The Armada FC drawed against Orlando City B

Armada FC Communications | March 18, 2017

The Jacksonville Armada FC faced off against Orlando City B on Saturday in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. Armada FC goals from Zach Steinberger and Derek Gebhard gave the club a lead, but OCB answered with two goals of their own.

The first half was controlled by the Armada FC, possessing the ball for the majority of the first 45 minutes. They dominated the shot category as well, getting eight shots off in the first half alone. Gebhard’s goal came in the 32nd minute off of a beautiful assist from defender Mechack Jerome. Jerome’s assist came from the Jacksonville half of the field and sailed over the backline of Orlando City, finding the foot of Gebhard, who took three touches to set himself up for a shot from the top of the 18-yard box.

The Armada FC came close to scoring a second goal on multiple occasions but could not find the back of the net. Jerome hit a screamer from 30 yards out that was destined for the bottom left corner of the goal, but the City goalkeeper knocked it away at the last second.

The second half was battle of possession at the midfield, with both teams creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities. Orlando City B evened the score in the 56th minute when the club was able to take advantage of an Armada FC defensive giveaway.

The Armada FC almost managed to retake the lead in the 62nd minute when Steinberger got a shot from five yards out. His header came off of a cross from Drew Beckie, but was hit directly to the City goalkeeper.

In the 81st minute Steinberger had another chance and was able to find the back of the net for his third goal of the preseason. The goal came off of an assist from Charles Eloundou, who subbed into the game just minutes earlier. Eloundou intercepted a pass from a City defender and dribbled into the 18-yard box, where he made a ground pass across the face of the goal, finding Steinberger for a one-touch shot that beat the OCB goalkeeper.

Orlando City B was able to answer with a goal of its own just minutes later. The goal came from 25 yards out and sneaked by the left post of the goal, bringing OCB even for the second time.

The match was the fourth draw of the preseason, giving the Armada FC an undefeated record of 2-0-4. This was the first time the two clubs have played one another, and was the final home preseason game for Jacksonville.

The Armada FC returns to action on Saturday when it travels to North Carolina to play the Charlotte Independence in what will be the final game of the preseason. The match against the Independence will be played at UNC Charlotte’s practice field with kickoff scheduled for noon. The regular season will begin on April 2 when the Armada FC battle FC Edmonton at Hodges Stadium.