USL1 Forward Madison FC

Forward Madison Beats Major Mexican Soccer Team Leones Negros in Front of Nearly 5,000

July 16, 2019 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Forward Madison FC News Release


Forward Madison FC beat one of Mexico's major soccer clubs in front of 4,802 fans at a packed Breese Stevens Field on Tuesday night, winning 2-1 against Leones Negros UdeG. It was the perfect night to cap off FMFC's final international exhibition of its inaugural season, as the Flamingos came from behind to wow the crowd, which was the team's second-largest of the year.

After a disappointing home draw to Chattanooga Red Wolves on Saturday, Forward Madison fielded a mostly full-strength lineup. Los Flamingos were trying to work on their game just as much as they were trying to enjoy the moment and assess guest players, such as midfielder Matteo Kidd of the Green Bay Voyageurs.

During the match, FMFC again came out fast, but its momentum was put to rest by Jorlian Sanchez, who took a long ball over the top of defense, beat Connor Tobin on the dribble, and sent a low drive to the right of a diving Dayne St. Clair that just made it inside the post in the 37th minute.

The game took on a chippy edge, which resulted in seven yellow cards and one red card in total, although just two of those cautions went the way of the Flamingos.

At the end of the first half, Forward Madison took back an equalizer with a 45th minute goal from Brian Bement, who stuffed home a loose ball after standing his ground in the 18-yard box.

After the break, both sides made wholesale changes to their lineups, with FMFC switching every player off the pitch and Leones Negros making six changes before Omar Bravo subbed on in the 61st minute.

Just before Bravo came on, the Flamingos found the go-ahead goal with a brother-to-brother connection as Anthony Markanich found Nick Markanich for a beautiful headed goal with a fine long ball. Both Markanich brothers play for the Green Bay Voyageurs, and were in Madison as guests for the Flamingos.

The rest of the match played out in a less-than stellar fashion for the visitors, with UdeG midfielder Marvin Ceballos receiving a red card in stoppage time. Still, it didn't dampen the mood for FMFC's best exhibition result of the season, which included previous games against Hertha Berlin and Minnesota United FC.

Up next for Forward Madison is a rare weekend off before another home match against Orlando City B on July 27th, with a quick turnaround trip to Toronto FC II on July 31st to follow.

Check out the Forward Madison FC Statistics



United Soccer League One Stories from July 16, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central