Armada FC Hosts Defending NASL Champion San Antonio this Saturday at Community First Park
May 1, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Jacksonville Armada FC News Release
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 1, 2015) - Following a tough loss on the road last weekend, the Jacksonville Armada FC will return to Jacksonville this Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with defending North American Soccer League champions San Antonio Scorpions at Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The match is presented by Community First Credit Union.
Below is a breakdown of the first meeting between the clubs.
WHEN & WHERE
Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET | Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville
Buy Tickets | Parking Map | Weather
THE TEAMS
Jacksonville Armada FC (1W-0D-2L), 9th in NASL Spring Season Table (3 pts.)
San Antonio Scorpions (0W-1D-2L), 11th in NASL Spring Season Table (1 pt.)
CLUB QUICK LINKS
Armada FC: News | Roster | Schedule | Season Stats
Scorpions: News | Roster | Schedule | Season Stats
WATCH
- CW17 in Jacksonville | Cole Pepper - PXP, Andy Kidd - Color and Krissty Andaur - Sideline
- ESPN3
LISTEN
- Sports Radio 930-AM in Jacksonville | Stuart Webber - PXP and Bob Veal - Color
- Also streamed live on sportsradiojax.iheart.com
READ
- Live Twitter updates on @ArmadaFCgameday - #JAXvSAS
- Live stats on ArmadaFC.com
WHAT'S AT STAKE
It is a crucial match for both teams. The Armada FC stand at ninth place and the Scorpions stand at 11th place in the NASL Spring table, respectively.
Despite being tied for second in the league with six goals scored and leading the league with two goals scored per match, the Armada FC has exhibited a difficulty in finishing strong on defense as both losses were the result of second-half goals by the opponent. In their 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies last Saturday, the Armada FC took a 2-1 lead into halftime on a rebound goal by Marcos Flores off a penalty kick attempt and a chip-in from Jemal Johnson that struck the upper right post and trickled in. Although the Armada FC seemingly had all of the momentum, the Rowdies took advantage of breakdowns in Jacksonville's back line and notched goals in the 59th and 77th minutes.
With a win over San Antonio, Jacksonville could potentially jump to as high as a tie for fifth in the standings. The Armada FC are currently five points behind the first place New York Cosmos.
The Scorpions could play their way into a tie for seventh with a win over the Armada FC. San Antonio will be playing its second-straight road match after drawing 2-2 with Minnesota United FC last Saturday. The club made a move on Wednesday to help shake up its lineup, trading midfielder Richard Menjivar to Tampa Bay for defender Brad Rusin. With the addition of the physical 6-foot-4 center back, the move could help bolster a defense that is tied with Ottawa Fury FC for the most goals allowed this season (seven).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jacksonville: Both Flores and Johnson are the Armada FC's leading goal scorers with two each. Johnson, who was named the club's Farah & Farah Man of the Match last Saturday, has been dangerous on the attack so far this season with several scoring opportunities. And with Jacksonville's new 3-4-3 formation last week against the Rowdies, Flores flourished as an attacking midfielder while also allowing Alhassane Keita to post up at his natural center forward spot and getting an extra fleet-footed forward, Pascal Millien, onto the pitch on the right wing.
San Antonio: Scorpions midfielder Zourab Tsiskaridze was named to the NASL Team of the Week on Wednesday in recognition of his jaw-dropping 60-yard free kick goal against Minnesota United last Saturday. San Antonio's top scorer so far is forward Omar Cummings, who netted strikes against Indy Eleven (April 18) and Tampa Bay (April 4).
NOTABLES
Saturday's contest will be the Armada FC's first regular season fixture at their home pitch, Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. It is also the first regular season soccer match ever to be played at Community First Park. In the preseason, the Armada FC went 1-1 at Community First Park with a 1-0 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Feb. 28 and a 2-0 loss to the USL's Charleston Battery on March 8.
Both clubs have lost to their only common opponent in the regular season, the Rowdies. The Scorpions dropped a 3-1 contest on April 4 in San Antonio.
Three matches into the Spring Season, 17 of 24 players on the Armada FC roster have seen action. Players who have not yet seen the pitch are defenders Jordan Gafa, Ramak Safi and Joseph Toby, midfielder Nico Zaldana, backup goalkeepers David Sierra and Sebastian Evers and forward Tyler Williams.
Even though it is the Armada FC's first meeting with the Scorpions, Johnson, Gafa and midfielder Lucas Rodriguez have previously faced San Antonio. The group holds a combined 2W-2D-4L regular season record against the Scorpions, which Rodriguez owning the only winning record against San Antonio (1W-2D-0L).
MATCH PROMOTIONS
Off the pitch, there is a lot going on this Saturday night at Community First Park. In conjunction with Jacksonville's YMCA and World of Nations event, the match's theme will be World Celebration Night. The theme is fitting for the Armada FC, who have 12 different nationalities on the team.
At the three-hour Armada Matchday Experience pre-match party outside of the stadium running from 4-7 p.m., Jacksonville's hottest Latin band Ritmo y Sabor will perform live, and attendees can enjoy $1 beers from 4-6 p.m. and a variety of ethnic foods. Children will also be able to enjoy the Armada Soccer Experience inflatables.
The club's traditional "March to the Match" led by supporters group Section 904 will start at 7 p.m. As fans enter the stadium, they will be presented with free Armada Kraken Tentacle sticks supplied by Community First Credit Union while supplies last.
The Armada FC will also unveil two 12-pound Dahlgren Boat Howitser Civil War-era cannons, provided by the U.S. National Parks Service at Fort Caroline, that will fire at the start of the match and each time the club scores a goal.
And at halftime, the Armada FC will unveil the new name of The Kraken, which is currently being voted on by fans on the club's website. Immediately following the match, Armada FC players will sign autographs.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following their match this Saturday, the Armada FC will return home to take on Indy Eleven at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 9 at Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1.844.2.Armada or going to armadafc.com/tickets.
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North American Soccer League Stories from May 1, 2015
- Match Preview: Fury FC Look for Inspired Performance against League-Leading New York - Ottawa Fury FC
- Community First Park, MCU Park Host First NASL Matches as Spring Season Rolls On - NASL
- Match Preview: Carolina RailHawks Host Tampa Bay Rowdies - North Carolina FC
- Atlanta Travels to Strikers for Match Day 5 - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Capital Area RailHawks Academy U-18 Player Matthew Gianfortone Signs Amateur Contract - North Carolina FC
- Silverbacks, Soccer in the Streets Team Up - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Cosmos Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer Named NASL Player of the Month - NASL
- FCE Match Preview & Press Notes: vs Minnesota United FC (May 3, 2015) - FC Edmonton
- Rowdies Hire USL Founder Francisco Marcos to Lead International Development Effort - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Armada FC Signs Canadian Prodigy Chaim Roserie - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Armada FC Hosts Defending NASL Champion San Antonio this Saturday at Community First Park - Jacksonville Armada FC
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