When the Forward Madison players are warming up for their USL League One debut in Chattanooga Saturday afternoon, supporters will be flocking to the Brass Ring on East Washington Avenue to cheer them on from afar.
One could watch the match at home, as all USL games are broadcast live on ESPN+, a $4.99-per-month streaming service. But with excitement reaching a fever pitch as the inaugural match of Madison’s first professional soccer team approaches, it might be more fun with 100 or so fellow supporters watching on a big screen.
“I think it’s gonna be exciting just because it has been almost a year now since the team was announced,” said Kyle Carr, who is coordinating the away game watch parties for The Flock, one of the team’s official supporter groups. “So now it’s kind of like it’s finally here, and all the work we’ve been doing, we as a flock have been doing, and all the hype that the fans have got, it’s gonna be really cool to see them actually play competitive game.”
Doors at the Brass Ring will open at 4:30 pm on Saturday, April 6, with the kickoff scheduled for 6 pm. As of Friday, more than 200 people had responded to a Facebook event saying they were attending or interested.
Carr said a small group of 10 or so was making the trek to Chattanooga for Forward Madison’s match against the Red Wolves. About 50 took a bus to Milwaukee for a preseason friendly against Marquette University, which Forward won 4-1.
Carr said all away match watch parties will also be fundraisers for local charities. A portion of beer sales and proceeds from a 50/50 raffle at all watch parties in April will benefit the Rape Crisis Center of Dane County.
This Saturday is the beginning of week two for the fledgling third-division league, as eight of the ten teams got underway last weekend. Only Madison and Toronto FC II had last weekend off.
“I watched the first (match) on Friday,” Carr said. “It was really cool just seeing the talent levels. I know a lot of people might think division three league, it might not be as competitive, but all the teams are going for it, they’re gonna try their best to put up the best team possible. They are definitely putting out a product that’s worth watching.”
Chatanooga fell 3-1 in its first match away to North Texas thanks to a hat trick from 16-year-old Ricardo Pepi, but the Red Wolves’ Steven Beatty took Goal of the Week honors for his 25-yard curler in the 84th minute.
Forward Madison plays again on Saturday, April 13 at North Texas and Friday, April 19 at Orlando City II before their first home match at Breese Stevens Field against Greenville Triumph on April 27. The public will have their first chance to see the team play on its home field at 7 pm April 16 in a friendly against the University of Wisconsin.
