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Insider On Tour | Day One Recap

With four teams NASL sides gathering in Jacksonville, the NASL Insider went on the road to cover the buildup and the event itself
Mar 27, 2015

By Matthew Levine

With four North American Soccer League (NASL) clubs gathering in Jacksonville for preseason festivities, I, the NASL Insider, traveled down to Florida to take in the event and buildup to it. Day one of the trip was all about the host, Jacksonville Armada FC.

I headed down to Patton Park to take in the Armada FC’s training session as they continue to prepare for their inaugural season, and in the short term, the game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday.

Here are a few notes from the afternoon.

Excitement Continues To Grow

Right from stepping into the airport in Jacksonville, the Armada FC presence is certainly known. An ad on the floor, pop-up banners throughout, and although I didn’t see one, I’m sure there were welcome mats located somewhere, having seem them in photos before.

NASL Insider on Twitter

After setting a modern NASL preseason record in their first preseason test, the Armada FC is optimistic that when the league kicks off on April 4 that they will be able to break the current Modern Era regular season record, 14,593, that was set last season in a match between Ottawa Fury FC and the New York Cosmos at TD Place.

Even when checking into my hotel, the Armada FC was a topic of discussion. When asked what my reason was coming to Jacksonville, I noted I was there to see the soccer on Saturday. While I was originally asked if I was a player – I wish! – I explained who I was and the hostess said she’d be at the game too.

In my perspective, a lively and boisterous crowd, led by Section 904, will turn out over the weekend to get another first glance of a NASL opponent.

Genuine Desire To Build The Club

Players are involved in the game for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes it’s for the love of the game, money, or in the case of the several Armada FC players I spoke to on Thursday, a genuine and sincere desire to build the club up on the pitch and create a strong history that can be carried on for many years to come.

Take Marcos Flores for example. He noted he could have become an Australian citizen in a few months had he stayed, but felt what Jacksonville was building was worth coming to the United States to be a part of.

With players who want to fight for the club, the supporters, and the city of Jacksonville, it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds over the course of the 2015 season on the pitch.

Light Training Session And Dodgeball

While the training session didn’t offer too many insights, as it was a lighter session, it did seem like the players were having an awful lot of fun. After a slight warm up and the club posing for a short photo, the practice was broken into a few different groups.

NASL Insider on Twitter

However, the most enjoyable part of the light session seemed to be the form of dodgeball at the beginning. I guess no matter how close-knit a team might be, no one is going to turn down the opportunity to throw objects, in this case soccer balls, at their teammates - as long as it’s in good fun, of course.

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