Forward Madison FC has been USL League One’s best team at set pieces this season, which creates a significant problem for Portland when they face off this weekend because the Hearts of Pine have conceded the fourth-most set piece goals in 2026.
Hearts coach Bobby Murphy knows his players will have to show discipline if they are going to emerge victorious against the third-place Flamingos at 6 p.m. EDT Saturday at Breese Stevens Field in Madison, Wisconsin. Portland (7-13-10) has yielded 13 set piece goals this year while Forward Madison (15-8-7) has scored a league-leading 18 times.
“You’ve gotta be smart on set pieces, which means first off, not to give away set pieces,” Murphy said. “That’s the big thing.”
But in the event of conceding set pieces in dangerous areas, Murphy said the key is that defenders must jump first.
“Half of winning headers is jumping first,” Murphy said. “People don’t do that. They try and jump second or jump later or time it perfectly. Just get up off the ground first, and then you gotta put a body on people and be physical.”
Sometimes, though, the free kick is a direct shot, which goes back to the notion of not fouling in difficult places. In the teams’ first match this season on Aug. 16, Forward Madison’s Ryan Carmichael drilled a 27-yard free kick over the Hearts’ wall and into the far left corner for the game-winning goal.
Carmichael has done things like that a lot this year. The forward’s 12 goals rank fourth overall in USL1, which is the club record for a single season. Forward Madison coach Matt Glaeser has described Carmichael, a 25-year-old left-footer from Northern Ireland, as “a versatile attacking threat with high level technical ability and decision making qualities.”
Forward Madison also excels at defense, having conceded the fewest goals (30 in 30 games) in USL1 this season. In that first match between the clubs, Portland actually outpossessed the Flamingos (58%-42%) but only managed two shots on goal. With 50 clearances in the match to Portland’s 31, Forward Madison packed in its defense and counterstruck when the opportunities presented themselves.
“I think it’s gonna be a good test for us,” Murphy said. “Guys know what the deal is. We have to finish the season, play well and put in a good effort. It’s gonna be hard.”
The Flamingos have been scuffling of late, going 1-3-1 in their last five, which included their first loss at home, a 1-0 loss to Spokane Velocity FC on Sept. 26. But Forward Madison has the added incentive of garnering as many points as possible in its last two games so it can hold onto a home playoff match. The Flamingos need to hold off Athletic Club Boise, One Knoxville SC, and Spokane, all of which are within three points of passing them in the standings.
Portland’s postseason dreams ended earlier this month. Asked if playing spoiler could turn the match into a playoff-esque game for his players, Murphy said he mentioned it to the players but he expects ample effort from them regardless.
“Ralf Rangnick (former interim manager of Manchester United) once said you can’t motivate your players, that’s intrinsic,” Murphy said. “You can occasionally inspire them but … if you have to try and motivate people, then they’re probably in the wrong profession. Our guys should be ready to go and compete just because that’s what they’re here to do. Pride should override anything that you can do to anybody else.”
Quick notes:
The Hearts currently sit in 14th place (of 17 teams) overall. Even if Portland loses its final two matches, it has enough points (31) to stay out of the very bottom, where the Richmond Kickers have 23 points.
Why is Forward Madison called the Flamingos, you ask? Read this for a good chuckle.
Wisconsin and Maine sit about 1,100 miles apart, but their state mottos say nearly the same thing in a single word. Wisconsin’s is “Forward,” the source of Forward Madison’s name. Maine’s is “Dirigo,” Latin for “I lead,” and the namesake of the Hearts supporters group, the Dirigo Union.
