News

Saturday, June 4th, 2022; 7:00 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: Breese Stevens Field 

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Forward Madison will welcome FC Tucson for a match on Saturday, June 4th, 2022. The match will start at 7:00 pm CT at Breese Stevens Field. The two clubs faced off earlier this season where the squads managed to draw 1-1 in Tucson, Arizona. In the match, Christian Enriquez gave the Flamingos the lead with a goal in the 54th minute. 

Forward Madison heads into Saturday’s match after drawing 1-1 against Central Valley Fuego FC on May 28th. Jeremiah Streng earned Mingo of the Match honors as he scored a goal off a free kick to give the Flamingos the lead in the 82’. Looking ahead, Forward Madison will welcome Greenville Triumph SC to Breese Stevens Field on Saturday, June 11th, 2022. 

Tucson enters Saturday’s match following a 1-0 win over South Georgia Tormenta FC. After taking on Forward Madison this upcoming Saturday, FC Tucson will head home to host a match against Union Omaha on June 11th. 

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Forward Madison FC (1-3-4)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

FC Tucson (2-4-1)

Head Coach: Jon Pearlman

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Derek Gebhard: Since returning from injury, Gebhard has been on a tear. The striker has improved his passing accuracy significantly and is currently completing 84.4% of his passes. Gebhard also sits fourth on the team in tackles with nine. Expect the 26-year-old to help lead the FMFC attack while still contributing on defense. 

Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu: Another FMFC player playing impressively since returning from injury has been Wheeler-Omiunu. The midfielder has been great on both ends of the field, recording shots on the attack and supporting the defense by notching five tackles, four interceptions, and seven clearances on the season so far. The 27-year-old will need to continue to pass the ball accurately to give the Mingo’s a boost against Tucson. 

Matheus Cassini: Cassini has provided Forward Madison with plenty of opportunities offensively in the last two matches. The Brazilian native has proven to be impressive, navigating through the opponent’s backline and helping produce quality chances for the Flamingos recently. Expect Cassini to play a key role in helping to produce quality chances for the FMFC attack. 

Key Match Up

FMFC Strikers vs Tucson Strikers:

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison strikers against the FC Tucson strikers. In the first matchup between these clubs this season, FC Tucson controlled the possession and managed to get more shots on goal. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to improve his team’s offensive strategy to ensure his squad can record quality shots on goal against Tucson. If the Flamingos can continue to push the counterattack with Mikey Maldonado and Matheus Cassini, FMFC should have no problem getting shots on the Tucson goalkeeper.

FC Tucson has struggled offensively recently, as they currently sit last in the league in shots and they’re tied in second-to-last for goals scored. In their last match against FMFC, Tucson benefited from being a man-up thanks to a Cryus Rad red card, but they still struggled to produce offense. Expect Tucson to make some changes to their attack to ensure they can record more quality chances. 

Keys to the Match

1. Limit Mental Lapses: The main key for Forward Madison heading into this match against Tucson is that they need to limit the amount of mistakes made. In the last match against Tucson, FMFC gave up a late goal to allow Tucson to draw. If the Flamingos can limit their mental lapses, they should have no problem taking and holding onto a lead on Saturday. 
2. Finish Strong: Tucson has struggled getting shots on goal all season, as they sit last in the league in shots. If FMFC can gain some early momentum against Tucson they’ll ideally gain the confidence they need to close out the match strongly and go into the next match with momentum. Expect FMFC to put a major emphasis on finishing strong, after allowing Tucson to claw their way back for a draw in the last match. 

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison heads into Saturday’s match after a 1-1 draw against Central Valley Fuego FC on May 28th. Next up on the schedule, the Flamingos will welcome the Greenville Triumph to Breese Stevens Field on June 11th, 2022. 

FC Tucson enters Saturday’s match following an impressive 1-0 win over South Georgia Tormenta FC. Tucson will then host Union Omaha for a match on June 11th.

Forward Madison FC headed west for a late-night matchup against USL League One newcomers Central Valley Fuego FC. The match kicked off at 9:30pm CT. 

The Flamingos looked to get off to a fast start and on the front foot by employing a high press in the Fuego half of the pitch. There were no real chances to speak of for the first 20’ of the match, with both teams feeling each other out. FMFC had two good chances at goal courtesy Abdou Mbacke-Thiam, but both were unable to find the back of the net. Mikey Maldonado created a golden opportunity in the 29’, dancing between two Fuego defenders, but his final pass was thwarted by the defense. The last chance of the half came in the 45’ with a free kick at the top of the Fuego box, but it flew wide right and out of play. The match went into halftime with a score of 0-0.

The start of the second half saw a flurry of corner kicks for Central Valley, but the FMFC defense stood tall to keep the match scoreless. Fuego was on the front foot for the first 20’ of the second half, creating chances in the FMFC half. While tested, the FMFC defense stood tall until the FMFC midfield and offense could string possession together. After chances for both teams, the Flamingos broke the deadlock in the 82’ with a beautiful free kick goal from Jeremiah Streng. The Flamingos lead didn’t last long as Fuego drew level off a set piece in the 90+3’. The match ended 1-1, with FMFC earning a hard-fought point on the road.

“We shoot ourselves in the foot every week by making bad mistakes in critical moments,” Coach Matt Glaeser said. “We need to be positive and keep going.”

“Phil had a good game, a couple of good saves by him tonight,” Glaeser said.

Next on the schedule, the Flamingos will take on FC Tucson at Breese Stevens Field on June 4th at 7pm. The Trek Pride Ride will happen prior to that match, beginning at 3pm. For more information on this, please head over to Forward Madison’s website.

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Major Moments:  

First Half

• 41’ MAD Yellow Conner
• 45’ CV Yellow Chavez 

Second Half

• 57’ MAD Yellow Leonard
• 77’ MAD SUB 

ON Streng OFF Mbacke-Thiam

ON Sukow OFF Cassini

• 79’ CV Yellow Smith
• 81’ CV Yellow Dieye
• 82’ MAD Goal Streng 
• 86’ MAD SUB 

ON Murillo OFF Gebhard 

• 90’ MAD SUB 

ON Enriquez OFF Bartman 

• 90’ MAD Yellow Bartman
• 90+3’ CV Goal Bijev

Forward Madison FC

1 Breno

3 Leonard

4 Osmond ©

7 Mbacke-Thiam

8 Conner

10 Cassini

15 Maldonado

17 Gebhard

24 Bartman

28 Wheeler-Omiunu

47 Rad

Substitutes: Bailey, Murillo, Streng, Enriquez, R. Smith, Torres, Sukow

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

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CV Fuego FC

1 Antman

5 Smith

13 Dulysse

15 Chavez (C) 

4 Gillingham

25 Hornsby

6 Ozzie

30 Schenfeld

24 Dieye

8 Falck

20 Bijev

Substitutes: North, Casillas, Velarde, Partida, Neves, Renato, Torralva

Head Coach: Martín Válquez

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Goals

Forward Madison

82’ Streng

Greenville Triumph

90+3’ Bijev

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Discipline

Forward Madison

• 41’ Yellow Conner
• 57’ Yellow Leonard
• 90’ Yellow Bartman 

Away Team

• 45’ Yellow Chavez
• 79’ Yellow Smith
• 81’ Yellow Dieye

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Venue: Fresno State Soccer Stadium

Forward Madison Friendly Against SC Paderborn

Forward Madison is excited to be hosting an international friendly against SC Paderborn 07 (SCP07) on Wednesday, June 15th, 2022. The match will kick off at Breese Stevens Field at 7:00 pm CT. Our theme for the match will be Hüttengaudi (Party in the Mountain Hut) themed. Hüttengaudi is a historic German word not used very often anymore but we thought it would be fun to recreate our own version of a Hüttengaudi at Breese!

The Hüttengaudi theme night will go along with our Hüttengaudi ticket pack! The ticket pack comes with a Commemorative FMFC x Paderborn Beer Stein, one pour of German beer on tap, and a ticket to the match. The pack will cost $30 and is now on sale. Click the image below and use code “PROST” at checkout today!

So who is SC Paderborn 07? They are a German soccer club located in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia. SCP07 currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga but they most recently managed to play in the top Bundesliga for the 2019-20 season. This past season, SCP07 finished in 7th place in their league with their new head coach Lukas Kwasniok. On the field last season, Felix Platte led SCP07 in goals (with 8), while Jasper van der Werff led the league in passing accuracy (92.58%). On the defensive end, SCP07 goalkeeper Jannik Huth led the league in saves (139) and defender Ron Schallenberg led SCP07 in duels won (299). 

Secure your tickets for this highly-anticipated friendly online here.

Forward Madison Falls to Charlotte Independence 1-2 

Forward Madison welcomed Charlotte Independence to Breese Stevens Field for their seventh match of the USL League One season, which ended in a 2-1 loss. The match kicked off at 7:06 pm CT on Saturday, May 21st, 2022. Forward Madison started the first half aggressively as Nazeem Bartman sped past the Charlotte defense and logged a shot from the wing into the side netting. At the seven minute mark, Charlotte got a break and Koa Santos crossed a ball that Ivan Luquetta managed to head into the goal to take a 1-0 lead. In the 21’, Charlotte was shown a yellow card after stopping the Forward Madison counterattack. On the free kick, Mikey Maldonado crossed the ball into the box where Jeremiah Streng tried to ricochet the ball into the goal but it wasn’t successful. Forward Madison applied constant pressure on Charlotte throughout the half. 

In the 29th minute, Drew Conner took a curling shot into the corner of the goal which the Independence goalie barely saved. Later in the half, Forward Madison nearly scored on the break as Matheus Cassini passed it into the box to Jeremiah Streng who shot it just wide of the goal. With four minutes of stoppage time added, Forward Madison mostly kept the ball on Charlotte’s half of the field and recorded a couple of corner kicks but they couldn’t score. The first half ended with the Flamingos down 1-0 even though they dominated the whole half in terms of possession and shots on goal.

The second half opened with a Matheus Cassini shot on goal that the Charlotte goalkeeper saved. In the 50th minute, Charlotte pushed the ball on the counterattack and got a rocket of a shot on goal that Phil Breno saved. At the 60th minute mark, Charlotte got on the break and Quinn McNeill managed to get a shot past Phil Breno, to take a 2-0 lead. To try to regain some momentum, Coach Matt Glaeser subbed on Rojay Smith and Christian Enriquez for Drew Conner and Derek Gebhard. Rojay Smith made an immediate impact as he nearly scored from the edge of the box with a curling shot at the 69th minute. In the 76th minute Forward Madison finally got one past the Independence goalkeeper with a nasty curling shot from the edge of the box by Nazeem Bartman. Cyrus Rad assisted on the goal as Charlotte’s lead dropped to 2-1. The six minutes of stoppage time wasn’t enough as the Flamingos lost a close one at home. 

“It’s coming,” Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu said. “Obviously disappointed with the result, but it was a good performance.”

“I’m proud of the team,” Matheus Cassini said. “I trust in everyone here, my teammates, and know that better days are coming.”

Looking ahead, Forward Madison will host their next home match against FC Tucson on Saturday, June 4th, 2022. Charlotte will travel to South Carolina to take on Greenville Triumph SC on June 4th, 2022.

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Major Moments:  

•  2’ side netting from Bartmann on the wing for Madison 
• 5’ free kick Madison for a foul on Cassini, comes to nothing
• 5’ Ciss with a second foul in a minute
• 6’ Corner for Madison, goal kick given
• 7’ cross from the right headed home by #9 for Charlotte 
• 16’ Cassini dribbles into the box and squares to Gebhard who cannot get the shot away 
• 21’ Yellow Card number 17 Clay Dimick © Charlotte
• 24’ Around the world by Cassini in midfield – delicious
• 27’ shot from the edge of the box from Forward blocked
• 28’ Cassini into the box, grappled to the ground, no penalty
• 29’ great save from the Charlotte keeper from a curling shot from Connor from the edge of the box
• Corner wasted
• 40’ shot from #24 Bartman way outside the box doesn’t catch it clean
• 44’ Streng cannot get the shot away one on one with the keeper
• +4 minutes of stoppage
• 45 + 3 Forward crossed headed away from danger
• 45+4 corner FMFC after a great dribble from Mikey – deep cross tipped away from Rad by the keeper
• HT
• 47’ crossed into the box from Madison but the goalkeeper collects
• 50’ comfortable low save from Breno after Charlotte fail to convert a 3 on 2
• 51’ great shot from outside the box from Mikey deflected out for a corner
• 54’ Ciss shoots from outside the box on the run but scuffs it tamely
• 58’ great work on the edge of the box from a Flamingo trio 
• 60’ Goal from Charlotte # 19 Quinn McNeill
• 61’ subs 8 Drew Conner [61’ off for Christian Enriquez] and 17 Derek Gebhard [61’ off for 11 Rojay Smith]
• 69’ curling effort from outside of the box from Forward #11 just over
• 73’ free kick outside left, headed out for a corner on the opposite side
• 76’ #24 Nazeem Bartman with a beautiful curled finish into the corner from just inside the box. Left side, curled into the bottom right, right foot. Assist Cyrus Rad
• 90+4 Sukow with the run can’t quite make it
• 90+6 Breno up for the corner but the goalkeeper flaps it clear
• 90+7 

Forward Madison FC

1 Phil Breno

3 Eric Leonard

4 Mitch Osmond ©

47 Cyrus Rad

15 Mikey Maldonado

17 Derek Gebhard [61’ off for 11 Rojay Smith]

8 Drew Conner [61’ off for 13 Christian Enriquez]

28 Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu [off on 75’ for 19 Sukow]

24 Nazeem Bartman [off on 82’ 16 Alvin Jones]

10 Matheus Cassini

9 Jeremiah Streng [off on 71’ for  7 Abdou Mbacke Thiam]

Unused Substitutes: 27 Bailey Taylor, 2 Cesar Murillo, 16 Alvin Jones, 11 Rojay Smith, 19 Justin Sukow, 13 Christian Enriquez, 7 Abdou Mbacke Thiam

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

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Charlotte Independence FC

1 Keegan Meyer

2 Koa Santos

3 Hector Acosta

5 Shalom Dutey

17 Clay Dimick ©

6 Omar Ciss

7 Miguel Ibarra 

8 Will Vint [out on 74’ for number 24 Grayson Barber]

19 Quinn McNeill

9 Ivan Luquetta [off on 81’ for 16 Tomas Maya]

90 Khori Bennett

Unused Substitutes: 31 Logan Bellina, 15 Carson Talboys, 16 Tomas Maya, 21 Giuseppe Barone, 24 Grayson Barber, 26 Noah Behrmann, 25 Brayden Keenan

Head Coach: Mike Jeffries

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Goals

Forward Madison

76’ #24 Nazeem Bartman

Away Team

7’ #9, Ivan Luqueta

60’ Goal from Charlotte # 19 Quinn McNeill

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Discipline

Forward Madison

Minute’ Full Name Card Color

Away Team

21’ Yellow Card number 17 Clay Dimick © Charlotte

84’ yellow card Mike Jeffries Charlotte head coach

91’ 7 Miguel Ibarra Yellow

90+3 Yellow Card Charlotte – Barber #24

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Referee Name

Forward Madison vs Charlotte Independence

Breese Stevens Field (8PM ET)

REF: Austin Saini

AR1: Zach Gaidar

AR2: Eric Wood

4TH: Ryan Shanklin

Venue: Breese Stevens Field, Madison WI Attendance: 3968

Saturday, May 28th, 2022; 9:30 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: Chukchansi Park

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Forward Madison is set to travel to Fresno, California to take on Central Valley Fuego FC on Saturday, May 28th, 2022. The match will kick off at 9:30 pm CT at Chukchansi Park. In the first meeting between these clubs this season, Jesus Partida scored the lone goal in the 54th minute to give Fuego the win at Breese Stevens Field on April 30th. 

Forward Madison enters Saturday’s match following a close 2-1 loss to Charlotte Independence on May 21st. Nazeem Bartman had an impressive showing Saturday, as he scored a curling shot from the edge of the box to bring the Flamingos back into the game. Next up on the schedule, after the Fuego match, the Flamingos will welcome FC Tucson to Breese for a match on June 4th at 7:00 pm. 

Before taking on FMFC, Central Valley Fuego FC battled against South Georgia Tormenta FC and dominantly won 4-0. Fuego will stay at home after their match with the Flamingos as they will welcome the Chattanooga Red Wolves for a match on June 11th. 

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Central Valley Fuego FC (3-1-3)

Head Coach: Martín Vásquez

Foward Madison FC (1-3-3)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Mitch Osmond: The Australian native has been one of the most solid defenders for FMFC so far this season. Osmond leads the team in interceptions (12) and blocks (5)  while he’s playing the most minutes of any defender (540). Expect another big game from the 28-year-old defender. 

Rojay Smith: Smith has dominated the wing, sneaking past defenders and helping create quality chances for the FMFC forwards in the last few games. The Jamaican native will need to continue to pass the ball accurately (84.7%) and push the offense on counter attacks to help the Flamingos produce offensively and avenge their previous loss to Fuego.  

Phil Breno: The 26-year-old was on track to record a clean sheet in FMFC’s first match against Fuego before Breno got caught out of position on a quick counter attack by Fuego. Expect Breno to step up and lockdown the Fuego attack to record the clean sheet he should’ve recorded in their first matchup. 

Key Match Up

FMFC Strikers vs Fuego Backline:

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison strikers against the Central Valley Fuego backline. In the first match between these clubs this season, FMFC dominated offensively (recording 12 shots compared to 1 for Fuego) and controlled possession (58%), however they weren’t able to get a shot past the Fuego goalkeeper. Coach Matt Glaeser will need to urge his team to apply pressure offensively and really work the Fuego backline. If the Flamingos are able to record some free kicks and corners, the offense should have no problem getting quality shots on the Fuego goalkeeper. Expect Jeremiah Streng and Rojay Smith to have a key role providing energy into the FMFC attack. 

Fuego has been decent on the defensive end recently, allowing three goals in their last three games. In Central Valley’s last match, however, they conceded one goal in the first five minutes and they conceded another first half goal off a penalty. If FMFC can spark the offense early in the match and maintain that energy throughout the game, the Flamingos should be able to get some goals past the Fuego goalkeeper. They also need to draw some set piece opportunities to boost their chances of recording quality shots.  

Keys to the Match

1. Disrupt Fuego’s Passing: Fuego has been effective passing the ball this season, ranking in the top five in the league in passing accuracy (78%). In their last match with FMFC, great passing led to their team persevering. If FMFC can shut down Fuego’s passing lanes and force Fuego to be uncomfortable, the Flamingos should be able to record plenty of turnovers and hopefully get some quality chances off counterattacks. 
2. Control the Possession: FMFC controlled the tempo of the last match with Fuego as they controlled 58% of the possession. Controlling the possession helped as the Flamingos were able to keep the ball on the offensive side for much of the match. Expect FMFC to make a solid effort to control the tempo of the match once again. 

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison entered Saturday’s match following a 2-1 loss to Charlotte Independence on May 21st. Looking ahead, the Flamingos will welcome FC Tucson to Breese Stevens Field on June 4th, 2022, and then the Greenville Triumph on June 11th, 2022. 

Central Valley Fuego FC is coming off a big win over South Georgia Tormenta FC. After taking on FMFC, Fuego will travel home to welcome Chattanooga on June 11th, 2022 then FC Tucson on June 18th, 2022.

Saturday, May 21st, 2022; 7:00 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: Breese Stevens Field 

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Forward Madison will host Charlotte Independence on Saturday, May 21st, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The match will take place at Breese Stevens Field where FMFC will also be welcoming the Green Bay Packers’ running back AJ Dillion for photos with fans from 6 p.m. up until the match kick off! This will be the first ever battle between the club’s, as Charlotte Independence has played in the USL Championship League up until this season. 

The match will be an important one as the Flamingos sit at 9th in the standings, while Charlotte holds the 3rd best record in the league. FMFC is coming off a 2-0 loss to the Greenville Triumph on May 13th. Eric Leonard provided a boost and was awarded Mingo of the Match honors for his stellar defensive efforts to keep the Flamingos in the game. Looking ahead, Forward Madison will travel to Fresno, California to take on Central Valley Fuego FC on May 28th, 2022. 

Charlotte Independence is entering Saturday’s match following a match with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC this Wednesday. After their game in Madison, Charlotte will head to South Carolina to take on the Greenville Triumph on June 4th.

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Foward Madison FC (1-2-3)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

Charlotte Independence (3-1-2)

Head Coach: Mike Jeffries

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Jeremiah Streng: The Finnish striker has seen an uptick in minutes recently and has started the last three games for the Flamingos. Streng has been a force on the offensive end, registering six shots in the last four games. FMFC will need to get production from Streng if they want to be able to topple Charlotte on Saturday. 

Mikey Maldonado: Maldonado has been impressive on the defensive end all season, ranking fourth on the team in clearances (8), third in blocks (3), third in interceptions (10), and he leads the team in tackles (12). Expect coach Matt Glaeser to rely heavily on the 23-year-old as the club is set to take on the second-best offensive team in the USL League One, a club that already has scored 10 goals this season. 

Justin Sukow: The Illinois product has seen his playing time increase as the season has gone on and could play a key role Saturday against Charlotte. Sukow currently leads the club in passing accuracy with an 88.5% success rate while he’s been one of the most dominant Flamingos with the ball in their own half, completing 96% of those passes successfully. 

Key Match Up

FMFC Strikers vs Charlotte Strikers:

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison strikers of Jeremiah Streng, Nazeem Bartman, and Abdou Mbacke Thiam against the Charlotte Independence strikers of Miguel Ibarra, Khori Bennett, and Tresor Mbuyu, who leads the USL League One in goals with four. Charlotte’s offense have been dominating the league this season, ranking second in goals (10), third in total shots (75), and third in shot conversion rate (18%). While their offense has been hot, their defense has struggled as they’ve allowed eight goals compared to Madison’s seven goals conceded. 

Coach Matt Glaeser will need to rely heavily on production from his strikers if they want to take down Charlotte on Saturday. Expect Glaeser to coach his strikers to push the ball on counter attacks and to be aggressive throughout the match. Jeremiah Streng will need to get some shots on the Charlotte goalkeeper early to get the Flamingos offense rolling from the start of the match. 

Keys to the Match

1. Shots on Goal: Charlotte’s defense has been one of the club’s main weaknesses this season. If FMFC wants to take down a poor defensive team they will need to be able to get quality shots on goal throughout the match. In order to do this the FMFC strikers will need help from the Flamingos’ midfielders to create quality chances to score.
2. Create Chances to Score: The key for FMFC to get shots on goal will be the club’s ability to record corner kicks, set piece opportunities, as well as pushing the ball on counterattacks. If the Flamingos can get a decent amount of corners and penalty kicks in the match, they should have no problem logging shots on the Charlotte goalkeeper. 

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison entered Saturday’s match with Charlotte following a 2-0 loss to Greenville Triumph on May 13th, 2022. As for the road ahead for FMFC, the Flamingos will battle with Central Valley Fuego FC on May 28th, then they’ll take on FC Tucson at Breese Stevens Field on June 4th. 

Charlotte Independence won their most recent match against FC Tucson on May 15th, and they’ll take on Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Wednesday, May 18th. After the match with FMFC, Charlotte will hit the road to battle it out with the Greenville Triumph on June 4th. 

Forward Madison FC have received goalkeeper Taylor Bailey via a season-long loan from the Oakland Roots SC, pending league and federation approval. Bailey, who played for the Roots in the USL Championship, will be available for the Flamingos the rest of the season. The 25-year old will join the Flamingos for the remainder of the 2022 season. Bailey started in three matches for Oakland this season before making his way to Madison. 

The Greenville, Tennessee native started his collegiate playing career with the Nova Southeastern Sharks in 2017. Bailey then ended up at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF), playing with the Ram’s men soccer team. While in San Francisco, Bailey spent the summer of 2018 playing with San Francisco City FC of USL League Two. After finishing four years of college soccer, Bailey proceeded to sign with Oakland Roots. 

“He’s just a kid that’s got good qualities both in the locker room and on the field,” Assistant Coach John Pascarella said. “He’ll help our team progress forward.”

Please join us in welcoming Taylor to Madison!

Forward Madison FC made their way down to Greenville SC, for the first time this season for a clash against the Triumph. The match was played at Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College in West Greenville, South Carolina. FMFC came into the match with a win on the road against a hot Richmond Kickers team where they claimed victory in a 1-0 win, moving the Flamingos into 7th place in the league. 

The match started slowly for both sides, with both clubs trying to feel their way into the match. After a couple of chances at the Greenville end of the pitch for the Flamingos, the breakthrough goal came for the hosts off a corner kick. Aaron Walker fired the Triumph into the lead at the 28’ mark. The Flamingos fought to try to gain footing into the match, but ultimately gave up a second goal to Greenville in the 35’. The clubs entered halftime with a score of 2-0 Greenville.

The second half started with an abundance of Greenville possession, testing the FMFC backline. The Flamingos stood tall, keeping the deficit at 2 goals much of the second half. FMFC was awarded several free kicks in the Greenville half of the pitch, but were unable to convert those chances into goals. The match ended 2-0 Greenville.

“The way the game went, it’s a time for us to go back to basic principles and resolve some things in the locker room,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said. “It’s lack of mentality from the group.”

Next on the schedule, the Flamingos will take on Charlotte Independence at home on Saturday May 21st. It’s Green and Gold Night at Breese Stevens Field, with AJ Dillon on-hand ready to meet and interact with FMFC fans from 6-7:30pm.

Friday, May 13th, 2022; 6:00 p.m. CT

ESPN+

Location: Legacy Early College Field 

Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates 

Forward Madison will travel to Greenville, SC, to take on the Greenville Triumph SC. The match is set to start at 6:00 pm CT on Friday, May 13th, at Legacy Early College Field. The Triumph won the most recent match up between these squads, 2-0, on September 13th, 2020. 

FMFC currently sits at 7th in the standings following an impressive 1-0 victory over the Richmond Kickers on Saturday, May 7th. Forward Madison took the lead thanks to a Justin Sukow shot that deflected off a Richmond defender in the 67th minute. Next up, the Flamingos will welcome Charlotte Independence to Breese Stevens Field for a match on Saturday, May 21st, 2022. 

The Greenville Triumph are currently sitting at 9th in the standings entering Friday’s match. The Triumph are coming off a 1-1 draw with Central Valley Fuego FC. Greenville will then battle North Carolina FC on Saturday, May 21st, 2022. 

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Greenville Triumph (1-2-2)

Head Coach: John Harkes

Forward Madison FC (1-1-3)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Matheus Cassini: The crafty Brazilian number 10 has been pulling the strings in the Flamingos midfield this season. He has created the most chances for FMFC this season (7) and continues to be an exciting introduction to Forward Madison’s team sheet. 

Mitch Osmond: The Australian center back has been a force for FMFC’s backline all season. Osmond ranks in the top three on Forward Madison for clearances, interceptions, and tackles. Osmond is also a great distributor from the back, attempting the third most passes in the league (337) with 84.9% passing accuracy. 

Eric Leonard: After becoming the most capped player in FMFC history last weekend with 73 appearances in 4 seasons, Leonard is expected to put in another strong showing on Friday in Greenville. He is an anchor in defense, ranking second in the league in clearances (30). His composure and experience make him a staple in the spine of the team. 

Key Match Up

FMFC Full Backs vs Greenville Wingers:

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison FC full backs Mikey Maldonado and Alvin Jones against the Greenville wide midfielders Allen Gavilanes and Jesus Ibarra. Greenville have attempted the most crosses in the league this year, with most of them coming from the foot of Allen Gavilanes (45) and Jesus Ibarra (24). The deliveries from these wide players have been quality with Gavilanes being tied for the most chances created in the league (10) and Ibarra close behind (6). 

Looking at Maldonado and Jones, both had strong showings in Richmond on Saturday. Maldonado, playing in midfield due to injuries, provided a defensive presence to the Flamingos with a pair of interceptions and 4 clearances. Jones played in his familiar role at full back and also had a pair of interceptions and 3 clearances. Maldonado and Jones combined for 5 tackles against the Kickers, almost half of FMFC’s total of 11. 

It is expected to have much of this game played down the flanks, with the Greenville wingers attempting to break down the FMFC full backs. 

Keys to the Match

1. Mental Fortitude: Greenville is a tough place to play in USL League One. It’ll be imperative for the Flamingos to not let the away environment affect their style of play and instead focus on executing the game plan to its fullest extent.
2. Convert Set Piece Opportunities: The focus for the beginning of the season was on defending set pieces for the FMFC side. With the defense stepping their game up for the Flamingos, it’s important to shift the focus offensively to convert set piece opportunities close to the opponent’s net. Look for Christian Enriquez and Matheus Cassini to make an impact in this area.

Previous and Next Match

Forward Madison’s last match resulted in a huge win, as the Flamingos took down the previously-top record team in the USL League One, the Richmond Kickers, 1-0. Looking ahead, Forward Madison will host Charlotte Independence on Saturday, May 21st, 2022 at 7:00 pm CT. After that, FMFC will head to Fresno, CA to take on Central Valley Fuego on May 28th at 9:30 pm. 

Greenville Triumph SC is coming into Friday’s match following a 1-1 draw with Central Valley Fuego FC. Next up, the Triumph will travel to North Carolina to battle North Carolina FC on Saturday, May 21st, 2022.