The Mingos return home while Hailstorm finishes its extended road stretch on a Thursday night matchup in Madison.

Forward Madison

FMFC comes off of a statement victory over top-of-the-table North Carolina FC in which the defense became the first to effectively shut down NCFC since week one.

While only 6th in the table, Forward Madison ranks second in points per match and goal differential, and best in the league when it comes to goals allowed per match. With three matches in hand compared to top-of-the-table NCFC and Charlotte, they should be considered the second-best squad in the league right now.

Goalkeeper Bernd Schipmann is tied for first in the league with four clean sheets on a league third-best 19 saves.

Christian Chaney leads the squad with two goals, but single contributions have come from Mitch Osmond, Derek Gebhard, Isidro Martinez, and Mauro Cichero.

Martinez has made his case for team MVP, with an assist and 14 chances created to go along with his goal, while also leading the team in tackles and tackles won, and second only to Chaney in duels won.

Jayden Onen leads the team in assists with two, while Derek Gebhard and Jake Crull each have an assist to go along with their respective 12 and 11 chances created.

While the offense has been inconsistent, it is still averaging over a goal per match, good enough for 5th best in the league.

This is a disciplined squad, with a league second-best 11.5 fouls conceded per match.

How Forward Madison wins this match: facing a defense nearly as good as its own, the old cliche of scoring early and holding on will be the game plan for both sides. Chaney provides a dangerous option that cannot go uncovered by the Hailstorm defense, as well as cover for goals to come from further out.

Forward Madison Absent / Questionable: Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

NOCO comes off of a 2-1 win at One Knox SC. Tonight’s matchup is the final match of a six-game road stretch to start the season, in which the club has picked up a respectable two wins, two draws, and one loss.

While the club sits at 9th in the table, it has four matches in hand compared to top-of-the-table NCFC and Charlotte. NOCO should be considered the third or fourth-best team in the league right now based on overall statistics per matches played.

Hailstorm FC is third in the league in points per match, goal differential, goals scored per match, and goals allowed per match. The only weak point is schedule strength, currently last in the league, but facing a top-ranked Madison side will put everything to the test.

The offense is led by Trevor Amann with three goals on the season. The club has also seen single-goal contributions from Marky Hernández, Nortei Nortey, Rob Cornwall, and Billy King. Arthur Rogers leads assists with two and chances created with 15.

2023 newcomer Bruno Rendón is the defensive star so far, with 19 tackles won, 46 duels won, and 15 aerial duels won. The defense has contributed to three clean sheets and a league second-best four goals conceded (0.8 per match, third-best in the league).

NOCO goalkeeper Edward Delgado has all three clean sheets on 17 saves in five appearances.

How Hailstorm FC wins this match: just like their opponents, it is likely that the team that scores first will try to hang on to win a defensive battle. Arthur Rogers has plenty of options as the primary setup man, but six of this squad’s seven regular season goals have been in the second half. If they can figure out an early lead, they may be able to hang on.

Hailstorm FC Absent / Questionable: Irvin Parra

Head to Head

This is the first match between Forward Madison and Hailstorm FC in 2023.

Forward Madison won two with one draw in 2022 (stat courtesy Hail Yeah Outlet).

Statistically, this should be considered a matchup between two of the top four teams in the league, and certainly two of the best defenses. However, both have offensive talent bubbling to the surface recently, which may negate the defensive numbers.

Both will get a strength of schedule boost regardless of the outcome.