NASL Jacksonville Armada FC

Armada FC Match Preview: Armada FC Wrap up Spring Home Slate Sunday with Fury FC

Published on June 4, 2015 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Jacksonville Armada FC News Release


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Armada FC will host their last home match of the North American Soccer League Spring Season at 4 p.m. this Sunday when Canadian contingent Ottawa Fury FC pays a visit to Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

With two fixtures remaining in the Spring Season, Sunday's game will be key for the Armada FC as they end their two-match skid and spark momentum heading into their finale at the New York Cosmos on June 13. A strong finish to the spring could prove important for Jacksonville as it pushes for a spot in the NASL Playoffs.

Ottawa also has two fixtures left on its slate, with its final match against the San Antonio Scorpions. Fury FC are currently on a three-match unbeaten streak, with two scoreless draws to the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC Edmonton sandwiched in between a 1-0 win over Indy Eleven.

Below is a breakdown of each team and the match.

WHEN & WHERE

Sunday, June 7 at 4 p.m. ET | Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville

THE TEAMS

Jacksonville Armada FC (3W-1D-4L), 5th in NASL Spring Season Table (10 pts.)

Ottawa Fury FC (2W-3D-3L), 7th in NASL Spring Season Table (9 pts.)

WATCH

- CW17 in Jacksonville | Cole Pepper - PXP, Mauricio Ruiz - 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 - #JAXvOTT

- Live stats on ArmadaFC.com

WHAT'S AT STAKE

With just four spots available in the NASL Playoffs in November, every match counts. And even though last week's loss to Carolina officially eliminated them from NASL Spring Season title contention, the Armada FC can put themselves in an ideal starting spot for the Fall Season. In addition to finishing with the best record in the Spring and Fall Season, the other two playoff spots are awarded to the two teams finishing with the best combined record of each season.

Carolina, out of contention for a Spring Season title, can still potentially move into second place in the NASL table with a win over the Armada FC. With a strong finish to the Spring Season, the RailHawks would give themselves a strong start in the quest to finish with one of the league's top combined records, which is another way to earn a spot in the playoffs. With a win over Fury FC followed with a victory over the Cosmos, Jacksonville could finish out the spring as high as second place in the table.

Also out of contention for a Spring Season title, Ottawa's scenario is nearly identical to Jacksonville's. With matches remaining against the Armada FC and Scorpions, Fury FC could jump to second place in the spring table with wins in their final two matches and finish with a respectable 15 points in the combined standings.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jacksonville: Forward Pascal Millien earned Farah & Farah Man of the Match in the Armada FC's May 30 loss to the Carolina RailHawks after leading a vibrant second-half attack. The 29-year-old Haitian is tied for second on the team with two goals scored in 580 minutes of action. Off the bench, 22-year-old Jamaican forward Akeil Barrett has provided a noticeable spark when called into action. Barrett entered last week's match against the RailHawks in the 52nd minute and had a near goal in the 77th minute.

Ottawa: Ottawa is led on the field by 34-year-old former Canadian National Team member (76 caps) and ex-Bundesliga, La Liga, and Toronto FC performer Julian de Guzman, 35-year-old Frenchman and veteran goalkeeper Romuald Peiser, who is tied for second in the NASL with 19 saves.

NOTABLES

Fury FC are 1-3-4 all-time against NASL teams from Florida. The club is 1-1-1 in games played in the Sunshine State, however, this is Ottawa's first trip to Florida of 2015. Fury FCare 0-1-3 on the road this season.

Jacksonville and Ottawa are polar opposites of each other when it comes to scoring. Fury FC are the lowest-scoring team in the league of the spring, notching five goals in eight games, while the Armada FC have scored 12 goals, which is tied for fourth.

This weekend will mark the first regular season match played on Sunday for the Armada FC. Jacksonville faced off against the Charleston Battery on Sunday, March 8, in a 2-0 preseason loss at Community First Park. Including preseason friendlies and US Open Cup play, the Armada FC are 1-3 in games not played on Saturday.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Armada FC will wrap up the NASL Spring Season with a trip to Hempstead, N.Y., to take on likely spring champions New York Cosmos at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13 at Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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