Sunday, June 19th, 2022; 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Erk Russell Park, Statesboro, GA
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates
Forward Madison is set to take on South Georgia Tormenta FC on Sunday, June 19th. The USL League One match will kick off at 6:30 pm CT at Erk Russell Park in Statesboro, Georgia. This will be the first matchup between the clubs this season. Madison last played South Georgia in 2020, where the Flamingos won 4-0 at home on August 14.
Forward Madison enter’s Sunday’s match following a 1-2 loss against SC Paderborn 07. The international friendly took place on Wednesday, June 15th at Breese Stevens Field. As for the USL League One schedule, the Flamingos head to South Georgia on a two-game win streak. Forward Madison defeated FC Tucson 2-1 on June 4th and then beat the top-ranked Greenville Triumph SC 3-2 on June 11th. Matheus Cassini dominated against the Triumph, recording a brace in a five-shot stellar performance.
Looking ahead, FMFC will take on Richmond at home on Thursday, June 23rd. Tormenta heads into the match against FMFC after a 1-1 draw with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. They’ll battle with Union Omaha on June 25th, 2022.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records
Forward Madison FC (3-3-4)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
South Georgia Tormenta FC (3-3-4)
Head Coach: Ian Cameron
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison
Mitch Osmond: The Australian defender has been dominant for FMFC all season, and he’s been a big part of the reason why Forward Madison’s won its last two games. Osmond has helped solidify the Flamingo backline with his presence and nonstop pressure on the defensive side of the field. Expect the 28-year-old captain to continue to lead the FMFC backline effectively.
Matheus Cassini: Cassini has hands down been the best player for Forward Madison in the team’s last two matches. The midfielder contributed his best game of the season against Greenville, tallying five shots and two goals in the victory. Expect the Brazilian native to continue wreaking havoc on counterattacks for FMFC.
Drew Conner: The 28-year-old midfielder has been a force on both ends of the field, helping to push counter attacks while still always being one of the first men back on defense on turnovers. Conner has helped create three quality chances and has seven clearances on the year. Expect the Illinois native to play a key role against Tormenta.
Key Match Up
FMFC Goalkeeper vs Tormenta Goalkeeper:
The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison goalie, Phil Breno, versus the South Georgia Tormenta goalie, Pablo Jara. Breno is coming off a strong performance against Greenville Triumph SC. The Maryland native faced 18 shots (seven shots on goal) and managed to record five crucial saves to help the Flamingos win their second straight match. The FMFC keeper now sits second in the league in shots saved, with 28, following only Akira Fitzgerald of the Richmond Kickers, who has 36. Tormenta has taken the second most shots in the league (140) however they’ve scored the second-to-last amount of goals this season (10). Expect Breno to face plenty of shots Sunday and he’ll need to come up big to help the ‘Mingos take down Tormenta.
Tormenta’s goalie, Pablo Jara, is tied in second for the most clean sheets on the season (3), while he only has 15 saves on the year, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. Expect Jara to be under a bunch of pressure going up against a hot Forward Madison offense that has scored five goals in its last two matches.
Keys to the Match
- Close the Halves Strongly: One of the few weaknesses in Forward Madison’s recent game has been their inability to close out the halves strongly. The ‘Mingos have struggled giving up late goals at the end of the half and will need to shut down Tormenta at the end of the two halves if they want to come away with the win. Expect coach Matt Glaeser to have his team ready for a strong end-of-the-half performance.
- Continue Pushing on Counterattacks: In FMFC’s last USL League One match against Greenville, the Flamingos found success through counter attacks as they managed to produce a couple of goals off turnovers. Expect Forward Madison to continue to run their offense through counterattacks.
Previous and Next Match
Forward Madison heads into the match against Tormenta following a crucial two-game win streak, with wins over Greenville and Tucson. Next up for the ‘Mingos, they’ll head home to host the Richmond Kickers on June 23rd, 2022.
South Georgia Tormenta welcomes FMFC after a 1-1 draw against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. Looking forward, the Tormenta will host Union Omaha on June 25th, 2022.
