PREVIEW: #JAXVIND
Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview
Indy Eleven at Jacksonville Armada FC
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Community First Park – Jacksonville, FL
Watch/Listen Live:
- Local TV: MyINDY-TV
- National TV: None
- Streaming Video: ESPN3.com
Follow Live:
- In-game updates: Follow @IndyElevenLive on Twitter
- Vote for the Indy Eleven “Man of the Match” on the @IndyEleven Twitter feed immediately following the match
Team Records
Indy Eleven:​
- ​Fall Season: 8W-3D-6L, 27 pts, 4th place
- Combined Season: 12W-9D-6L, 45 pts., 3rd place
Jacksonville Armada FC: ​
- Fall Season: 3W-7D-7L, 16 pts, 12th place
- Combined Season: 4W-11D-12L, 23 pts, 11th place
Media Game Notes:
- Indy Eleven game notes (pending)
- Jacksonville Armada FC game notes
Despite Eamon Zayed's 14th league goal for head coach Tim Hankinson's "Boys in Blue," Indy Eleven fell 2-1 at the feet of FC Edmonton after the full 90 minutes.
Indiana's Team came out ready to fight the Eddies and enjoyed a few quality looks on goal in the first half, including an effort from Dylan Mares in the 27th minute that was well saved by Edmonton 'keeper Matt VanOekel. However, it was the Eddies that came closest in the opening half – and in the opening minutes – as Shamit Shome and Shawn Nicklaw forced two saves out of Indy 'netminder Jon Busch inside the opening five minutes. Though both teams had good looks on goal, it was a defensive battle that saw the two tied at zeros at the break.
For all of their first half efforts, Indy was able to break the deadlock just ten minutes into the second half as Eamon Zayed came one step closer in the race for the Golden Boot with his 14th goal of 2016. For the Eleven, it was a deserved lead that came as a result of consistent possession and pinpoint passing, and showed their ability to break down the best statistical defense in the league. Unforunately for Indy, they would only hold that lead until the 80th minute as Edmonton defender Pape Diakite pounced on the end of a rebounded free kick free in the area for the Senegalese native to beat home from close range. Even as Edmonton equalized, though, Indy would push forward looking for a winner in the final ten minutes. However, they would push a bit too far forward and concede with 90+4' on the clock on a deadly FC Edmonton counter that ended with midfielder Ben Fisk tapping in from just a few yards out.
The loss has Indy in 4th place in the Fall Season and a steady 3rd place in the Combined Season table with just five regular season games to play.
In their last outing, Jacksonville Armada FC secured just their third win of the Fall Season in dramatic fashion away to Minnesota United FC.
Travelling to National Sports Center Stadium, Armada FC had not won since the middle of August but had taken three points from their last three games – including an impressive home draw with FC Edmonton. The first half was full of missed chances for both sides, and Jacksonville came closest to start as midfielder Zach Steinberger missed just two minutes in beginning a flurry for Armada FC. For the hosts Minnesota, Jamie Watson nearly beat the JAX defense and 'keeper Miguel Gallardo in the 35th minute but instead saw his effort cannon off the post and out as the first half closed scoreless.
The second half saw two efforts blocked for MNUFC and five separate efforts missed or blocked by the visitors, but what looked to be a scoreless affair turned in favor of Jacksonville when defender Matt Bahner's 88th minute strike following a set piece separated the two for good.
The win keeps Jacksonville in 12th place in the Fall Season standings but has them at 11th place in the Combined Season standings heading into the rest of October.
On the Road Again
Indy Eleven's last road contest was a heartbreaking one – there's no other way around it – and head coach Tim Hankinson admitted it. "If we came out of Edmonton without the mistakes we made, then there might not be quite as crystalized a focus on what's ahead. But we made two major blunders and that isn't like us. To win games, you can't make those kind of mistakes. The most important thing is to try to win this weekend and make sure we don't make the same mistakes," he said.
And though Indy expected to play this fixture last Saturday against Jacksonville, concerns brought about by Hurricane Matthew delayed the fixture to Wednesday night leaving Indy with four games in 11 days facing another Wednesday contest next week in Tampa. With five games left and not a single road win in the books in the Fall Season, Indy has their sights lasered in on knocking off Armada FC despite their good result against Minnesota two weeks ago.
Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: MF Brad Ring
Brad Ring has had an impressive 2016 after returning as one of the three original members of the squad alongside Don Smart and Dylan Mares. While he hasn't seen as much of the pitch as the other two in the fall especially, when his number has been called he has stepped up well to fill a gap.
Tomorrow night in the Sunshine State, Ring looks set to be involved again in the reinvented 4-4-2 diamond midfield that coach Tim Hankinson has deployed with the return of Sinisa Ubiparipovic. Normally a spot filled by Gerardo Torrado, Ring will likely be jumping in to stifle any Jacksonville attacks with the goal of regaining possession and shifting a move forward – something he was excellent at in the spring part of the season.
Labelled as one of the true "ball hounds" on the Indy Eleven roster for his tenacity in seeking out a way forward from defense, Ring will have a big role to play on Wednesday night.
Who to Watch, Jacksonville Armada FC edition: FW Charles Eloundou
Scoring three goals in the month of September, forward Charles Eloundou has really stepped into his own as the team's leading goalscorer (5) this year. The 21-year-old native of Cameroon has scored his five goals on 50 shots to boast a respectable conversion rate of 10% and will likely be the biggest attacking threat for Jacksonville heading into Indy's defensive third.
Last time these two sides met at Community First Park, it was defender Matt Bahner who scored in the 1-1 draw. Look for Eloundou to potentially have his say this time around.
Match-up to Mark: FW Eamon Zayed vs. GK Miguel Gallardo
As Zayed continues to rack up goals in his first NASL league campaign, he chases Minnesota United FC forward Christian Ramirez for the league's top spot in the scoring department. The Irish forward was again on the scoresheet, this time against FC Edmonton, and is determined to keep up his record with just a few games left to play.
His striking partner Justin Braun was who found the back of the net in the Spring Season meeting back in late May, but after a week of hard work pushing for a result on the road, Zayed feels the weight of finding the back of the net on both of their shoulders.
"October will be a big month for us because it's vitally important to go into that playoff game on a good stretch of form," said the forward. They have another chance to start that process on Wednesday night.
PREVIEW: #JAXVIND
Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview
Indy Eleven at Jacksonville Armada FC
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Community First Park – Jacksonville, FL
Watch/Listen Live:
- Local TV: MyINDY-TV
- National TV: None
- Streaming Video: ESPN3.com
Follow Live:
- In-game updates: Follow @IndyElevenLive on Twitter
- Vote for the Indy Eleven “Man of the Match” on the @IndyEleven Twitter feed immediately following the match
Team Records
Indy Eleven:​
- ​Fall Season: 8W-3D-6L, 27 pts, 4th place
- Combined Season: 12W-9D-6L, 45 pts., 3rd place
Jacksonville Armada FC: ​
- Fall Season: 3W-7D-7L, 16 pts, 12th place
- Combined Season: 4W-11D-12L, 23 pts, 11th place
Media Game Notes:
- Indy Eleven game notes (pending)
- Jacksonville Armada FC game notes
Despite Eamon Zayed’s 14th league goal for head coach Tim Hankinson’s “Boys in Blue,” Indy Eleven fell 2-1 at the feet of FC Edmonton after the full 90 minutes.
Indiana’s Team came out ready to fight the Eddies and enjoyed a few quality looks on goal in the first half, including an effort from Dylan Mares in the 27th minute that was well saved by Edmonton ‘keeper Matt VanOekel. However, it was the Eddies that came closest in the opening half – and in the opening minutes – as Shamit Shome and Shawn Nicklaw forced two saves out of Indy ‘netminder Jon Busch inside the opening five minutes. Though both teams had good looks on goal, it was a defensive battle that saw the two tied at zeros at the break.
For all of their first half efforts, Indy was able to break the deadlock just ten minutes into the second half as Eamon Zayed came one step closer in the race for the Golden Boot with his 14th goal of 2016. For the Eleven, it was a deserved lead that came as a result of consistent possession and pinpoint passing, and showed their ability to break down the best statistical defense in the league. Unforunately for Indy, they would only hold that lead until the 80th minute as Edmonton defender Pape Diakite pounced on the end of a rebounded free kick free in the area for the Senegalese native to beat home from close range. Even as Edmonton equalized, though, Indy would push forward looking for a winner in the final ten minutes. However, they would push a bit too far forward and concede with 90+4′ on the clock on a deadly FC Edmonton counter that ended with midfielder Ben Fisk tapping in from just a few yards out.
The loss has Indy in 4th place in the Fall Season and a steady 3rd place in the Combined Season table with just five regular season games to play.
In their last outing, Jacksonville Armada FC secured just their third win of the Fall Season in dramatic fashion away to Minnesota United FC.
Travelling to National Sports Center Stadium, Armada FC had not won since the middle of August but had taken three points from their last three games – including an impressive home draw with FC Edmonton. The first half was full of missed chances for both sides, and Jacksonville came closest to start as midfielder Zach Steinberger missed just two minutes in beginning a flurry for Armada FC. For the hosts Minnesota, Jamie Watson nearly beat the JAX defense and ‘keeper Miguel Gallardo in the 35th minute but instead saw his effort cannon off the post and out as the first half closed scoreless.
The second half saw two efforts blocked for MNUFC and five separate efforts missed or blocked by the visitors, but what looked to be a scoreless affair turned in favor of Jacksonville when defender Matt Bahner’s 88th minute strike following a set piece separated the two for good.
The win keeps Jacksonville in 12th place in the Fall Season standings but has them at 11th place in the Combined Season standings heading into the rest of October.
On the Road Again
Indy Eleven’s last road contest was a heartbreaking one – there’s no other way around it – and head coach Tim Hankinson admitted it. “If we came out of Edmonton without the mistakes we made, then there might not be quite as crystalized a focus on what’s ahead. But we made two major blunders and that isn’t like us. To win games, you can’t make those kind of mistakes. The most important thing is to try to win this weekend and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes,” he said.
And though Indy expected to play this fixture last Saturday against Jacksonville, concerns brought about by Hurricane Matthew delayed the fixture to Wednesday night leaving Indy with four games in 11 days facing another Wednesday contest next week in Tampa. With five games left and not a single road win in the books in the Fall Season, Indy has their sights lasered in on knocking off Armada FC despite their good result against Minnesota two weeks ago.
Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: MF Brad Ring
Brad Ring has had an impressive 2016 after returning as one of the three original members of the squad alongside Don Smart and Dylan Mares. While he hasn’t seen as much of the pitch as the other two in the fall especially, when his number has been called he has stepped up well to fill a gap.
Tomorrow night in the Sunshine State, Ring looks set to be involved again in the reinvented 4-4-2 diamond midfield that coach Tim Hankinson has deployed with the return of Sinisa Ubiparipovic. Normally a spot filled by Gerardo Torrado, Ring will likely be jumping in to stifle any Jacksonville attacks with the goal of regaining possession and shifting a move forward – something he was excellent at in the spring part of the season.
Labelled as one of the true “ball hounds” on the Indy Eleven roster for his tenacity in seeking out a way forward from defense, Ring will have a big role to play on Wednesday night.
Who to Watch, Jacksonville Armada FC edition: FW Charles Eloundou
Scoring three goals in the month of September, forward Charles Eloundou has really stepped into his own as the team’s leading goalscorer (5) this year. The 21-year-old native of Cameroon has scored his five goals on 50 shots to boast a respectable conversion rate of 10% and will likely be the biggest attacking threat for Jacksonville heading into Indy’s defensive third.
Last time these two sides met at Community First Park, it was defender Matt Bahner who scored in the 1-1 draw. Look for Eloundou to potentially have his say this time around.
Match-up to Mark: FW Eamon Zayed vs. GK Miguel Gallardo
As Zayed continues to rack up goals in his first NASL league campaign, he chases Minnesota United FC forward Christian Ramirez for the league’s top spot in the scoring department. The Irish forward was again on the scoresheet, this time against FC Edmonton, and is determined to keep up his record with just a few games left to play.
His striking partner Justin Braun was who found the back of the net in the Spring Season meeting back in late May, but after a week of hard work pushing for a result on the road, Zayed feels the weight of finding the back of the net on both of their shoulders.
“October will be a big month for us because it’s vitally important to go into that playoff game on a good stretch of form,” said the forward. They have another chance to start that process on Wednesday night.
