Saturday, April 15th, 2023; 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Breese Stevens Field, Madison, WI
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Forward Madison has their Home Opener in USL League One play on Saturday, April 15th against Greenville Triumph at 6pm CT. This is the second match of the season at Breese Stevens Field for the Flamingos after a defeat to Chicago House AC on April 11th. Last season, Greenville finished 2nd in the regular season with FMFC finishing 9th.
Forward Madison enters this match with two points so far in 2023 with two draws on the road against Union Omaha and Lexington SC. Greenville has yet to record a point this season with two losses to Richmond Kickers and South Georgia Tormenta FC.
After the trip to Lexington, FMFC stays in Madison for a Battle for Madison friendly matchup against UW-Madison’s Men’s Soccer team on April 22nd. The next league match for Forward Madison occurs on Saturday, April 29th at 5pm against Charlotte Independence at Breese Stevens Field.
Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records:
Forward Madison FC (0-0-2)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Greenville Triumph(0-2-0)
Head Coach: John Harkes
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison
Jacob Crull: The new defender has quietly gotten off to a hot start for FMFC. Defensively solid with the ability to push up the pitch, Crull has a team high 4 clearances on the season and 6 tackles. Crull also has a 50% duel success rate, helping spur quick attacks from the defensive third.
Jayden Onen: Onen was one of the big names that FMFC brought in for the 2023 season and his creativity has already been on display. Working his way all across the pitch on the offensive end, Onen is a key piece to score or create goals. Look for Onen to challenge the Greenville defense right from the start to get FMFC on the front foot early on in the match.
Isidro Martinez: One word comes to mind when you think of Martinez’s first two matches of the season: solidity. Martinez faced 25 duels so far this season and has 16 duels won. Pair that with an 81% passing success rate in the attacking third, Martinez is a creator on both ends of the pitch.
Key Match Up:
FMFC Defense vs Greenville Attack
After a dramatic loss in the Open Cup to Chicago House AC that saw the FMFC defense give up 3 goals, it will be imperative for a strong bounceback match against Greenville. Look for Mitch Osmond, Timmy Mehl, Stephen Payne, and Jacob Crull to shut down attacks right from the start and hold Greenville to a low amount of shots on goal. Greenville have yet to score on the season, but they have the talent to put the ball in the back of the net quickly and often.
Keys to the Match:
- Use the Home Crowd – It’s the Home Opener at Breese Stevens Field, need we say more? The energy of the fans can be used as a 12th man on Saturday night to push the Flamingos past the finish for three points.
- Consistent start, Consistent Finish- The energy, both by the players and the fans, will be high to start the match, but the key will be to continue that level of play the whole match.
- Convert Shots to Goals- The Flamingos recorded over 30 shots during Tuesday’s Open Cup match that resulted in 2 goals. Against a team like Greenville, the key will be to convert many of those shots into shots on goal. Look for Christian Chaney to come out aggressive to spearhead the FMFC attack.
Previous and Next Match:
Previously, FMFC fell to Chicago House AC in the 2nd Round of the U.S. Open Cup on April 11th. Up next, FMFC plays UW-Madison in a friendly on Saturday, April 22nd.
