This one starts with a bit of housekeeping and a real one: Assistant Coach Neil Hlavaty heading to Spokane Velocity, and what his exit signals for a Forward Madison club that’s clearly reshaping itself on and off the field.

From there, we spend most of the episode with Mark Segbers, and it’s less about the highlight reel and more about the long arc. Segbers talks growing up in St. Louis, coming up in a full, energetic household, and finding his footing at Wisconsin before a pro career defined by drafts, loans, and the steady grind of the USL Championship. There’s perspective on MLS environments, winning locker rooms, and how your relationship with the game changes when you’ve seen a few different versions of it.

We wrap by zooming in on why Madison makes sense now—familiarity, trust in the club’s new direction, and the role veteran voices like Segbers can play as FMFC leans younger and builds something that looks intentionally different than past iterations.

Measured, reflective, and very much about the path, not just the destination.

Episode 90 feels like a turning of the page. We unpack Forward Madison’s biggest philosophical shift in years with the arrival of Sporting Director Matt Cairns—what “evolution, not disruption” actually means, and why 2026 already feels different. We also dive into roster news with the return of Derek Gebhard, the additions of Mark Segbers and Ryan Carmichael, and what those moves suggest about balance, continuity, and intent.

Plus: first reactions to the newly released 2026 schedule, expectations reset, and a little end-of-era reflection as FMFC closes one chapter and starts writing the next.

2025 was a tough one to take. 2026 can only be better, right? A major roster overhaul looms as FMFC hires a Sporting Director. It's a season-ending extravanganza!

After a month-long radio silence (injuries, life, and too many Forward Madison road games), the NDZ crew staggers back to the mics to catch up on everything we missed—from laying eggs in Greenville to Crull and Gebhard milestones and Damia Viader's perfectly unnecessary villain arc. We talk heel injuries, the first away win since March, and the glimmer of hope: Madison might actually still be alive in the playoff race. Also featuring foot golf conspiracy theories, unearned optimism, and the DG Effect™ as a legitimate field of study.

NDZ Live 087 sits down with Nico Brown—part jet-heeled winger, part patience project—to talk starting the year in Madison on loan, grinding through a rough season, and what “flipping the script” actually looks like when the box score isn’t cooperating. We get into film sessions, near-misses, and those tiny wins that add up (runs, duels, final actions), plus how the locker room and the Flock keep the vibes from going off the rails. There’s origin talk (Atlanta → Baltimore), a look ahead to Greenville (hello, old friends), and a rapid-fire on music, rituals, and the one skill he’d download overnight.

Everything is terrible, or maybe not. The guys talk about lateral passing, breaking lines, building women's soccer in Madison, and the value of Reddit and social media when you have actual local people you could chat with instead. Thanks again to our Patreon backers 😘

After 3 weeks of more positive performances and results, NDZ Live returns with a nearly 2-hour long episode, a first-time guest, and first-time special guest co-host. FMFC defender Michael Chilaka talks about growing up in Tel Aviv, going pro at 17, and the culture shock of visiting Atlantic City as a teenager. Flock capo and all-around nice guy Chris President-Brown joins as co-host, and lauds the immaculate modern funk stylings of Lynda Dawn.

There's no secret 2025 has been a tough time to be a Forward Madison fan. Catharsis is sometimes the best therapy.