US Open Cup First Round Review – Forward Madison FC see off the BlueGreens

Forward Madison 5-1 Duluth FC

Forward Madison finished with a fistful of goals and a comfortable score-line but the course of the match may have been very different had Duluth FC’s Alex Mihov not raised his hands into the face of Nico Brown for a straight red card in the thirty-fifth minute. It only took Forward 5 minutes with the numerical advantage to score, through Ferrety Sousa but that was the extent of the damage at the half, in part because of a goal line clearance by Jake Starling in first half injury time.

A long-ball over the top of the Forward defense in the 63rd minute saw home defenders obstruct each other and Mario Fernandez swept the ball home after the on-rushing goalkeeper couldn’t fully stop a shot. Ten minutes later, the home advantage was restored as Eddie Munjoma finished a passage of passes in close on the right wing. The final score gained an unrepresentative gloss in the 85th minute as Juan Galindrez broke out on the counter and settled the bouncing ball before half volleying it into the corner. John Murphy Jr slotted away Forward’s 4th after Tristan Adams missed a cross, and it was 5 after Adam Braman in goal for Duluth conceded a PK and Galindrez saw his penalty saved but the rebound nestle in the net. 

Coming Up:

Forward move onto the 2nd round, where they host FC Tulsa of the USL Championship on April 2nd at 6:30pm.