PREVIEW | Armada FC Hosts Minnesota Looking To Pick Up First Win Against United

Jacksonville Armada FC will try to keep its winning momentum rolling on Friday when it hosts Minnesota United at Community First Park at 7:30 p.m. ET.

After taking last weekend off during a bye week, the Armada FC will try to duplicate the excitement of their 1-0 win over the NASL Spring Season Champions, the New York Cosmos, on July 18 in Jacksonville. Hometown forward Tommy Krizanovic tapped in a Jaime Castrillón header in the 54^th minute, giving goalkeeper David Sierra all he needed to preserve the shutout. Sierra recorded a season-high seven saves and his eighth-career clean sheet. Jacksonville was also without regular starters Alhassane Keita (red card suspension), Marcos Flores (injured), Matt Bahner (injured), Miguel Gallardo (coach's decision) and Pascal Millien (international duty).

Minnesota has won two straight and is fresh off a 4-3 win over the 2014 NASL Champions, the San Antonio Scorpions, last Saturday evening in San Antonio. Both Christian Ramirez and Kalif Alhassan took part in all of the Loons' goals. Alhassan notched two assists, tallying one on Ramirez's 11^th minute goal and another on Ibson's 37^th minute header. Alhassan also netted a goal in the 48^th minute. Ramirez recorded an assist on Justin Davis' 22^nd minute score.

It will be the first meeting in Jacksonville between the teams and the first time the Armada FC has played a home match at Community First Park on a Friday night. United owns a 2W-0D-0L series advantage, winning the previous meetings, 3-2 on May 23 and 4-0 on July 15 in Blaine, Minn. The Armada FC was shorthanded in the July 15 match, playing without Bahner and most of the match without Flores, who went down with an injury in the 35^th minute, and Keita, who received a red card in the 45^th minute. Jacksonville's best two scoring chances came from forward Jemal Johnson, with one attempt just missing in the 54^th minute and the other being saved in the 70^th minute by United goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock.

With Jacksonville's recent win over Spring Season Champion New York, the Armada FC has found a new wave of momentum and will try to keep it going. Another three points could vault Jacksonville to as high as sixth place on the Fall Season and Combined Standings.

United currently sits in third in the Fall Season Standings, so a win would catapult them to second place and potentially put them in a tie with Ottawa Fury FC for top spot in the Combined Standings.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jacksonville: Jacksonville's front line will be a good place to focus on for this match with the return of leading goalscorer Pascal Millien from his tour of international duty with the Haitian national team and Alhassane Keita, who served a one-match suspension from the red card he received in the Armada FC's last match against Minnesota. Millien scored in the 71^st minute of Jacksonville’s first meeting with the Loons on May 23, while Johnson also scored in the 83^rd minute.

Minnesota: The Armada FC might key in on both Christian Ramirez and Pablo Campos. Ramirez, the 2014 NASL Golden Boot winner, and Campos, the league's all-time leading goalscorer, have each netted goals in both matches against Jacksonville.

NOTABLES

• Friday's match will be the second in a stretch of four home matches in a span of five overall. The Armada FC is 3-1-1 at Community First Park and 4-1-1 overall in Jacksonville.
   
• Jacksonville has a tendency to get out to a fast start in wins. When scoring first, the Armada FC is 4-0-0.

• The Armada FC will have a new forward available on Friday. The club announced the signing of 19-year-old Derek Gebhard on Thursday. Gebhard recently played with NPSL side Jacksonville United FC and played a season of college soccer at Florida Gulf Coast University.