For the second time in three years, Forward Madison has moved on to the USL League One semifinals, beating Spokane Velocity 2-1 at Breese Stevens Field Friday.
The game started as a barnburner, all three goals coming in the first 12 minutes, after which the Mingos were able to shut the visitors down, not allowing another shot on target the rest of the way.
Head Coach Matt Glaeser said the team played with “guts.”
“It takes that to win playoff games in our league,” he said.
Forward Madison now awaits the winner of Sunday’s match between top-seeded Charlotte Independence and FC Naples.
DC United loanee Hakim Karamoko opened the scoring in the seventh minute, heading in a cross from Ryan Carmichael, who did well to find a half-space on the right wing from which to launch the ball.
“I didn’t expect Ryan to cross it at first because he was doubled, you know, with two men on him,” Karamoko said. “Once he got a little bit of space, I saw him put across the ball, so I kind of got away from the defender. And then when the ball was floating in the air, I was just like, yeah, it’s my chance.”
The lead only lasted five minutes, as Spokane’s Lucky Opara nodded in a cross from Nil Vinyals on the second phase after a corner kick to get the visitors back on even terms in the 11th.
But the Mingos got the lead back for good just a minute later. It was Carmichael again on the assist, taking a long ball from Geni Kanyane and back-heeling it into the path of Joshua Bolma. With Carmichael overlapping, Bolma found himself one-on-one with Spokane defender Nick Spielman. From the left channel about 15 yards from goal, he was able to put an impressive curl on the shot and tuck it in at the far post, just beyond the reach of Spokane keeper Sean Lewis.
“After I shot it, I knew,” Bolma said. “It looked too good to be true. So I was like, ah, let me start running to the corner … after it left my foot, I was like, yeah, that’s the one. That’s the one.”
Bolma very nearly bagged a second in the 15th minute. With Carmichael in on goal, Bolma seemed a bit surprised to get a square pass rather than witness Carmichael take a shot for himself. With defender Camron Miller at his heels, Bolma skied it well over from about five yards out.
Regardless, the Mingos were able to see the game out without allowing another shot on target to test goalkeeper JT Harms.
The quick start was part of the game plan, Glaeser said. Coming off a 0-0 draw with Union Omaha to end the regular season, and recalling a penalty shootout loss to Spokane following 120 goalless minutes to end their 2024 season, Glaeser wanted some goals.
“We wanted to approach the game so that it wasn’t going to be a zero-zero game,” he said. “That was the mindset in this game from the beginning. So we threw a lot of numbers forward… We were who we were, and that was enough.”
Glaeser said he was also impressed with the way the team bled the clock at the end of the game, keeping the ball on Spokane’s end and not allowing any real threats late.
“To have a young group like that come out and show that professionalism, even to kill the game off at the end… it took real awareness,” he said.
Spokane was the only League One team to beat the Mingos at Breese Stevens this season, which happened just over a month ago. It was on the team’s mind, Bolma said.
“We had that in the back of our minds … they came here and took one away from us.We can’t let that happen again… Now we gotta protect the fortress,” he said.
Glaeser said he was also impressed with the way the team’s chemistry showed on the field – especially impressive as it was an almost entirely new roster at the beginning of the year.
“Leaders were leaders, and guys stepped up, and subs came in for whatever time they were on the field and made an impact and worked for the team,” Glaeser said. “That’s what we want to be about.”
“Throughout my career, I think it’s one of the best locker rooms I’ve been in, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of this,” Karamoko said.
Bolma and Karamoko both also expressed gratitude to the fans, 3,192 of whom were on hand Friday night.
“Even after (Spokane) tied (with) the goal, they were still pushing us, yelling, roaring, and all that stuff,” Bolma said. “Tonight we needed them more than anything else and they showed out.”
“It was amazing. Incredible scenes,” Karamoko said. “The fans were awesome. Can’t thank them enough. Without them, none of this would have been possible… We’re grateful to have them for sure.”
Top-ranked Charlotte take on eighth-seeded FC Naples tomorrow evening. If Charlotte wins, Madison will go there for the semifinals; if Naples, red-hot and riding a seven-game winning streak, get the upset, they’d come to Breese Stevens next weekend. Semifinal game times have not yet been announced.
For his part, Bolma wouldn’t mind another crack at Charlotte, who beat Madison 3-1 in May at Charlotte and drew 1-1 in Madison in August.
“We hope we play the best team because we feel like we’re also a best team in the league, and we’re capable of doing it,” he said.
