Forward Madison had to wait for it, but at last came away with a 3-1 win against Orlando City B on Sunday at Hart Park. The Flamingos dealt with a 98-minute lighting delay during the second half, but goals from Eli Lockaby and Brandon Eaton were enough to see FMFC through.
The game was chippy from start to finish, but Lockaby helped relieve the pressure for the Flamingos by scoring on a header to the back post off a Michael Vang corner kick in the 19th minute. It wasn’t without consequences for Lockaby, who spent the next few minutes getting patched up to stop the bleeding from a freshly-formed cut on his eyebrow.
“I got a nice battle scar,” Lockaby said. “It’s always good to get on the scoresheet, but to help the team win three points in my first start is [even better].”
Late in the half, though, the Flamingos’ defense cracked, with Orlando capitalizing on a mistake and Mason Lamb scoring from his own header thanks to a cross from Michael Halliday in the 37th minute.
Orlando nearly took the lead a few minutes later through an indirect free kick inside the 18-yard-box, but FMFC blocked the close-range shot.
Although he didn’t have to make a save on that play, goalkeeper Chris Brady came up big on several occasions throughout the game. Brady, who is on loan from the Chicago Fire, said he’d known all week that he would be making his first professional start Sunday.
“The whole week was just prepping for this,” Brady said. “Most of the time you’d think that it would be harder on yourself, but throughout the week you get more geared into it. Training just strictly for the game, it helps for me at least.”
Forward Madison retook the lead after the interval on another Vang corner kick in the 55th minute. While Vang’s cross initially found the head of Paulo Junior, it was a deflection from Orlando’s Juan Pablo Monticelli that sent it flying into the back of the net.
The game was delayed in the 77th minute due to a storm in the area and wouldn’t restart for nearly two hours. According to Head Coach Daryl Shore, his players had to stay locked in while waiting out the rain.
“We maintained our focus and had plenty of bananas and granola bars,” Shore said. “When you have waits like that, you’ve just got to have stuff to keep you busy. Full credit to our guys for the restart, because they came out with a good mentality.”
When the weather finally cleared up, the Flamingos came back on the front foot. Brandon Eaton sealed the result in the 85th minute, using a through ball to set Don Smart free on the right flank before sprinting to the back post for a diving header delivered by the Jamaican.
With the win, Forward Madison jumps to third place on eight points, just two behind the Richmond Kickers for the final playoff place and ahead of both Union Omaha and South Georgia Tormenta on goal differential.
Following Sunday’s match, Forward Madison will be able to enjoy a spot of midweek rest before hosting North Texas SC on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.
Forward Madison had to wait for it, but at last came away with a 3-1 win against Orlando City B on Sunday at Hart Park. The Flamingos dealt with a 98-minute lighting delay during the second half, but goals from Eli Lockaby and Brandon Eaton were enough to see FMFC through.
The game was chippy from start to finish, but Lockaby helped relieve the pressure for the Flamingos by scoring on a header to the back post off a Michael Vang corner kick in the 19th minute. It wasn’t without consequences for Lockaby, who spent the next few minutes getting patched up to stop the bleeding from a freshly-formed cut on his eyebrow.
“I got a nice battle scar,” Lockaby said. “It’s always good to get on the scoresheet, but to help the team win three points in my first start is [even better].”
Late in the half, though, the Flamingos’ defense cracked, with Orlando capitalizing on a mistake and Mason Lamb scoring from his own header thanks to a cross from Michael Halliday in the 37th minute.
Orlando nearly took the lead a few minutes later through an indirect free kick inside the 18-yard-box, but FMFC blocked the close-range shot.
Although he didn’t have to make a save on that play, goalkeeper Chris Brady came up big on several occasions throughout the game. Brady, who is on loan from the Chicago Fire, said he’d known all week that he would be making his first professional start Sunday.
“The whole week was just prepping for this,” Brady said. “Most of the time you’d think that it would be harder on yourself, but throughout the week you get more geared into it. Training just strictly for the game, it helps for me at least.”
Forward Madison retook the lead after the interval on another Vang corner kick in the 55th minute. While Vang’s cross initially found the head of Paulo Junior, it was a deflection from Orlando’s Juan Pablo Monticelli that sent it flying into the back of the net.
The game was delayed in the 77th minute due to a storm in the area and wouldn’t restart for nearly two hours. According to Head Coach Daryl Shore, his players had to stay locked in while waiting out the rain.
“We maintained our focus and had plenty of bananas and granola bars,” Shore said. “When you have waits like that, you’ve just got to have stuff to keep you busy. Full credit to our guys for the restart, because they came out with a good mentality.”
When the weather finally cleared up, the Flamingos came back on the front foot. Brandon Eaton sealed the result in the 85th minute, using a through ball to set Don Smart free on the right flank before sprinting to the back post for a diving header delivered by the Jamaican.
With the win, Forward Madison jumps to third place on eight points, just two behind the Richmond Kickers for the final playoff place and ahead of both Union Omaha and South Georgia Tormenta on goal differential.
Following Sunday’s match, Forward Madison will be able to enjoy a spot of midweek rest before hosting North Texas SC on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.
Forward Madison FC
Goalkeeper: Chris Brady #34
Defender: Eli Lockaby #17
Defender: Connor Tobin #13 (C)
Defender: Gustavo Fernandes #4
Defender: Christian Diaz #27
Midfielder: Eric Leonard #3
Midfielder: J.C. Banks #10
Midfielder: Mike Vang #8 (81’- Brandon Eaton #6)
Forward: Paulo Junior #11 (67’- Jiro Barriga Toyama #77)
Forward: Alex Monis #38 (67’- Don Smart #7)
Forward: Wojcik Wojciech #9 (81’- Noah Fuson #31)
Substitutes: Philipp Marceta #1; Jalen Crisler #15, Jiro Barriga Toyama #77; Brandon Eaton #6; Don Smart #7, Jamael Cox #14, Noah Fuson #31
Head Coach: Daryl Shore
Orlando City B
Goalkeeper: Austin Aviza #61
Defender: Nick O’Callaghan #72
Defender:Mateo Rodas (C) #63
Defender: Michael Halliday #26
Defender: Juan Pablo Monticelli #55 (87’- Jonathan Rosales #64)
Midfielder: Raul Aguilera #45
Midfielder: Fablo Dos Santos #48 (74’- Franklin Carabali #47)
Midfielder: Jose Quintero #59 (60’- Kenji Tanaka #66)
Forward: Moises Tablante #67
Forward: Wilfredo Rivera #62 (74’- Adam Ozeri #57)
Forward: Mason Lamb #54
Substitutes: Javier Otero #41; Jonathan Rosales #64, Franklin Carabali #47; Adam Ozeri #57; Kenji Tanaka #66
Head Coach: Marcelo Neveleff
Goals
Forward Madison
19’- Eli Lockaby (Michael Vang)
55’- Raul Aguilera (Own Goal)
85’- Brandon Eaton (Don Smart)
Orlando City B
37’- Mason Lamb (Michael Halliday)
Discipline
Forward Madison
3’- Eric Leonard (yellow)
Orlando City B
22’- Raul Aguilera (yellow)
90+2’- Mateo Rodas (yellow)
90+4’- Adam Ozeri (yellow)
Referees
Nabil Bensalah
Rachel Smith
Ethan Buege
Alex Hofstetter
Venue
Hart Park – Wauwatosa, WI
Forward Madison FC
Goalkeeper: Chris Brady #34
Defender: Eli Lockaby #17
Defender: Connor Tobin #13 (C)
Defender: Gustavo Fernandes #4
Defender: Christian Diaz #27
Midfielder: Eric Leonard #3
Midfielder: J.C. Banks #10
Midfielder: Mike Vang #8 (81’- Brandon Eaton #6)
Forward: Paulo Junior #11 (67’- Jiro Barriga Toyama #77)
Forward: Alex Monis #38 (67’- Don Smart #7)
Forward: Wojcik Wojciech #9 (81’- Noah Fuson #31)
Substitutes: Philipp Marceta #1; Jalen Crisler #15, Jiro Barriga Toyama #77; Brandon Eaton #6; Don Smart #7, Jamael Cox #14, Noah Fuson #31
Head Coach: Daryl Shore
Orlando City B
Goalkeeper: Austin Aviza #61
Defender: Nick O’Callaghan #72
Defender:Mateo Rodas (C) #63
Defender: Michael Halliday #26
Defender: Juan Pablo Monticelli #55 (87’- Jonathan Rosales #64)
Midfielder: Raul Aguilera #45
Midfielder: Fablo Dos Santos #48 (74’- Franklin Carabali #47)
Midfielder: Jose Quintero #59 (60’- Kenji Tanaka #66)
Forward: Moises Tablante #67
Forward: Wilfredo Rivera #62 (74’- Adam Ozeri #57)
Forward: Mason Lamb #54
Substitutes: Javier Otero #41; Jonathan Rosales #64, Franklin Carabali #47; Adam Ozeri #57; Kenji Tanaka #66
Head Coach: Marcelo Neveleff
Goals
Forward Madison
19’- Eli Lockaby (Michael Vang)
55’- Raul Aguilera (Own Goal)
85’- Brandon Eaton (Don Smart)
Orlando City B
37’- Mason Lamb (Michael Halliday)
Discipline
Forward Madison
3’- Eric Leonard (yellow)
Orlando City B
22’- Raul Aguilera (yellow)
90+2’- Mateo Rodas (yellow)
90+4’- Adam Ozeri (yellow)
Referees
Nabil Bensalah
Rachel Smith
Ethan Buege
Alex Hofstetter
Venue
Hart Park – Wauwatosa, WI
