The Jacksonville Armada FC are a professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They play in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid, which they joined for the 2015 season. The Armada play their home games at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida.
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History
In May 2013, Jacksonville businessman Mark Frisch and former Major League Soccer player Darío Sala formed Sunshine Soccer Group with the intention of bringing professional soccer to Jacksonville. The effort was bolstered by several successful soccer matches held at EverBank Field, including two national team games that set records for international friendlies. The North American Soccer League invited the group to present a bid for a 2015 expansion team at their July 25, 2013 board meeting. The bid was accepted, and the NASL announced that Jacksonville and Oklahoma City FC would receive franchises for the 2015 season.
The organization has announced that Sala would serve as general manager, and former NFL Europe and Jacksonville Jaguars executive Steve Livingstone will serve as President. On February 18, 2014, the team announced its name would be Jacksonville Armada FC, and that its colors would be navy blue, royal blue, gold, and white. On June 11, 2014, the team announced it had hired former Argentine player José Luis Villarreal as its first head coach.
The team began playing in the 2015 NASL Spring season. After a few pre-season games in February and March, the club played its first league game, at home, on April 4, 2015, defeating FC Edmonton 3-1. On September 21, 2015, the club announced the dismissal of head coach Guillermo Hoyos, general manager Dario Sala and assistant coaches Edison Ibarra, Sebastian Fabres and Rafael Perez Nino. The Armada stood 11th and last in the North American Soccer League. The decision came just three months after the team had extended Hoyos' contract through the end of 2019. "Following an in-depth analysis of the team and operations, I am confident that a new direction is needed to turn around our team," Armada owner Mark Frisch said in a statement. Director of player development Eric Dade took over through the end of the 2015 NASL season.
On November 24, 2015, the Armada announced U.S. Soccer legend Tony Meola as the team's new head coach. After nine-months in the job, Meola was fired on August 7, 2016, with Mark Lowry taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2016 Fall Season.
After the 2016 season ended, the NASL lost two teams to the then Div. III United Soccer League. At the time the USL had submitted to be promoted to Div. II with the NASL. Several NASL teams were then rumored to be shutting down or switching leagues as well as the possibility of the league losing its Div. II status. In December 2016, there were several reports stating the Armada were about to fold and had released all their players due to mounting financial loses. The reports turned out to be false but the team did release five of their highest price players. In January 2017, the NASL was approved to keep its Div. II status but Armada owner Frisch confirmed that he was looking to sell the team and that the league would likely be taking over the club.
In July of 2017, local entrepreneur Robert Palmer of RP Funding purchased the Armada.
League and cup history
Jacksonville Soccer Video
Stadium
On July 11, 2014, the Armada announced they would play their home games at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (later re-dubbed Community First Park) in Downtown Jacksonville for at least three seasons. They hope to later construct their own expandable soccer-specific stadium. In 2017, due to the high costs associated with playing at the Baseball Grounds, the Armada signed a lease to play at Hodges Stadium, a soccer and track and field stadium at the University of North Florida, in 2017.
The team has also played games in EverBank Field, including their first exhibition game vs the Philadelphia Union, which set a modern-era NASL record for preseason attendance (13,934). It was also the site for their first regular season game, which was a 3-1 victory over FC Edmonton. That game set the modern era NASL record for regular season attendance (16,164).
Club culture
The Coastal Cup was established in 2010 and was originally contested between the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies, but with Jacksonville's entry into the league, the competition has become triangular. The league has announced that beginning in the 2016 season a new Miami FC team will join the NASL. This addition would make the Coastal Cup a four team affair.
The team is cheered on by Section 904, the first supporters' group. Section 904 is known for their singing, drumming, and blue-and-yellow smoke; can be seen behind the goal at every home match.
Players and staff
Current roster
As of July 13, 2017
Developmental team
In 2016, the Armada announced that they had formed an under 23 team to play in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as part of their development system. The team, Jacksonville United U-23, replaced Jacksonville United FC in the NPSL. The Armada retained Jacksonville United coach Pat Cannon.
Individual records
Top goalscorers
Most appearances
Managerial records
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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