Umeda, Soto

Head Coach: Tom Morris

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Goals

Forward Madison

• 56’ Mikey Maldonado
• 82’ Rojay Smith 

South Georgia Tormenta FC

• 13’ Jake Dengler 
• 86’ Kingsford Adjei 

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Discipline

Forward Madison

• 41’ Yellow Dean
• 51’ Yellow Torres
• 88’ Yellow Rad

Away Team

• 32’ Yellow Adeniyi
• 90+3’ Yellow Dengler
• 90+4’ Yellow Nembhard

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Venue: Eagle Field, Statesboro, GA

Sunday, June 19th, 2022; 6:30 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: Erk Russell Park, Statesboro, GA

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Forward Madison is set to take on South Georgia Tormenta FC on Sunday, June 19th. The USL League One match will kick off at 6:30 pm CT at Erk Russell Park in Statesboro, Georgia. This will be the first matchup between the clubs this season. Madison last played South Georgia in 2020, where the Flamingos won 4-0 at home on August 14. 

Forward Madison enter’s Sunday’s match following a 1-2 loss against SC Paderborn 07. The international friendly took place on Wednesday, June 15th at Breese Stevens Field. As for the USL League One schedule, the Flamingos head to South Georgia on a two-game win streak. Forward Madison defeated FC Tucson 2-1 on June 4th and then beat the top-ranked Greenville Triumph SC 3-2 on June 11th. Matheus Cassini dominated against the Triumph, recording a brace in a five-shot stellar performance. 

Looking ahead, FMFC will take on Richmond at home on Thursday, June 23rd. Tormenta heads into the match against FMFC after a 1-1 draw with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. They’ll battle with Union Omaha on June 25th, 2022. 

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Forward Madison FC (3-3-4)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

South Georgia Tormenta FC (3-3-4)

Head Coach: Ian Cameron

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Mitch Osmond: The Australian defender has been dominant for FMFC all season, and he’s been a big part of the reason why Forward Madison’s won its last two games. Osmond has helped solidify the Flamingo backline with his presence and nonstop pressure on the defensive side of the field. Expect the 28-year-old captain to continue to lead the FMFC backline effectively.

Matheus Cassini: Cassini has hands down been the best player for Forward Madison in the team’s last two matches. The midfielder contributed his best game of the season against Greenville, tallying five shots and two goals in the victory. Expect the Brazilian native to continue wreaking havoc on counterattacks for FMFC. 

Drew Conner: The 28-year-old midfielder has been a force on both ends of the field, helping to push counter attacks while still always being one of the first men back on defense on turnovers. Conner has helped create three quality chances and has seven clearances on the year. Expect the Illinois native to play a key role against Tormenta. 

Key Match Up

FMFC Goalkeeper vs Tormenta Goalkeeper:

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison goalie, Phil Breno, versus the South Georgia Tormenta goalie, Pablo Jara. Breno is coming off a strong performance against Greenville Triumph SC. The Maryland native faced 18 shots (seven shots on goal) and managed to record five crucial saves to help the Flamingos win their second straight match. The FMFC keeper now sits second in the league in shots saved, with 28, following only Akira Fitzgerald of the Richmond Kickers, who has 36. Tormenta has taken the second most shots in the league (140) however they’ve scored the second-to-last amount of goals this season (10). Expect Breno to face plenty of shots Sunday and he’ll need to come up big to help the ‘Mingos take down Tormenta. 

Tormenta’s goalie, Pablo Jara, is tied in second for the most clean sheets on the season (3), while he only has 15 saves on the year, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. Expect Jara to be under a bunch of pressure going up against a hot Forward Madison offense that has scored five goals in its last two matches. 

Keys to the Match

1. Close the Halves Strongly: One of the few weaknesses in Forward Madison’s recent game has been their inability to close out the halves strongly. The ‘Mingos have struggled giving up late goals at the end of the half and will need to shut down Tormenta at the end of the two halves if they want to come away with the win. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to have his team ready for a strong end-of-the-half performance. 
2. Continue Pushing on Counterattacks: In FMFC’s last USL League One match against Greenville, the Flamingos found success through counter attacks as they managed to produce a couple of goals off turnovers. Expect Forward Madison to continue to run their offense through counterattacks. 

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison heads into the match against Tormenta following a crucial two-game win streak, with wins over Greenville and Tucson. Next up for the ‘Mingos, they’ll head home to host the Richmond Kickers on June 23rd, 2022. 

South Georgia Tormenta welcomes FMFC after a 1-1 draw against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. Looking forward, the Tormenta will host Union Omaha on June 25th, 2022.