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USL1 Forward Madison FC

Match Preview: Forward Madison vs NCFC

August 22, 2022 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Forward Madison FC News Release


Forward Madison FC has returned home for a USL League One match against North Carolina FC this Wednesday. The 100th match in Forward Madison history will kick off at Breese Stevens Field at 7:00 pm CT! Last time the Flamingos took on North Carolina FC, the club suffered a close 2-1 loss on the road.

Forward Madison enters Wednesday's match following a crucial 3-1 win over the Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. Jeremiah Streng had a dominant performance against the Hailstorm as he recorded a brace and earned 'Mingos of the Match Honors. Derek Gebhard also had a stellar match, scoring his first goal of the season. Looking ahead, the Flamingos will head to Nebraska to conclude their regular season series against Union Omaha.

North Carolina FC travels to Madison to take on FMFC after they lost a 4-1 match to Union Omaha on Saturday. Next up for NCFC, they'll head home to face off against FC Tucson on Saturday, August 27th.

Coaches and USL League One 2022 Records

Forward Madison FC (7-5-9)

Head Coach: Matt Glaeser

North Carolina FC (6-9-8)

Head Coach: John Bradford

Key Players to Watch:

Forward Madison

Jeremiah Streng: Streng is coming off his best game of the season, as he scored two crucial goals to help Forward Madison take the lead and leave Northern Colorado with three points. Thanks to his stellar performance against the Hailstorm, the Finnish forward has solidified himself as one of the best strikers on the club, as he leads the team in shots (32), shots on target (15), goals (6), and free kick goals (1). Expect Streng to continue to make his presence felt throughout the match on the offensive side of the pitch.

Matheus Cassini: After missing the last three games, the Brazilian midfielder made an immediate impact upon his return. Against Northern Colorado, Cassini recorded an assist and played plenty of beautiful crosses to help get the Forward Madison attack going. The 26-year-old has created 22 chances this season and figures to play a key role creating offense going forward. Expect Cassini to continue to be relied upon to create chances against North Carolina FC.

Mitch Osmond: Osmond has been dominant all year and he's been one of the best on the Flamingos' backline. The Australian native leads the club in tackles won (26), while he ranks second on the club in clearances (49), blocks (13), and interceptions (29). Expect Osmond to continue to be a force on the backline.

Key Match Up

Forward Madison Strikers vs. North Carolina Backline

The key match up for this contest is the Forward Madison strikers of Jeremiah Streng, Abdou Mbacke-Thiam, Rojay Smith, and Nazeem Bartman versus the North Carolina backline of Christian Lue Young, Britton Fischer, Gustavo Fernandes, and Nelson Blanco. The last matchup between these squads resulted in a close match that North Carolina won in the final moments.

North Carolina's backline heads to Madison following a brutal 4-1 loss to Union Omaha. Although they did suffer two red cards and were forced to finish the match two men down, NCFC was losing 3-0 by the 17th minute mark, which was well before the first red card. On the season, North Carolina has been one of the worst defensive teams in the league, as they've allowed the most goals in the league (36) and they haven't recorded a clean sheet in a little over two months (since June 18th).

At the other end of this matchup is a Forward Madison attack that has just started showing signs of life. The Flamingos are coming off a dominant offensive match where the club scored three goals for the first time since June 11th. Streng put on a show in the most recent match as he was all around the ball on the offensive end of the pitch and he logged a brace. If Streng can get some help from Mbacke-Thiam, Smith, and Bartman, the Forward Madison attack should be able to continue to keep its offense rolling against a weak NCFC defense.

Keys to the Match

Limit Turnovers - Forward Madison struggled at the end of the last match against North Carolina FC as the team started to give the ball away in its own half of the field. If the Flamingos defense can be more careful controlling the possession of the ball, then the squad should have no problem limiting the amount of turnovers made.

Limit Opponents Set Pieces and Score Off of Our Own - The Flamingos have had a tough time logging and scoring off set pieces all season long. In the last match against NCFC, Forward Madison recorded only one corner kick compared to North Carolina's five corners. Even in the squad's most recent win against the Hailstorm, the club couldn't record many quality chances off set pieces. Expect Matt Glaeser to have his team ready to defend the opponents' set pieces as best as possible.

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United Soccer League One Stories from August 22, 2022


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