FC Tucson vs. Forward Madison FC
Saturday, April 16th, 2022; 9:00 p.m. CT
Location: Kino North Stadium
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter and Instagram for live updates
Forward Madison will take on FC Tucson in Arizona at Kino North Stadium on Saturday, April 16th! The USL League One match is set to kick off at 9:00 pm CT. The Flamingos will prepare for their third USL League One match of the year against a FC Tucson club hosting their 2022 season home opener.
In their last matchup, Forward Madison notched a 2-2 draw with the defending USL League One champions, Union Omaha. Jeremiah Streng scored a critical equalizing goal in the 70th minute to help the club earn their second draw of the season (0-0-2). As for the U.S. Open Cup, FMFC advanced to the 3rd Round after a 3-0 win against Cleveland SC in the 2nd Round. The ‘Mingos will take on MLS club, Minnesota United FC, in their 3rd Round matchup at Breese Stevens Field on Wednesday, April 20th.
FC Tucson opened their USL League One season with a 4-0 loss to Richmond Kickers. The club managed to defeat Las Vegas Lights 3-2 in their 2nd Round contest in the U.S. Open Cup.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records
FC Tucson (0-1-0)
Head Coach: Jon Pearlman
Forward Madison FC (0-0-2)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison:
Audi Jepson: The Green Bay native was a key part of FMFC’s attack against Omaha and he even earned USL League One Team of the Week honors! Jepson helped convert Forward Madison’s first goal against Omaha on a penalty kick and he’s maintained an 81.3% pass accuracy in his first two USL League One matches.
Christian Enriquez: The midfielder has been a fundamental part of FMFC’s success in their first two USL League One matches. Enriquez is second on the team in passing accuracy (88.9%) and leads the club in long pass accuracy with at least five attempts (87.5%). Expect the San Diego native to play a key role against Tucson.
Jeremiah Streng: Although he’s only played in 57 minutes for the Flamingos, no one else on the team has been as efficient as Streng on the offensive side of the ball. The Finnish striker has contributed significantly in his limited minutes, leading the team in shots (3), shots on goal (2), and goals (1). Expect a big game from the 20-year-old as he’ll be taking on a Tucson club that allowed four goals in their opener.
Key Match Up
FMFC Back Line vs. FC Tucson Attack:
This match will likely come down to how well FC Tucson’s offense plays against a Forward Madison defense that hasn’t allowed a second half goal. For FC Tucson, their 2021 campaign featured plenty of dominant offense led by Charlie Dennis, Deri Corfe, and Shak Adams. With Dennis and Adams both now playing in the USL Championship League, even more of the offensive workload will be placed on Deri Corfe, along with Giovanni Calixtro and Daniel Bloyou.
As for Forward Madison, the club has played strong defensively so far this season. The Flamingos have only allowed three goals on the year and they will look to continue their strong start against a club that has yet to score this season. Look for Eric Leonard, Mitch Osmond, and Cesar Murillo Jr. to be the core of FMFC’s back line that helps shut down Tucson.
Keys to the Match
- Convert on Set Piece Opportunities: After a rough season opener for FC Tucson, it seems that Richmond seemed to have found a weakness in the Tucson squad. If the Flamingos can convert on set piece opportunities like Richmond did, they shouldn’t have a problem getting on the scoreboard. FMFC managed to convert a couple of set piece opportunities against Omaha, so expect the Flamingos to be up for the task!
- Defense on Balls Over the Top: One of the few weaknesses in FMFC’s draw against Omaha was that they had a tough time with defense on through balls and balls over the top in the first half. The Flamingos improved their defense on balls over the top drastically in the second half and managed to shut down Omaha. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to get his squad ready for a Tucson club that loves balls over the top.
- Control Possession: Although Richmond only controlled 35% of the possession against Tucson, they did manage to get some quality chances along with their 4 goals. If FMFC can control the possession, Tucson will be taken out of their system and should fall apart just as they did to Richmond.
Previous and Next Match
FMFC’s most recent USL League One match came against Union Omaha, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Flamingos then won 3-0 against Cleveland SC in the U.S. Open Cup Second Round. Next up in the U.S. Open Cup schedule, the ‘Mingos will take on MLS club, Minnesota United FC, on Wednesday, April 20th at 6:00 pm CT. Their next USL League One match will be against Central Valley Fuego FC on April 30th at 5:00 pm CT.
After a brutal 4-0 loss to Richmond, Tucson managed to escape their U.S. Open Cup Second Round matchup with a 3-2 win over Las Vegas Lights. In their 3rd Round matchup in the U.S. Open Cup, Tucson will face California United Strikers FC on Tuesday, April 19th at 9:30 pm CT. Their next USL League One match will be against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Saturday, April 23rd at 6:30 pm CT.
