U.S. Open Cup – Round 3
Forward Madison FC at Saint Louis FC
Wednesday, May 29, 2019; 7:00 p.m. CT
Toyota Stadium – Fenton, MO
Where to Watch
ESPN+
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live updates
Keep track of official stats on the USL League One match center
Forward Madison FC will play what is possibly the most important game in the club’s young history on Wednesday night, as it takes the field at Toyota Stadium in Fenton, Mo. for its third-round U.S. Open Cup game against Saint Louis FC. If FMFC can earn a victory, it will advance to play a Major League Soccer team in the fourth round.
As the last surviving USL League One team in the Open Cup, Forward Madison has had to do it all on the road so far. The Flamingos beat Milwaukee Bavarian SC 2-0 in the first round, then battered El Paso Locomotive FC 3-0 in Texas, earning 25,000 dollars in prize money in the process. Round Three is the last stage of the tournament before MLS teams enter, and only nine lower-division clubs across the country will emerge from it.
If Forward Madison wins, it will find out its MLS opponent – as well as whether it will host that team at Breese Stevens Field – in a draw the next day. FMFC would play on June 11 or 12 against a regional opponent.
The Flamingos are arriving extra early in St. Louis, getting there on Monday to order to get in a few extra training sessions and familiarize themselves with the playing surface at Toyota Field. According to Head Coach Daryl Shore, his team understands the magnitude of the occasion.
“We know it’s one and done,” Shore said. “We believed that we [could] go to El Paso and get a result, but we knew it was going to be hard. We believe that we can go to St. Louis and get a result, but we know it’s going to be hard. There’s no pressure on us. Nobody expects us to win, except for maybe our club.”
FMFC is in the middle of congested schedule, and rotated players for its previous game last Friday, an exhibition match against German Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.
Saint Louis FC beat the Des Moines Menace on penalty kicks to advance to this round of the Open Cup. Saint Louis currently sits in fifth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference, and has only lost one game all year, making the team a formidable opponent. In fact, FMFC has already seen Saint Louis in action this year, having suffered a 1-0 defeat at Toyota Stadium during preseason.
According to forward and St. Louis native Brian Bement, the Flamingos are a better team now.
“The last time we played them we were not even a week into preseason, and we battled hard,” Bement said. “Obviously we’ve been training a lot more, kind of clicking a little bit and we can use this energy [from the Hertha Berlin exhibition] and just kind of ride the wave into Wednesday.”
Following its U.S. Open Cup game in Saint Louis, FMFC will return home Saturday for a USL League One game against its closest geographic opponent, Lansing Ignite FC.
Forward Madison FC’s inaugural season is here! The team will play its next home game on June 1 vs Lansing Ignite FC. Get tickets to see Forward Madison’s inaugural season at: https://www.forwardmadisonfc.com/tickets.
U.S. Open Cup – Round 3
Forward Madison FC at Saint Louis FC
Wednesday, May 29, 2019; 7:00 p.m. CT
Toyota Stadium – Fenton, MO
Where to Watch
ESPN+
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live updates
Keep track of official stats on the USL League One match center
Forward Madison FC will play what is possibly the most important game in the club’s young history on Wednesday night, as it takes the field at Toyota Stadium in Fenton, Mo. for its third-round U.S. Open Cup game against Saint Louis FC. If FMFC can earn a victory, it will advance to play a Major League Soccer team in the fourth round.
As the last surviving USL League One team in the Open Cup, Forward Madison has had to do it all on the road so far. The Flamingos beat Milwaukee Bavarian SC 2-0 in the first round, then battered El Paso Locomotive FC 3-0 in Texas, earning 25,000 dollars in prize money in the process. Round Three is the last stage of the tournament before MLS teams enter, and only nine lower-division clubs across the country will emerge from it.
If Forward Madison wins, it will find out its MLS opponent – as well as whether it will host that team at Breese Stevens Field – in a draw the next day. FMFC would play on June 11 or 12 against a regional opponent.
The Flamingos are arriving extra early in St. Louis, getting there on Monday to order to get in a few extra training sessions and familiarize themselves with the playing surface at Toyota Field. According to Head Coach Daryl Shore, his team understands the magnitude of the occasion.
“We know it’s one and done,” Shore said. “We believed that we [could] go to El Paso and get a result, but we knew it was going to be hard. We believe that we can go to St. Louis and get a result, but we know it’s going to be hard. There’s no pressure on us. Nobody expects us to win, except for maybe our club.”
FMFC is in the middle of congested schedule, and rotated players for its previous game last Friday, an exhibition match against German Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.
Saint Louis FC beat the Des Moines Menace on penalty kicks to advance to this round of the Open Cup. Saint Louis currently sits in fifth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference, and has only lost one game all year, making the team a formidable opponent. In fact, FMFC has already seen Saint Louis in action this year, having suffered a 1-0 defeat at Toyota Stadium during preseason.
According to forward and St. Louis native Brian Bement, the Flamingos are a better team now.
“The last time we played them we were not even a week into preseason, and we battled hard,” Bement said. “Obviously we’ve been training a lot more, kind of clicking a little bit and we can use this energy [from the Hertha Berlin exhibition] and just kind of ride the wave into Wednesday.”
Following its U.S. Open Cup game in Saint Louis, FMFC will return home Saturday for a USL League One game against its closest geographic opponent, Lansing Ignite FC.
Forward Madison FC’s inaugural season is here! The team will play its next home game on June 1 vs Lansing Ignite FC. Get tickets to see Forward Madison’s inaugural season at: https://www.forwardmadisonfc.com/tickets.
