NASL Jacksonville Armada FC

Armada Fall 3-0 to RailHawks on the Road

Published on October 10, 2015 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Jacksonville Armada FC News Release


CARY, N.C. - The Jacksonville Armada FC had a few stellar scoring chances on Saturday night but could not consistently break through and fell 3-0 to the Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The Armada (4-3-9 Fall, 7-6-13 Combined) found it too difficult to penetrate a staunch Carolina RailHawks (4-3-9, 7-8-11) desperate for a win, led by its goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald, who had four key saves.

Carolina appeared to take control from the beginning of the match, applying pressure coming straight out of the gate, leaving the Armada to drop back and defend the attack.

The Armada's first opportunity came in the fifth minute when midfielder Jaime Castrillon was fouled, forcing a free kick that Jemal Johnson, the evening's Farah & Farah Man of the Match, pounded into Carolina's wall.

The Armada appeared to capture the lead when Alhassane Keita found the back of the net in the 24th minute, only to be called offside.

However, it was the RailHawks that went on to find the scoreboard first when Shipalane fired a 20-yard strike just out of Gallardo's reach in the 35th minute.

Jacksonville fired right back three minutes later when Keita broke through the RailHawk defense, forcing Fitzgerald to make a stunning save and force an Armada corner.

Despite the Armada's attempts to thwart the RailHawks' attack, Carolina still managed to find its way through again when Nazmi Albadawi scored the first of his two goals shortly before the halftime whistle blew.

Johnson continued to fire everything he had, creating several imposing shots that just didn't curve enough around a diving Fitzgerald. Stifled but persistent, Johnson's efforts kept the Armada in it until the dying moments of the match.

In probably his most acrobatic performance of the evening, Armada goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo was forced to make a save in the 64th minute in a one on one showdown yet again with Shipalane.

Only four minutes later, in an almost identical opportunity for Carolina, Gallardo shut down the angle and blanked Shipalane again to keep Jacksonville within two goals. Gallardo stopped Shipalane once more in the 74th minute.

Carolina laid the game the rest in the final minutes when Albadawi pushed home his second shot.

Despite the loss, the Armada are still in the hunt for the fourth NASL Championship playoff spot. With four matches remaining, Jacksonville's optimal shot would be to win its remaining four matches to finish with 39 points in the Combined Standings and get help from other clubs.

The Armada returns to Community First Park to take on FC Edmonton at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. Tickets, starting at $12, are still available by calling 1.844.2.Armada or visiting ArmadaFC.com.

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North American Soccer League Stories from October 10, 2015


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