Mingos check in. Let's go

The current proposal will stick the flock in the corner with terrible sight lines of the field and isolate the loudest fans from the grandstand.

BUT!

Why don’t they just move the stage over and put the bleachers between the stage and grandstand????

This would give the grandstand more noise from the flock end and potentially incorporate them in the songs, as well as giving fans in the flock end a better vide of the scoreboard?

Then big top can just, move the bleachers to the other side for concerts, which might be inconvenient but seems like a better option than killing the fan experience for soccer.

Help us bring this vision to life.
This proposal meets the needs of a historic facility while opening the door to more nationally touring concerts in Madison, which means more business for local shops, restaurants, and hotels, and a bigger stage for the City of Madison itself.
If you'd like to support these improvements, we encourage you to share your thoughts and a letter of support with the following people before November 4th:
Eric Knepp, Superintendent of Parks: [eknepp@cityofmadison.com](mailto:eknepp@cityofmadison.com)

CJ Ryan, Assistant Superintendent: [cryan@cityofmadison.com](mailto:cryan@cityofmadison.com)

Alder Davy Mayer: [district6@cityofmadison.com](mailto:district6@cityofmadison.com)

Board of Parks Commissioners: [pacommission@cityofmadison.com](mailto:pacommission@cityofmadison.com)

Even a few sentences about what Breese Stevens Field means to you, your business, or your neighborhood can make a real difference. Thank you for being part of the next hundred years of this Madison landmark.
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE PROPOSED?
A permanent stage is the project's centerpiece. It would improve the experience for concerts, sports, and community events alike. The rest of the package supports that same goal:
Expanded stormwater management and permanent plumbing fixtures.

Dedicated artist and event support facilities.

On-site parking and shore power for buses and large touring vehicles.

Public restrooms on the Brearly St. end of the stadium.

New locker rooms and a concession building that can also serve as a year-round hospitality space.

So we have a bracket for the playoffs. Let's see if I understand what

As we ended up in 4th, we have a home playoff (ya!) against Spokane (meh) on Friday. For us to get to play at home n Round 2, we need Naples to upset Charlotte, otherwise, we go to whichever former confederate state they are in that I can't be bothered to remember (looks like round trip flights from Madison are about $600 and American is the best bet).

To have the Final at Breese, we need (in addition to winning our own matches, natch) either the Sad Wolves or Knoxville to advance the final so that we have the higher initial seed. For due diligence, flights to Boise are running around $600 and flight to Omaha finals weekend are about $450.

2 spare flock end tickets available if you DM me an email to forward them, price is one mystery tallboy in the flock end

LET THE DEBATE BEGIN: Here are the grades Ethan and Rob gave each player on the latest edition of the podcast. (Go listen!) Being out injured definitely hurt grades. Unfair? Probably <shrug emoji> Also Players lost points for starting hot and cooling off and gained points for improvement.

So, what do you think?

NEW PODCAST: 2026 Player Report Cards!

🥳 Back to winning ways 

💪 Karamoko, Carmichael

😤 The press 

🎓 Grading the players 

Watch:

https://youtu.be/kYRWxid47UU

Listen:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kdotKxlvbdyFzLzmn0J9Y?si=_Tfk5UUSQsGuk_hfvQMTXg

…but we’re still leading the pack! Spokane only got one point from tonight’s match against the Cosmos, and they spent much of the game clawing back from behind.

If we can pull off a win against Omaha this weekend, then we’ve not only clinched home for the playoffs, but no one can beat us for third. And they’d better win, because I’m gonna be in the stands.

Let’s go, birb battle! 🦉⚽️🦩

… is going to be extremely easy this season. Beyond Ryan Carmichael, who was your season MVP?

First thought after last night’s game: Hakim Karamoko is that guy. He is the engine that makes everything work.

Second thought: Portland fans are good fans.

Third thought: Madison has never dropped a match to Portland and I like that.

Overall, it’s good to see some confidence from this squad again and I hope to see it continue against Omaha. It was super encouraging to see Karamoko play a full game, that’s needed if we want to win it all.

Now tough decisions will have to be made next Saturday…Mingos or Brewers. Will we be able to pull a crowd?

Spokane could have leapfrogged us last night. Now the best they can do is third instead of second, and they’d only beat us by a point in the worst case. Perhaps the punishing schedule is getting to them, and three more games means more chances to drop points instead of earn them.

Out of the our next two matchups I feel like Hearts is more doable. The USL Cup matchup against Omaha gave me hope, but we aren’t playing like the team that secured that win. Here’s hoping this Saturday puts some fire under us to at least hold on to fourth place.

(I’m still happy we’re back in the playoffs at all, and want the team healthy for those games which matter a lot more, but two more wins would be nice.)

NEW POD!

👎 Losing to Westchester 

👍 At least there’s the Brewers

☀️ Ethan’s optimism 

❓ Which two USL1 teams are folding?

🎙️ New Rally Madison head coach Aaron Hohlbein 

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=079zfjpX0Vo

Listen:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Uz3JEI4TQZ79DNaoESr1o?si=S0b3RzCaSySZiMEf3MGghg

Gotta laugh it off 🥲

Has this team just checked out since clinching the playoff berth? Really not feeling confident in the way this team looks going into the playoffs.

That first half was reminiscent of 2025 FMFC. Absolutely not acceptable, especially from this squad.

That is all

It doesn’t appear to be the case and this makes me very sad. A cool human being and a fantastic soccer player.

It won’t be easy, but it’s still doable. Spokane is the only team we can’t stop from overtaking us, even if we bring home 3 for the remaining matches. Boise is right behind, but we can drop three points and we’d win the resulting tie.

And it’s a good thing we have that leeway too, because despite two of those remaining matches being the bottom half of the table, neither is a cakewalk. Westchester has been punching above their weight, and while we’ve beaten Hearts before, that hasn’t seemed to mean much in this tail end of the season.

But the thing I look forward to the most is spoiling Omaha’s chance at the Shield, one I’m planning to witness in person. Don’t let me down, Mingos!

Wow. Beautiful.

And these cameras? Breese needs this level of TV production.

It’s wild a team like Corpus Christi and Fort Wayne can be in the same league.

As of right now, the league website shows Omaha, Charlotte, and us as "x- clinched playoff place." No teams are yet listed as "z- clinched homefield advantage in playoffs." I am missing something about the definition. Here is how I math the math:

• to have a home playoff match in the first round, you need to be in the top 4 spots
• Omaha has 61 points. If they lose all remaining matches they will have 61 points.
• Charlotte has 57 points and 4 remaining matches. The maximum number of points they can end on is 69 (nice).
• We have 51 points and 4 remaining matches. The maximum number of points we can end on is 63.
• Knoxville has 48 points and 4 remaining matches. The maximum they can end on is 60.
• Boise has 46 points and 4 remaining matches. The maximum they can end on is 58.
• Chattanooga (F* those clowns) has 43 points and 5 remaining matches. They can end on 58 BUT if they do, Knoxville can only end on 57.
• Spokane has 43 points and 7 remaining matches. They can end on 64 BUT that means Chattanooga could not have more than 55 and Knoxville could not have more than 57 (or 54).
• Fort Wayne has 38 points and 5 remaining matches. They can end on 53 BUT that would drop us to no more than 60.

So even if Omaha loses all their remaining games and every other team earns as many points as possible, Omaha would still be in 4th. Why does that not count as having "clinched homefield advantage"?

I was using the big Speed Queen washing machines at East Wash Laundry today and noticed a couple of people pulling uniforms out of the dryers and hanging them neatly on hangers.

I've done team laundry for youth teams, and did not take this much care, so I moved to get a better look.

It was the Spokane equipment staff, apparently. A very neat row of Velocity uniforms on the rack. The prestige of minor league sports!