Forward Madison will travel south for its first official preseason game of 2021 on Saturday, taking on Indy Eleven at 12:00 p.m. CT. The Eleven, who compete in the USL Championship, are set to provide the Flamingos' new-look roster a true test from a capable team.

FMFC faced an early challenge last week when it fell 0-2 to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, using a mix of rostered players and trialists. The makeup of Saturday's team will be similar as Forward continues to fill out its full squad.

Indy Eleven, co-founded in 2014 by former Forward Madison president Peter Wilt, has made a name as one of the powerhouses of lower-league soccer in recent seasons. The Boys in Blue made the USL Championship playoff semifinal in 2019, but just missed postseason qualification during a pandemic-shortened 2020.

Forward Madison and Indy Eleven have met once before in preseason, with Zaire Bartley scoring the decisive goal for the Flamingos in a 1-0 win in 2019.

Following Saturday's match, Forward Madison will travel to play Sporting Kansas City II on April 24 before closing out its preseason schedule at home on May 1 against Milwaukee Bavarians SC. The Flamingos kick off their third USL League One season on May 8 at FC Tucson.