RECAP: Armada Can't Break Through FC Edmonton Defense, Falls 1-0
Mike McCall, ArmadaFC.com | May 4, 2016
Photo by SE Sports Media
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Armada FC had the game plan, the lineup to execute it, a home crowd — even unusually mild weather and an opposing roster weakened by illness.
But sometimes, the force just isn’t with you.
Despite dominating statistically for most of the game, the Boys in Blue fell 1-0 to FC Edmonton, suffering its first home loss of the season in front of 3,519 at Community First ParK on “Star Wars Night."
Coming in, Armada head coach Tony Meola and his squad knew the Eddies would sit deep and defend, then look for chances to counter or use their superior height on set pieces.
The key was to use fullbacks for width, then pepper the visitors with a mix of crosses, long shots and combination play through the middle while limiting opposing corners.
They got halfway there, owning possession (63-37), passing (488-276) and passing percentage (80-63), but struggling in the final third and giving up a set piece goal.
“It’s a head-scratcher for me tonight, but I don’t want to take anything away from Edmonton,” Meola said. “We knew what we were going to get, we knew it was going to be difficult and they come out of here with three points, so credit to them.”
Eddies defender Pape Diakité scored the winner in the 64th when a Pablo Cruz corner fell to him near the back post and he rifled a volley into the top of the net.
That strike handed the Armada (1W-1D-2L) its fourth-ever loss in 16 home league matches, and especially given its past problems on the road, multiple players called Saturday’s home clash with Rayo OKC a “must win” if the team wants to compete in the 10-game NASL Spring Season.
In truth, Wednesday was a missed opportunity on its own, as the home side left empty-handed from a winnable match.
The first half was relatively quiet, with only one shot on goal. That came in the 12th minute when Jemal Johnson controlled the ball with his back to goal near the top of the 18-yard box. He played a perfectly weighted through-ball for Derek Gebhard, who went one-on-one with the keeper, but his shot from a tight angle rattled off Matt VanOekel’s legs for the save.
That was the only time the Armada’s combination play through the middle sparked a solid chance.
Jacksonville's other strategy was to send fullbacks Matt Bahner and Shawn Nicklaw down the wing, but the Armada completed just 16 percent of crosses and continued to struggle with corner kicks.
“We’ve come out two games in a row and thought we’re going to get one on set pieces because we’ve been so sharp, and we get to the game and it looks completely different,” Meola said. “We just need to be better. We’ll keep working on it.”
In the second half, both squads showed more attacking intent. Bahner forced a save with a low shot after tip-toeing through the midfield, and Edmonton’s Albert Watson nearly found Jake Keegan at the back post with a smooth volley.
Hoping to add some juice to the attack, Meola brought on Alhassane Keita and the speedy Charles Eloundou for Pascal Millien and Derek Gebhard.
Instead, Diakité found the net, and the Eddies opened up and went for more.
Keegan forced a save with a header in the 67th, Jason Plumhoff drove a low shot at Miguel Gallardo in the 69th and the Armada keeper had to come out and collide with Plumhoff to punch away a cross in the 71st.
“Anytime they get a goal against the run of play like that, it changes the entire game," Bahner said. “Then we start trying to force things and not play as simple as we were in the first half. We have to be better on the ball going forward.”
If there was a positive, it was the return of Lucas Scaglia, the team’s stalwart defensive midfielder last season. The Argentine subbed on in the 82nd minute and looked strong after his recovery from a knee injury, nearly connecting on a cross in the 84th.
“It was a good feeling to see him back after such a long time,” Gallardo said. “Scaglia is a guy who can provide a lot for us. He’s such a positive guy on the field; he’s a fighter, and it’s contagious.”
The Armada will take that fight to NASL expansion side Rayo OKC at 7 p.m. this Saturday in what will be Pride Night at Community First Park. Tickets, starting at $12 for groups and $14 for individuals, can be purchased by calling 1.844.2.ARMADA or visiting armadafc.com/tickets.
MATCH REPORT:
Starting XI:
JAX (4-4-2): Gallardo, Bahner, Ruthven, Jerome, Nicklaw, Johnson, Ryan, George (Scaglia 82'), Millien (Eloundou 60'), Fondy, Gebhard (Keita 60')
FCE (4-1-4-1): VanOekel, Smith, Watson, Diakite, Edward, Raudales (Fordyce 10'), Cruz (Salguero 83'), Shome, Ledgerwood, Plumhoff, Keegan
Scoring Summary:
FCE: Diakite (Fordyce) 64’
Discipline:
JAX: George 23’ (caution)
FCE: Edward 26’ (caution)
JAX: Keita 85’ (caution)
FCE: VanOekel 87’ (caution)
JAX: Eloundou 90+3’ (caution)
Attendance: 3,517
NEXT MATCH
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