On the podcast this week, I said neither Madison nor Omaha have anything at stake in tonight’s match as neither of us can win the group. I was entirely wrong. A Reddit user helpfully pointed out that Omaha does, in fact, have a chance to make it to the knockout stage of the USL Cup, but only if Omaha wins.

If both Omaha and Lexington win, and Lexington doesn’t outscore Omaha but three, Omaha wins the group on tiebreakers (because Omaha and Lexington never played against each other, head-to-head doesn’t matter, and believe it or not Omaha has scored two more goals than Lexington). It’s also very conceivable that Omaha could get through as a wildcard with a win; there are too many other pieces that would have to fall into place to even enumerate.

Bottom line is, for Omaha to have any chance at making the next round of the Cup, they have to beat Madison.

Madison, on the other hand, has nothing to gain from a win, except the deep, abiding joy of knowing we ruined Union Omaha’s day.

So I still think our boys should play really, really hard.

That said, we host the Henny Derby on Wednesday to start a crucial four-game home stand, so there’s also something to be said for resting some guys against the Owls.

Now, on to this game …

Union Omaha at Forward Madison | 7 pm | Breese Stevens Field, Madison, Wisconsin | ESPN +

Someone from Omaha correctly mused earlier in the season whether it’s really a rivalry if one of the teams always wins.

Guys, we have not beaten Union Omaha in over two years.

The last time we won was a 2-0 home victory on June 20, 2024.

On August 3, 2024, we got a 2-2 draw at their place.

And that is the last time we scored a goal.

They have four straight clean sheets on us.

That streak includes a 1-0 loss earlier this season at Omaha, which, one could argue, should have been another 0-0 draw but for a very sketchy penalty call.

For Omaha’s part, their 3-1 win over AV Alta came on the heels of three straight losses, during which Omaha didn’t rattle the twine once. Yet they remain atop the league table. A mid season slump does not mean they’re particularly vulnerable. That said, a disciplined backline can keep Pato Botello Faz, Kempes Tekiela, Diego Gutiérez and friends quiet. And a well-rested midfield can dictate the tempo of the match. And, one hopes, one or two of these guys we put up top can get a goal or two past Rashid Nuhu, get us our first USL Cup win of 2026, and make Omaha fans hate soccer again.

Or watch it:

Your Mingos got a classic grind-it-out 1-0 win over Spokane Velocity with one of Ethan’s favorite goals of the season – even though Forward Madison didn’t even score it. Today on the show, Rob and Ethan break down the anatomy of that goal and why it bodes well for the team’s offense. Plus, new Mingo Jahlane Forbes joins the show to talk about joining a squad midseason and what it’ll take to land at the top of the table.