Forward Madison FC ran its winning streak to a season-long three games Saturday, riding another stellar defensive effort and Don Smart’s team-leading seventh goal to a 1-0 victory over FC Tucson in front of 4,350 fans at Breese Stevens Field.
It was the club’s third win in eight days, following a 1-0 home win over Orlando last Saturday and a convincing 4-1 victory at Toronto midweek. The nine points over the week solidifies Forward Madison’s fourth-place position in the table, tied on points with Chattanooga but well clear on goal differential.
FC Tucson seemed to have the better of possession and chances for much of the first half, including Lamar Batista’s header from a corner kick that beat Madison keeper Bryan Sylvestre but was headed off the line by Wyatt Omsberg.
Smart’s goal came just before the whistle for half time. Center back Connor Tobin started the attack from the midline and three short passes later, midfielder Josiel Nuñez found Smart all alone on the right side of the penalty area. Smart seemed to play a cross toward the oncoming Nuñez, OIiver White and JC Banks, all of whom were converging on the goal, but the cross found the inside of the far post and bounced in.
Tucson continued to press in the second half, ultimately holding nearly 60 percent of the possession, but the Forward Madison backline limited their chances. Tucson ended the match with only seven shots to Madison’s 13.
“They were well-rested,” Madison coach Daryl Shore said of the visiting side. “We made the decision to go with the same group, all three games (over the past week). Credit to our guys, grinding it out. But we talked earlier in the week you know, about playoff soccer, it’s not always about winning pretty. You know, two games where we were the better team in both the games, and now a game here where we had to be a little bit on our back foot but we survived, and credit to our guys for sticking it out.”
The only change Shore made in the lineup from the previous two games was to reinstate Sylvestre in the goal.
“I mean they’ve won three in a row,” he said. “My dad always told me if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
“The game wasn’t going our way” in the first half, Smart said. “I’m happy for the team and for the coach because they’ve been working hard. This whole week, you know, we had three games in a week. Credit to the boys to come out and fight through the 90 minutes.”
Smart could have had four goals in the three wins, but a shot and a penalty both went just wide against Orlando and he rattled the crossbar at Toronto. The misses didn’t get to him, he said.
“It’s part of the game. In soccer you know it’s ups and downs,” he said. “There was a spell where I was scoring, scoring, scoring, and now there’s a little snow where I was missing, and thank God for that cross that I just made. Finally got me back on the mark again. All I do is just get back to training, keep shooting, just keep going.”
The playoff race remains wide open with several teams within striking distance of the top four. Shore said the team is not focused on the standings, though.
“We have a point total that we want to get to. And then if we get to that point table, if we’re in, we’re in, if we’re not, we’re not,” he said. “But you can’t watch the table because it’ll drive you crazy. Especially a ten team league. But we do know who’s in front and who’s behind.”
Five of Madison’s last nine matches are at home, where the club draws more than double the average league attendance. Next Saturday Madison hosts ninth-place Richmond, which will be well rested after beating Toronto 2-1 on July 26.
