By virtue of a goalless draw against rival Union Omaha, along with a win by FC Naples over Spokane, Forward Madison has secured fourth place in USL League One and a home match to begin the playoffs.
The Mingos will host Spokane Velocity on Friday, October 30, at 6:30 pm in the league playoff quarterfinals.
Highlights from the 0-0 draw to Union Omaha:
It’s a tough draw — Spokane is the only team to beat Madison on its home field this season, 1-0 on September 26. Spokane is also the team that knocked Madison out of the playoffs in a penalty shootout in 2024.
That playoff loss won’t exactly linger in the players’ memory, as none of the players on the field that night will play on Friday. Only striker Derek Gebhard was on the roster then, and he’s out injured.
Still, the team likes their chances.
Head Coach Matt Glaeser, referring to the playoffs as a “new season,” said he believes in this year’s squad, even if they hadn’t earned a home playoff match.
“I have full belief that we can go somewhere and win a playoff game,” he said after the Omaha draw and before the team knew about the Naples result. “Full belief, and I have full belief that this group can win a championship more than I’ve ever felt here.”
But, he said, it’s “always important” to have the home fans behind the team.
“We always want to get the fans behind us and try to reward them with the effort that we put in on the pitch,” he said “I hope the fans are happy and entertained with the product we’ve put out this year.”
Full postgame press conference:
“Going into the playoffs, it’s one dogfight after another, and in a dogfight, I’d back this group of guys against anyone in the country,” said goalkeeper JT Harms. “No matter what, we got three games to win. Doesn’t matter if we’re on the road or at home. We’re gonna do it.”
Harms, a native of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, said the Forward Madison atmosphere is something special.
“I’ve been all over, and I can say there’s no club with this kind of charisma in the stadium, this kind of tradition, and then on top of that, to have a pub in the stadium afterwards, where everyone can get together, win or lose … it’s special,” he said.
“Playoffs always different animal, different intensity,” said rookie defender Kerfalla Toure, who appeared in the NCAA tournament with Florida Atlantic University last year. “The crowd’s in it, the teams are in it, even the referees are in it, and it’s like you just gotta manage the emotion of it … use it as energy, but don’t go too far where you’re making silly challenges, you’re making silly decisions.”
Forward Madison will test the theory that defense wins championships: they enter the playoffs with the least goals conceded in the league, just 30 in 32 games, and kept 10 clean sheets, second most in the league.
On the other end of the pitch, they’ve scored the third-most with 54. Their +24 goal differential is the best in club history and second only to first-place Charlotte Independence’s +28 this season.
Other playoff matchups include:
- Union Omaha vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves, Friday, 6 pm
- Charlotte Independence vs. FC Naples, Sunday, 6 pm
- AC Boise vs. One Knoxville, Sunday, 7 pm
After this weekend’s matches, the lowest remaining seed will travel to the highest remaining seed’s home field, and the third-highest remaining seed will travel to the second-highest remaining seed’s home field the following weekend.
