NASL Jacksonville Armada FC

Bahner's Strike Snaps Armada's Scoreless Streak in 1-1 Draw with Indy

Published on May 28, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Jacksonville Armada FC News Release


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Armada came into Saturday's tilt with Indy Eleven looking to snap lengthy scoreless and winless streaks.

The Boys in Blue got halfway there.

Defender Matt Bahner put an end to 464 minutes of attacking frustration with a first-half screamer, but unbeaten Indy came roaring back and equalized through Justin Braun in the 73rd minute, sealing a 1-1 draw at Community First Park.

That was a disappointing finish following an extremely bright first half, as the Armada (1W-2D-5L NASL Spring Season) handed the Eleven (3-5-0) their first halftime deficit of the season.

Thirty minutes in, the Armada had been knocking on the door but unable to finish. A nice headed pass from Danny Barrow led to an Alhassane Keita shot that went just wide, and Junior Sandoval's free kick ricocheted off the wall and then the post.

But the home side was not to be denied. Moments after Sandoval's close call, Bahner collected a rebound outside the box and hit a low, screaming shot that beat Jon Busch at his near post.

That snapped the streak and gave Bahner the distinction of being the first defender to ever lead the team in goals (two).

At the other end of the field, the Armada dealt with the Eleven's surges up field, largely thanks to 25-year-old goalkeeper Sebastian Evers. Evers was the big surprise in the lineup by replacing stalwart Miguel Gallardo, who had started every game this season but committed a costly error in last week's 1-0 loss at Ottawa.

And Evers did his part, with a fingertip save of Eamon Zayed's 17-minute header, followed by a denial of Justin Braun from close range and a punch-out of a dangerous cross in traffic at the end of the half.

The hosts came out of the locker room firing, looking to double their lead. A slick one-two between Keita and Barrow put the Guinean through on goal, and though Keita did get the ball past Busch, the Indy 'keeper slowed it down enough to keep it out. Thirty seconds later, Barrow set up a Sandoval shot that forced a deflection and save.

But Evers' fairytale debut hit a snag in the 56th, when an apparent groin pull meant he had to come off for Gallardo in the club's first-ever keeper substitution.

Gallardo came on and looked his usual sturdy self, but there was little he could do when the Eleven broke through in the 73rd.

Braun beat center back Beto Navarro to a cross and blasted a header into the net, and he followed up the equalizer by posing in front of the Armada's supporters club, Section 904, who answered with a few choice projectiles.

The Armada very nearly snatched a late winner through Keita. In the 87th, substitute Matt Fondy went on a winding run and sent a waist-height pass. With his back to goal, Keita stuck out a leg to stop the ball, turned his defender inside out, cut to his left and slipped a shot past Busch with the outside of his right foot. But Indy right back Marco Franco came racing in and stopped the ball just a few yards off the goal line.

The Armada will be back in action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, when it hosts the USL's Charleston Battery in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup third round at Jacksonville University's Southern Oak Stadium. Tickets are free for the public and can be claimed at armadafc.com/opencup. The Armada's next league match will be at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday at the Carolina RailHawks.

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North American Soccer League Stories from May 28, 2016


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