Charlotte Independence vs Forward Madison FC | American Legion Memorial Stadium | 6 pm | ESPN Select
Tonight, for the second time in three years, the Mingos of Forward Madison take the field in a USL League One playoff semifinal.
This time, their opponent is the league’s top team, and perhaps one of the greatest collections of talent the league has seen.
The matchup could be a classic irresistible-force-versus-immovable-object: Charlotte scored the most goals in the league season (74); Madison conceded the fewest (30). The Jacks have the league’s golden boot winner Saibou Marou as well as golden playmaker John Bakero, who shattered the league assist record with 18, and added eight goals of his own. They also have the first-team all-league goalkeeper in Matt Levy (despite giving up a very middle-of-the-pack 47 goals).
The last time these two teams met, on August 22, our backline held them to one goal – an 11th minute finish from Joey Skinner – while Ryan Carmichael answered just before the hour mark. Kevin Carmichael came within a Matt Levy fingertip of winning it in stoppage time.
Even after they dispatched a red-hot Naples 5-1 in the first round of the playoffs, one feels like our stalwart backline will be up to the task. Don’t expect a parked bus, though: against Spokane last week, head coach Matt Glaeser opted to be aggressive and it paid off with two goals in the opening 12 minutes.
Also keep an eye out between the boxes: you have two of the league’s best midfielders in Bakero and Madison’s Roman Torres looking to dictate the tempo and possession. The best chances will come from midfield possession; on the flip side, Torres in particular has been very good at disrupting potential transition opportunities.
I’m not concerned about mentality; the boys looked locked and loaded last week. They’re up for the challenge and the moment is not too big. They are not intimidated.
So for me the questions are:
- Can the backline keep Marou quiet, as they did in August?
- Can Madison get an early goal and make Charlotte chase?
- Can Madison nick one on a set piece?
- Can Madison stay on the front foot if it goes an extra 30 minutes?
- How many big saves can JT Harms make?
If the answer to the first three is “yes,” and the answer to the fourth is “more than two,” then the Mingos have a very good chance of making their first league final.
We sent the boys off at the airport
And it was super wholesome. Someone brought oranges!
Players aren’t supposed to look ahead, but we can
Thanks to a 113th-minute goal from Jesus Barrea, AC Boise is the second league debutante to make the league final.
And if Madison wins tonight, they’ll be the first to host it.
Chattanooga’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez stood on his head, making eight huge saves. The Red Wolves defense kept the Boise attack in check, taking a 0-0 scoreline into extra time despite Boise having more than 80 percent of the ball.
But there are only so many shots you can withstand before conceding; in this case, that number was 31.
If Charlotte wins tonight, they’ll host as the top seed; if Madison wins, we’ll be headed west. It’s a 23-hour drive, in case you’re curious.
While you await kickoff, relive the first round win with this week’s podcast:
It’s a beautiful day in Mingo Nation as Forward Madison are through to the playoff semifinals for the second time in three years thanks to a 2-1 win over Spokane. Today, Ethan and Rob talk through a couple immaculate first touches, two incredible goals, and some real professionalism to see it out. Then, Coach Ziggy Odogun joins to tell us about the newest team in town, and in stoppage time, will Forward Madison soon get an in-state rival?
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