Forward Madison Finishes With A Draw In Madison

The ‘Mingos stay in playoff contention with a 2-2 draw against Lexington SC

Forward Madison FC played their second-to-last regular season home match at Breese Stevens Field on Saturday, September 30th. The ‘Mingos faced 9th-place Lexington SC for the third time this season as they looked to take a major step in securing a playoff spot. The club celebrated Latino Heritage Month, with Mexican soccer legend, Carlos Salcido, taking photos with fans before the kickoff at 5pm. The stadium filled up with 5,000 fans, an attendance record for Forward Madison.

It was a hot night and a hot start for the ‘Mingos. In the first twenty minutes, Forward’s attack had their foot on the gas. With close chances from strikers Christian Chaney and Jayden Onen, FMFC looked to break the deadlock. In the 19th minute, FMFC defender Stephen Payne sprinted down the right side and crossed a ball to the 6-yard box. Chaney beat his defender and whipped a header to the back post, just skimming over the crossbar. Forward Madison continued to create opportunities in the final third, and in the 40th minute, they almost capitalized again. Midfielder Isidro Martinez played a ball to the center of the box, finding Onen wide-open. Onen volleyed the ball and Lexington’s goalkeeper Austin Causey made a diving save to keep the game 0-0, heading into halftime.

The second half started with the same intensity, as the ‘Mingos dominated the attack. It wasn’t until the 65th minute that the home squad finally hit the back of the net. Midfielder Derek Gebhard pressured Lexington’s keeper, who bobbled the ball and gave up an easy tap in to Gebhard, putting Forward up 1-0. Ten minutes later, Lexington rallied back in the 74th minute, with a shot from their leading goal-scorer, Ates Diouf, to make the score 1-1. Forward Madison wouldn’t go down easy and quickly stormed down the field, led by Payne, who chipped an ariel ball over Lexington’s goalkeeper to striker Mauro Cichero in the box. Cichero headed the ball into a wide open net to put the ‘Mingos up, once again, 2-1. However, at the end of the match, Lexington was able to equalize once again, with a tap in off of a corner kick from Kimball Jackson. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Forward Madison still pushing for a playoff spot.

“We just have to be tougher,” said head coach Matt Glaeser. “We have tough games against the top two or three teams in the league coming up, so we have to put the work in and be tougher in these moments. We’re going to give our very best and give everything for the club to get in the playoffs.”

“We pride ourselves on working hard and being together,” said striker Mauro Cichero. “It doesn’t matter who scores the goals or what happens. We need to treat the last two games like it’s our life on the line and get the points we need to get into the playoffs.”

“We’re going to have to bounce back because at the end of the day, we’re still in it,” said midfielder Derek Gebhard. “We’re going to have to want it more than the next two teams, and do it for a full 90 minutes. There’s no other option but to believe in each other and our goal.”

Next up, Forward Madison FC travels to play Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC for their last regular season away match. The match can be watched on ESPN+ or in the Forward Club for the FMFC Watch Party, presented by Lake Louie Badger Club. Doors open at 7pm CT, with food and beverages available to purchase. RSVP here.

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Forward Madison FC Lineup (FMFC):

#4 Osmond

#7 Martinez

#9 Chaney

#10 Onen

#12 Brotherton

#16 Crull

#17 Gebhard

#22 Payne

#23 Mesias

#24 Bartman

#55 Schipmann

Substitutes: Sanchez, O. Ramos, J. Ramos, Baptiste, Wheeler-Omiunu, da Silva, Cichero

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

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Lexington SC (LEX):

#1 Causey

#3 Green

#17 Gonzalez

#26 Murillo

#4 Jackson

#2 Robertson

#8 Machell

#25 Mane

#32 Atouf

#77 Brown

#14 Balogun

Substitutes: Fox, James, Kim, Irakoze, Dlamini, Patterson, Philips

Head Coach: Nacho Novo

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Major Match Moments (corners, fouls, cards, subs, goals, big saves/close opportunities)

1st Half

1’ FMFC corner
3’ FMFC foul
5’ LEX foul
6’ FMFC major opportunity
8’ FMFC corner
9’ FMFC major opportunity
11’ FMFC corner
18’ LEX foul
19’ LEX foul
40’ FMFC corner
43’ FMFC foul

Half-Time Score: FMFC 0 – 0 LEX

2nd Half

55’ FMFC Yellow Card (#7 Martinez)
58’ LEX foul
59’ FMFC corner
62’ LEX substitution (#14 off, #7 in)
65’ FMFC GOAL (#17 Gebhard)
66’ FMFC substitution (#44 da Silva, #14 Cichero, and #28 Wheeler-Omiunu in, #23 Mesias, #24 Bartman, and #10 Onen off)
69’ LEX corner
70’ LEX foul
74’ LEX GOAL (#32 Diouf)
75’ LEX substitution (#26 and #25 off, #22 and #5 in)
78’ FMFC GOAL (#14 Cichero)
81’ FMFC substitution (#6 O. Ramos in, #7 Martinez off)
81’ LEX substitution (#3 and #8 off, #18 and #11 in)
83’ FMFC foul
84’ LEX corner
84’ LEX GOAL (#4 Jackson)
85’ LEX foul
87’ FMFC corner
90’ FMFC corner
90+2’ FMFC foul
90+4’ FMFC substitution (#3 J. Ramos in, #17 Gebhard off)
90+5’ LEX foul