News

USOC PREVIEW – Armada FC vs. The Villages SC

The teams enter the USOC Play-In Round at Jacksonville University.
May 4, 2018

WHEN & WHERE

Sunday, May 6 at 7 p.m. | Southern Oak Stadium at Jacksonville University (Jacksonville, Fla.)

FREE ADMISSION AND PARKING

 

STREAM

USSoccer.com

 

LIVE UPDATES

Twitter.com/JaxArmadaFC – #VFCvsJAX

 

CLUB QUICK LINKS

Jacksonville Armada FC:  News | Roster | Schedule

The Villages FC: News | Roster | Schedule

 

A CHANCE AT THE CUP AFTER ALL

After initially not receiving an invite to the 2018 U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s Open Cup Committee extended the invitation to the Jacksonville Armada, the Miami FC 2, and New York Cosmos B.

A statement on the decision from the Open Cup Committee:

“The Committee carefully considered the teams’ exceptional situation which involved all three moving from Professional Division II status in 2017 to solely Open Division league participation earlier this year. Since the move occurred after the Open Division league’s 2018 Open Cup entry deadline in mid-2017, the Committee decided to allow the three teams the opportunity to compete in the 2018 edition of the U.S. Open Cup.”

 

THE PLAY-IN ROUND

The one-off Play-In Round required a draw, which was conducted at U.S. Soccer headquarters in Chicago on this afternoon. As decided by the Open Cup Committee, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) provided one of the opponents for the invited trio of teams in the Play-In Round, while the Premier Development League (PDL) provided two. All three sides were selected from teams that had already qualified for the 2018 tournament. 

The Armada FC will face PDL side The Villages SC, located northwest of Orlando, for the Play-In Round based on its close geographical proximity to Jacksonville.

Results:

The Villages SC vs. Jacksonville Armada
FC Miami City (PDL) vs. Miami FC 2
Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) vs. New York Cosmos B

 

THE OPPONENT

The Villages SC of the Premier Development League (PDL) is based out of The Villages, Fla. – southeast of Ocala, Fla. The team finished 4th in the PDL Southeast Division of the Southern Conference in 2018, with a 8W-4L-2D record. In their last meeting, the Villages won 2-1 on July 15 over SIMA Aguilas.

In the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, the Villages played the Armada FC U23s in the First Round and fell 2-1. This is the team’s third year in the competition. In 2016, the Buffalo advanced to the Third Round after a 4-2 victory over the Charleston Battery, but were disqualified for fielding a cup-tied player.

 

ARMADA IN THE CUP

This will be the fourth year the Armada FC participates in the Open Cup and the first-ever matchup with The Villages SC.

In 2015, the Armada FC entered the competition for the first time in the Third Round against the Richmond Kickers and fell 3-0. In 2016, the club was triumphant over Charleston Battery, but then fell to Orlando City SC 1-0 in the Fourth Round. Miami United FC hosted Jacksonville in the Second Round of the 2017 USOC. The Armada FC advanced on to the Third Round and hosted Charleston again, but was defeated 1-0.

 

NEXT UP IN THE CUP

The winner of the USOC Play-In Round will advance on to the First Round to face SIMA Aguilas of the PDLon Wednesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. in Montverde, Fla. The winner of the First Round will enter the Second Round to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League (USL). If the Armada FC advances to the Second Round, the club will host the Rowdies at Southern Oak Stadium on May 16 at 7 p.m.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

Following the potential matchup with SIMA Aguilas in the U.S. Open Cup, Jacksonville then plays Boca Raton FC to continue the NPSL season on Saturday, May 12. The second match of the season for the Armada FC will be at Atlantic High School in Delray Beach, Fla.