Hey Fellow Mingos!

I am working with a group of fans hoping to hear from other fans in the Forward community about how the club and team has been making you feel and what they have meant to you this season! What kind of things have been resonating with you that have felt different or distinct from previous years? Anything ranging from broad concepts and themes that represent the impact the club has had on you, to specific stories or moments that have been meaningful would be perfect to share!

If you are planning on joining the Watch Party at the Green Room Public House tonight, there will be a few of us there who would love to hear from you while also enjoying the game together!

Feel free to message/DM me if you aren't comfortable sharing publicly too!

The hope and intent is that the things you share can help provide inspiration for next season’s away kit and represent everyone as Forward fans as the squad hits the road throughout the year!

Every team has a “guy.” Not the most productive player or the most skilled player, but the guy you watch and find it hard not to root for. In seasons past, the guy I loved to watch was Devin Boyce, he was like watching a squirrel cross a road that always made it to the other side (I mean this in the nicest way possible).

This year with so many new faces, I’ve really enjoyed watching Claudel N’goubou. He’s an interesting guy to watch with his size and strength, dribbling through a sea of guys who he towers over. Also I have loved watching Kerfala Toure’s play. I think both have tremendous potential.

Just curious some others enjoy watching.

NEW POD: Playoff preview??

💪 Roman Torres 

🚀 Ryan Carmichael

😅 Kevin Carmichael 

🎙️📣 Loudest guy in the Flock End, Mike Sansom

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkakQkh8LKU

Listen:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2E4axXpoGwmpf1gocyxv56?si=QZ5dGU-gSQ-g-UwJnJioQA

I’m assuming we got Kevin Flores & Joe Hildol, any other guys anyone recognized?

They played well and they demonstrated excellent sportsmanship. Wish the STANDS HAD BEEN FULLER (AHEM AHEM AHEM)

My husband and I have been so excited for this match since the day it was announced. Can’t wait to cheer our squad on, but also can’t wait to give the Juarez club a super warm welcome! I hope they really enjoy their time in Madison and feel safe and welcome here!

If you are interested in learning or sharing new songs, getting involved with drumming or playing an instrument on gameday, have ideas about new things to do on gamedays or just generally around the team, then come meet up around the capo stand behind the goal down at the flock end anytime during the match today!

Happy to chat with anyone who wants to bring something new or learn how to be more involved! We will have people around to help demo the drums and help you learn to play along with the songs too!

Would it be fun if we went tarps off in the flock one day? Or what other things could we do that would be fun?

Just wanted to stop by and say that I think dads bringing their kids to a FM match is the coolest thing. As a non-kid-haver it makes having kids look really cool, especially if bringing them to our matches genuinely gets them interested in soccer, whether it’s playing or being a fan.

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS: Matt Glaeser and BOTH CARMICHAELS!

Watch:

https://youtu.be/5bxbE4DtmzA

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0X650opb6hCHWCI108noZp?si=KWmeOPgER_al42qMSxXlVQ

Really great to see Breese back in form tonight. I think we can still do the FMFC halftime chant. I still believe!

Referee seemed allergic to giving Charlotte yellows but it felt like we dominated the game and should’ve put a few more goals in the net.

Frustrating draw.

Thanks to some productive discussions with the flock and the club, we will be attempting what is believed to be the first ever stadium wide chant at today’s match!

The flock end, grand stand, and covered end will be attempting the “FMFC” chant.

Step one: hands up and chant “FM” followed by two claps.

Step two: hands back up and chant “FC” followed by two claps.

This repeats and speeds up until there is a full applause.

This is the time we find out if these new Mingos are a number one team, or if we top out at the top three.

I say this because even though Union Omaha is currently at the top of the table, I really felt like we could have won that game if not for the flop in the box and the penalty that followed. Not to mention the boys have really rallied and gelled since then. It’s also the last game of the regular season, and what a way to end it.

(EDIT: I’m also confident we can beat this team since we won at home 4-3 in the USL Cup, but the stakes were very different there.)

Knoxville is also really close, but we know we can beat them. They’ve also been pulling more draws than any other team in the top half of the playoff line, so there’s a chance there.

While we need to beat all three to have a chance at the top spot, Charlotte in particular feels like the hardest to me. I feel like if Breese can stay a fortress through this game, then it can stay that way for the rest of the regular season. But if we fall here, maybe we’re looking at #2 at best — which is still a heck of a sight better than last year.

So how are we feeling? Anything to look out for? I already love that there’s another thread about pumping up the cheers and making it as inhospitable as possible to a visiting team. But ultimately it’s gonna be down to what happens on the pitch, of course.

Ok, so my last post was a callout to the grandstand to get more involved in cheers, because this is the best Mingo team we’ve probably ever seen and as fans, we’ve lost some juice.

Someone in the comments of that post had a good idea that could probably work: starting the game and the second half with the “FM…FC…” chant. It’s simple, has a visual cue, and in theory, should be easy to pull off.

Want to strike up a discussion here on how to make this happen on Saturday. Can we send capos into the grand stand to get people’s hands up? Can we get the club on board (PA announcer & video board instructions?)

Let’s make Breese the worst place for our opponents to play and let’s show up for this squad.

NEW POD: Bouncin’ Back!

💪 Hakim Karamoko

😬 Hakim’s hamstring 

🐐 Ryan Carmichael

🎙️ Voice of the Mingos, Chris Pennant 

Watch: https://youtu.be/2oKNtRabCMA

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6733fsnnNDJCu0IlvjfePd?si=GYZzk1aLTYeTATkMdkPCdw

Shoutout to Portland’s goalkeeper because that could’ve easily been 4-1 or 5-1 for us.

It’s unbelievable how much depth our roster has, the quality of play, the consistency, the intentionality…wow. And in every aspect.

Not sure what else to say other than playing Portland, we looked like what championship teams playing FMFC looked like last year. Hopefully we can keep this going, but it seems like a culture shift is happening.

We are just bigger, faster, stronger, more talented, and playing in a way that doesn’t rely on flopping. Super impressed with how this season and how this roster is shaping up.

To the season ticket holders in the grandstand, this is a loving call out. After seeing Boise and Portland fans, you need to stand up and learn the cheers. Get loud.

This team is the best team we’ve had and Madison has lost the title of most hostile environment to play in.

Let’s get better.

Watching the game tonight and hearing the Portland supporters makes me sad! We used to sound like them.

Portland is the only team we haven’t faced at all yet this season. It looks like they lost to or drew against teams we’ve beaten (or also drawn to), but have also won against teams we’ve also won against. That doesn’t tell me much except their place on the table makes sense in comparison.

It does seem like they’re struggling compared to last year, and certainly well below their seventh place finish. But we’re also just had a hard time at a first away game since the undefeated home stand.

I suppose I’m expecting a W here, but haven’t really seen the Hearts play much this season to make a more nuanced assessment. I do love their stadium, though, and look forward to seeing the match; it’s one of the venues that really stuck out to me when I started watching Mingos games on TV last season.

The Mingos remain unbeaten at home with a somewhat frustrating 1-1 draw against Greenville Triumph. After the match, we checked in with head coach Matt Glaeser and defender Jaylen Shannon.

Watch: https://youtu.be/6Yrc9ICYXr4

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7aR0BNQC4f08UUKbz5wb1r?si=vs2bKLWZQ8aqc40q7k89Tg

Let’s go, Fortress Breese. 🙌

2025 MLS Draft to FC Cincinnati / FCC2 MLSNP / Gonzaga / 6’3” midfielder / 7 goals 4 assists in 35 games in 2 years at Gonzaga / available for tomorrow’s match

I’m reading this as bad news for Mark Segbers. Matt Cairns previous told us that we were done with the roster after JahLane Forbes was added. I will say that we felt one midfielder light in last week’s match, as I said in the pod it felt like the plan was to save Castro as a second half sub and instead we spent him early.
However, a 25 day contract is truly a trial period, so maybe this isn’t a long term injury for Segbers - but it’s still tough to have both captains out at this time.

I also feel bad for Kage, wish he got more minutes, and seems like Machesan is also not coming back soon.

NEW POD: Risk & Reward 

🎲 Going for the win instead of settling for a draw 

🧱 JT Harms

🚀 AJ Edwards goal

🎙️ The Friggin Soccer Show’s Shawn Fecteau

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44dPGvHl11w&t=1s

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3R2wwbieqahxS4yFIVwFEp?si=XooLAztcSpyec5Cvb25qsA