Saturday, May 28th, 2022; 9:30 p.m. CT
Location: Chukchansi Park
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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
- 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.
- 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.
