Saturday, June 17th, 2023; 6pm CT
Location: City Stadium, Richmond, VA
Follow @ForwardMSNFC on Twitter for live match updates
Coming off a massive home win, Forward Madison will finally have a little bit of a break before returning to the pitch Saturday, June 17th, against Richmond Kickers. After defeating the top team in the league, North Carolina FC 3-0, Forward Madison is looking to continue their winning streak. The Henny Derby match will kick off on Saturday night at 6:00 pm CT on ESPN+.
Forward Madison enters Saturday’s match in 5th place in USL League One, with Richmond Kickers sitting in 3rd place, but with two more matches played than Forward.
Coaches and USL League One 2023 Records:
Forward Madison FC (4-3-4)
Head Coach: Matt Glaeser
Richmond Kickers (5-3-5)
Head Coach: Darren Sawatzky
Key Players to Watch:
Forward Madison
Stephen Payne: After scoring Forward Madison’s first goal last Saturday, Payne has become a big threat on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Payne does a great job of finding the open space to make brilliant runs, leading to many attacking opportunities. We can expect to see Payne flying up and down the right side of the pitch cheating many opportunities for the flamingos on Saturday night.
Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu: After returning from an injury, Wheeler-Omiunu saw the pitch for the first time in a month against North Carolina FC on Saturday night. With his return, we can expect to start seeing more of him on the pitch again. Wheeler-Omiunu has no problem causing issues for the opposing team with his relentless style of play and noticeable work ethic.
Bernd Schipmann: Schipmann very quickly became one of the fan favorites here in Madison with his strong shot stopping abilities. He has made many major saves that have been game changers for Forward Madison. After coming off the 3-0 NCFC win, Schipmann will be looking for another clean sheet this weekend against Richmond.
Key Match Up:
Christian Chaney vs Emiliano Terzaghi
With both forwards being tied as the fifth goal scorers in the league, Chaney and Terzaghi will go head-to-head Saturday night, both looking to get on the scoresheet. Although they have both scored 4 goals this season, Chaney has created far more opportunities with 38 shots opposed to Terzaghi’s 20.
Keys to the Match:
- Capitalize on Set Pieces: Set pieces present themselves at all points throughout the match and can lead to some of the best opportunities. If the teams are able to take advantage of these opportunities, we could see some set piece goals in this match. With Forward Madison scoring 1 of their 3 goals off a corner kick this weekend, they will be looking to capitalize on more of these opportunities.
- Defend from the front: If the forwards and midfielders are able to stay compact and start defending higher up the pitch, it makes it easier for teams to play through the middle. While rest at some points is needed, the clubs will need to take advantage of the opportunities when the opposing team isn’t beginning their defense higher up the pitch. Forward Madison has been very strong on the defensive side of the ball in all areas of the field so we can expect to see that again on Saturday night.
Previous and Next Match:The Flamingos come into this match after a 3-0 victory against the top team in the league, North Carolina FC. Next up, Forward Madison will return home to Breese Stevens Field, to play Lexington SC on June 22nd at 7pm CT. Tickets for that match are available here.
