Rally Madison FC Fall To Minnesota Aurora FC In First Border Battle
Despite a tenacious effort, Rally couldn’t subdue last year’s Division Title-holders
Lineup Notes
RMFC: #0 Zillman, #3 Maurer, #8 Christopher (Walos 18’), #10 McGuire, #12 Murray, #16 Stanton (Fernau 46’), #17 Arthur (C. Arnold 86’), #20 Cox (I. Arnold 76’), #21 Oliviero (Gordon 69’), #24 Budish (Bever 69’), #30 Shea
SUBS:
ARA: #1 Fox, #4 Albert, #5 Leach, #8 Tabion (Barrera 56’), #11 Mersereau, #12 Dubé (Fieldsend 56’), #13 Karfonta (Brown 46’), #15 Boughton (Rush 66’), #18 Morisi (Coury 66’), #31 Kitagawa (Slocum 79’), #41 Winder (Iongi 66’)
SUBS: Ranson, Gutierrez, Brown, Dunaway, Zbiljic
Match Action
Coming into the highly anticipated USL W match of the week at Breese Stevens Field, Rally Madison looked to secure a victory in its inaugural home opener. Minnesota Aurora FC opened the action in full force, seizing the first goal in the 4’ to put Rally Madison down 1-0. As Aurora built off the momentum of its early lead, Zillman continuously found herself in a cluttered box, but managed to keep Rally Madison in the game. In the 19’, the Rally keeper was challenged once again with a near miss that found the crossbar. Minnesota Aurora doubled its lead in the 28’ with a goal by Kitagawa. Rally’s defense continued to battle, ceasing a breakaway with a solid defensive tackle by Shea in the 44’ followed by an outstanding stop by Zillman in the 45’.
With 45’ left to fight, Rally Madison continued to search for its rhythm both defensively and offensively. Zillman made a string of noteworthy saves in the 66’, 70’ and 75’. In the 78’, Arthur made a strong connection from a well-placed corner but couldn’t quite find the back of the net. Rally Madison battled from all corners of the pitch until the final whistle, and held the score at 2-0 for the remainder of the match. While not the result the inaugural squad hoped for, Rally Madison will look to build off of their grit and tenacity in tonight’s match to come back with a strong showing against RKC Third Coast FC next Wednesday on the road.
Goal Summary
0-1 ARA, Morisi (4’)
0-2 ARA, Kitagawa (28’)
Disciplinary Summary
Yellow, MAD – Arthur (86’)
Next Match
Next up, Rally Madison FC will head to Racine, Wisconsin, to face RKC Third Coast at Pritchard Park Stadium on May 27th. Fans can support the Club by purchasing single-game, season tickets, or shopping the Rally Merch Store!
About Rally Madison FC: Rally Madison kicked off its first-ever season in May of 2026, featuring the top pre-professional players in the country. More information on the Club and USL W League can be found at www.rallymadisonfc.com.
