INDY ELEVEN GAMEDAY & MATCH PREVIEW
Indy Eleven at Jacksonville Armada FC
Saturday, May 9, 2015 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Community First Park – Jacksonville, FL

MEDIA GAME NOTES:
Indy Eleven Game Notes
Jacksonville Armada FC Game Notes

WATCH PARTIES: Click here for listing of seven watch party locations in Indiana

LIVE STREAMING VIDEO:
In the United States: Streaming video via ESPN3.com 
Internationally: Streaming video via various ESPN online platforms

TV/RADIO:
TV: No local broadcast
RADIO: SportsRadioJAX.iheart.com (JAX broadcast)

FOLLOW ONLINE:
Twitter updates: Follow the @IndyElevenLive feed
Live stats: Visit the NASL.com MatchCenter

OTHER GAME PREVIEWS:
NASL.com preview
ArmadaFC.com preview
 

After enjoying its bye week for the Spring Season, Indy Eleven will get back to action this Saturday, May 9, when the “Boys in Blue” head to the Sunshine State for its first-ever meeting with expansion side Jacksonville Armada FC.  Kickoff at Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen across the world via ESPN3.com and other ESPN online platforms.
 

UNDEFEATED STREAK ON BRINK OF DOUBLE DIGITS:
After ending its Inaugural Season in 2014 without a loss in its final five games, Indy Eleven has managed to carry that momentum into 2015, with the 1-1 draw on April 25 versus the Carolina RailHawks stretching its club-record undefeated streak to nine games (4W-5D-0L) dating back to last October.  Indy Eleven’s last defeat was to Carolina last Sept. 27 (0-1 L at Carroll Stadium).

Indiana’s Team will look to make newcomer Jacksonville the eighth different team to be included in the undefeated streak this weekend.  The NASL’s modern-era record for the longest undefeated run in regular season play sits at 13 games and is shared by the Carolina RailHawks (2011) and New York Cosmos (2013-14)
 

FINDERS KEEPERS:
Former goalkeeper Kristian Nicht had played every competitive minute during Indy Eleven’s combined 33 regular season and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games – but with his recent departure to Montreal that means a new netminder will make his professional debut between the posts for Indy this weekend. 

The choice for head coach Juergen Sommer will be between 24-year-old Butler University product Jon Dawson, who fulfilled the #2 role all of last season behind Nicht, and 22-year-old Keith Cardona, a former University of Maryland performer who spent time in the New York Red Bulls Academy and part of last year with Austrian Second Division side FC Leifering (also part of the Red Bull stable of soccer clubs).  Both Dawson and Cardona were the last additions to the Indy Eleven roster before the start of the 2015 season, officially signing with the squad on March 31.  While Indy Eleven knew what it had in Dawson, a successful week for Cardona during the squad’s preseason trip to Arizona in February facilitated his move back to the States via transfer from FC Leifering.

IMPROVING INFIRMARY UPDATE = DECISIONS, DECISIONS … 
While midfielder Kleberson (L hamstring tightness) and defender Judson McKinney (L ankle surgery) continue to progress nicely, both will remain unavailable for Saturday’s journey to Jacksonville. 

However, the bye week was generally kind to Indy Eleven on the health front, as it allowed the midfield duo of Sergio Pena (upper respiratory illness) and Victor Pineda (L ankle bone bruise)  to get back to full training, the latter just this week.  That means some tough decisions are ahead for head coach Juergen Sommer, will have to decide whether to swap a healthy Pena for an in-form Brad Ring at the defensive midfield spot and gauge how many minutes Pineda might be able to give after sitting out for the last month (he remains QUESTIONABLE for Saturday).

ROAD WARRIORS ON BRINK OF RECORD:
Indy Eleven’s April 18^th win at San Antonio was not only thrilling to watch, but marked a potentially watershed moment for the club, as the victory brought the team’s all-time road record to an even .500, now standing at 5W-5D-5L (22 GF / 26 GA). 

Indy Eleven became adept at gaining results on the road last year, with the squad going 4W-2D-3L in away affairs during Fall Season play.  That form has carried over into 2015, with a season opening 1-1 draw in Atlanta and the 2-1 result at San Antonio pushing its current road undefeated streak to five games (2W-3D-0L), just one off the longest such run in the modern NASL era:

Atlanta Silverbacks: August 11, 2012 – May 4, 2013
Atlanta Silverbacks: June 15, 2013 – Sept. 7, 2013
New York Cosmos: Sept. 1, 2013 – April 19, 2013
San Antonio Scorpions: April 19 – July 26, 2014

GOALS GUARANTEED ON SATURDAY?
So far in 2015, Indy Eleven and its opposition have both managed to hit the back of the net in all four games – a stat that also holds true for this weekend’s opponent, Jacksonville Armada FC.  This is nothing new for Indy, which started its NASL tenure last season by playing in 11 straight games in which it and the opposition scored at least once, and ended the season with both teams scoring in 20 of its 27 regular season games.

Any who claims that soccer is boring clearly is not watching the NASL this season, as both teams have scored at least once in 18 of the 25 games through Week 5 of Spring Season play.  Carolina, FC Edmonton and San Antonio join Indy Eleven and Jacksonville on the list of teams that have scored and been scored on in every game. The first 25 games thus far have seen an average of 2.52 goals scored per game.

WHO TO WATCH, INDY ELEVEN EDITION – MF BRAD RING / MF SERGIO PENA:
With Sergio Pena back to full strength, the afore-mentioned decision for Juergen Sommer between Pena and Brad Ring will be a tough one. On one hand, Pena gives you size and strength that could prove useful on set pieces – and can fire off the occasional long bomb that keeps defenders and goalkeepers honest.  On the other hand, Ring provides a little more speed, versatility and diligence in staying in front of the back four, which could be key against a three-forward alignment like Jacksonville has deployed so far. Whoever’s at the deep midfield position, their presence will dictate which team wins the midfield battle.

WHO TO WATCH, JACKSONVILLE EDITION – GK MIGUEL GALLARDO:
Jacksonville’s high-flying attack has made Armada FC games exciting to watch … but so has the team’s defensive corps.  Through four games, Jacksonville’s 1.75 goals allowed per game is the third highest in the league, and the man between the posts, Miguel Gallardo, has actually allowed more goals (7) than he has shots saved (6). Indy Eleven has shown signs of turning up the attacking pressure on the road in their games at Atlanta and San Antonio, so don’t be surprised to see the “Boys in Blue” try to jump on Jacksonville and Gallardo early and often.