Another big name for the Mingos: Jimmie Villalobos joins Forward Madison
This midfield is stacked, folks
The stacking of the Forward Madison midfield with USL League One vets continued this morning, as the club announced that Jimmie Villalobos will join us at Breese Stevens Field on a season-long loan from Knoxville.
He was a mainstay in One Knox’s inaugural season, starting 29 matches and coming on as a sub in three more. He scored three goals — two absolute bangers and one penalty — and added three assists.
He’s also the answer to a trivia question, as that penalty against Lexington was the club’s first-ever goal in the pro ranks.
“Jimmie is a solid, proven USL League One contributor who can play in several different midfield roles,” Head Coach Matt Glaeser said in the press release announcing the loan. “He's technical, mobile, and hardworking and we expect him to come in and contribute to the team's success immediately.”
The announcement comes just days after news of an investigation that found Knoxville head coach Mark McKeever had engaged in verbal bullying against players. Is this loan a way to get Villalobos out of a toxic environment? We’ll ask when we get the chance (not that he owes us any explanation).
Villalobos attended the College of the Desert in 2014 and played one season with the Roadrunners before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona in 2017. During his time there, Villalobos made 67 appearances, scored 35 goals(!), and tallied 11 assists. These stats earned him numerous accolades, including United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team, D2CCA West Region Player of the Year, CCAA Offensive Player of the Year, and more. While attending college, Villalobos also played for FC Golden State Force in USL League Two.
In 2020, Villalobos signed with the Los Angeles Force in the National Independent Soccer Association; however, the season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he joined the Chattanooga Red Wolves, making his first debut in USL League One. Villalobos led the Red Wolves to the championship final in 2022, finishing the year with 32 appearances, four goals, and two assists.
As noted above, this signing firmly establishes Glaeser’s plan. The midfield is stacked with not only proven talent, but talent proven in this league. Signings we know about just in the midfield include:
Derek Gebhard
Stephen Payne (technically a defender but really a right wingback)
Aiden Mesias
Cherif Dieye
Juan Galindrez
Devin Boyce
Jimmie Villalobos
Wolfgang Prentice
John Murphy
Plus there’s some speculation that Mauro Cichero, listed as a forward, might drop into the #6 role. Assuming Glaeser employs the 3-5-2 that he did in 2023, which five of those guys are you putting on the field to start that first match? Who are you putting up top with Chaney?
There’s another big announcement coming this afternoon. Subscribe now to be among the first in the know!