Forward Madison (6-5-4, 5th Place) vs Union Omaha (5-7-2, 7th Place)
All competitions: MAD (7-5-5) vs OMA (9-7-3)
Breese Stevens Field – Madison, Wisconsin
7:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
Good morning, Búhos Nation! Just when you were starting to recover from last week’s action, USL League One throws another game at you for more excitement. Union Omaha plays their second midweek match of the season as they travel to Madison, Wisconsin to take on Forward Madison. Tune into ESPN+ at 7 PM for all of the action.
Forward Madison currently sits in fifth place after having a week-long break from league action. The Flamingos didn’t rest the entire time, though. Instead, they scheduled an international friendly against Pumas Tabasco, a professional team from Liga de Expansión MX. The friendly was played a week ago, ended in a 2-2 draw, and gave them value playing time during a bye week.
In league play, Forward Madison’s most recent game was a home win against South Georgia Tormenta FC in Week 16. The 2-0 victory allowed Forward Madison to remain in third place in the standings. As is expected of the Flamingos, they have an impressive home record of 4-1-2, with the last home loss happening back on May 21st (Week 8). In the last five weeks, they’ve only lost one game, while winning three. The team is led by forwards Jeremiah Streng and Matheus Cassini, both with four goals on the season. Their goalkeeper, Raiko Arozarena, has impressed in his short time with the club. Arozarena was loaned to Forward Madison from the Tampa Bay Rowdies in exchange for fellow goalkeeper Phil Breno.
Union Omaha managed to earn a draw during Saturday’s game against Greenville Triumph, remaining undefeated in their last five games. While the score ended 0-0, there were still a lot of positives to take away from the performance. The Owls seemed to explore a new formation, showed decent passing, and moved personnel efficiently to maintain pressure on the Triumph for the full 90 minutes. Despite earning the point, Union Omaha fell to seventh place in the standings. Fear not, as the Owls are still in second place for average points earned per game. This is the first week that Union Omaha will make up one of their games in hand. Each of those games will be very valuable as the season progresses. For example: if the Owls win tonight, they will jump to third place, sitting behind Richmond only because of the total-win tiebreaker.
Fans inside Breese Stevens Field will be treated to a special occasion involving both Forward Madison and Union Omaha. Earlier this season, both clubs announced the Unified Soccer Series. In conjunction with Special Olympics Nebraska and Special Olympics Wisconsin, both clubs held tryouts for players (with or without disabilities) to play during the halftime break of the two remaining matchups between the two clubs. The first game will be played tonight, while the second will take place on August 31st, when Forward Madison visits Omaha. It does not sound like the game will be broadcast by ESPN+, so stay tuned to social media for videos and interviews with the players.
It may be a work day, but it’s definitely a game day. Wear the team’s colors, proudly display your pride, and spread the word about the game tonight. This rivalry has brought plenty of entertainment in the past, so tonight should be no exception. Whether you watch at home, or at a viewing party, bring the noise and support the Owls. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
Who Gives A Hoot? 