Ryan Baker
The biggest test of the year, so far, stands right in front of the Madison Radicals this weekend. On Sunday evening, the Radicals travel to Chicago to take on the Union in their first matchup of the year.
The Radicals are 3-1 with winning their two last games, outscoring their opponents 42-25. The team looks more comfortable on the field with one another, but there has still yet to be a game played where the Radicals have their foot on the gas pedal for all four quarters. To beat this Chicago team, that will be required, and then some.
“We will need four complete quarters. We were sloppy against Austin in the first. We built big leads against Pittsburg and Indy and just maintained in the second half of those games. Even our Houston game wasn't a full game because of the lightning delay. If this game is close, we're going to have to stay mentally locked in and execute our game plan the whole way through,” said Kelsen Alexander.
“It’s about cleaning up our own mistakes. I've been looking through most of the film against Indy, and a lot of our mistakes were our own. We need to take care of our own business,” said head coach Jacob Spiro.
The Union have only played two games so far this year, but those two games are wins over the Minnesota Wind Chill and Atlanta Hustle. According to the power rankings, they are the second-best team in the league. It seems up to this point, they are living up to the preseason hype.
“It's hard to argue with Chicago's results. They're 2-0 and against two of the top teams in the league. It's an exciting game for us and an early test. A win on Sunday puts us in the driver's seat,” said Alexander.
Madison may be going up against a different-looking Union, but the success has trended toward them in recent games. The last time these two met up gave UFA fans one of the best games in league history. It went down to sudden death in a playoff game that had plenty of ups and downs but saw Madison take the win.
“Our headspace is great! The team is improving with each game and we’re excited to compete against the best. We’re nowhere close to our peak and I’m enjoying the ride,” said Kainoa Chun-Moy. “We’ve got a ton of energy and young guys itching to prove themselves and get experience in big moments. I’m stoked to see what the team can do.”
Except last year, they didn’t have to deal with Daan De Marrée, William Wettengel, Xavier Payne, and former long-time Radical Victor Luo. It is incredibly common for players to switch teams, especially within this matchup. Jake Rubin-Miller and Henry Goldenberg both played for the Radicals before the 2024 season.
“I wouldn't say it's all that much different playing against Vic (or JRM or Henry) than it is playing against teammates at practice. You know a few more of their tendencies, so the scouting report is a little easier. But at the end of the day, we're all trying to win and enjoy the game. Not to mention, our D-line brings it at practice. So, if Chicago can live up to a fraction of that, good for them,” said Alexander.
On paper, this Chicago team has a leg up on experience. They are a patient squad that will keep poking until a hole is found. Conversely, the Radicals are a team that is young but has been playing with each other for the last couple of years.
“A lot of the guys that we've added also have experience. We have a lot of guys who have three years of experience playing together now. I think that we could have an advantage, unity-wise, in terms of just people who know what their teammates are doing on the field,” said Spiro.
Madison is bringing their full squad that we have seen all year, so expect to see the same names across the stat sheet. However, the Radicals will need guys like Kai Marcus and Sam Stark to step up in the handler space and really take over. Both have shown flashes this season but can make a bigger impact.
These two won’t play each other again until the end of the season, so the outcome is going to sit with both teams for a while. If Madison comes away with a win, it will thrust themselves into the conversation with Minnesota and Chicago as Central Division champion contenders.
The pressure is on the Union. A win for them is just another win, but a loss would put a lot of things into question going forward. The Radicals need to take advantage of that, come out firing, and play with a chip on their shoulder.
To tune in to the Radicals versus the Union this Sunday at 5 p.m. CT, click here!
