By Dominic Throngard
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – This Wednesday, One Knoxville SC (2-1-2) takes on Forward Madison FC (1-3-0) alongside the train tracks at Regal Soccer Stadium in a match slated for 7 p.m. ET.
One Knox is returning home from their journey out west where they took on the Central Valley Fuego in Fresno after a thrilling contest that saw the boys in blue prevail 1-0 off a goal in stoppage time from van der Pluijm. One Knoxville looked the better club throughout the match after a red card came early for the Fuego’s Dabo in the ninth minute of play. The numbers tell the story well, as Knoxville had 18 shots, seven shots on frame, and 63% possession. Central Valley struggled to keep up after the early sending-off.
For their performance in the match, OKSC’s Yesin van der Pluijm and Sean O’Hearn also made the USL1 team of the week.
Forward Madison presents as an interesting opponent, having yet to lose in league play, despite dropping their US Open Cup match 3-2, against lower-tier club Chicago House AC. The team’s lone win comes from an electric performance on April 15th that saw the club pile in four goals against Greenville Triumph SC and concede only one, despite going a man down in the 72nd minute.
Forward Madison’s last time out, they drew 0-0 against Charlotte Independence on Saturday at Madison’s home ground. The scoreline is a tad deceptive nonetheless, as the team far outperformed Charlotte with 17 shots, seven of which were on target, and they held 59% possession. The team plays similarly to Knoxville with an emphasis on passing and ball movement.
The club will be looking to capitalize on the momentum having not won four matches in a row prior to their trip out to Fresno. The quick turnaround and brutal scheduling will not be on their side either with the club only having two days of rest between the matches.
After Forward Madison, One Knoxville SC will take on the Northern Colorado Hailstorm at home on Saturday, May 13th in a match slated for another 7 p.m. ET kickoff.