JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On a cold and rainy night Armada FC opened the Tony Meola era with a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Charles Eloundou had the winning tally for the Armada, one timing a pass from Akeil Barrett past the Union keeper in the 80th minute.
As expected Meola 's debut included his own special touches. The Armada debuted his new formation which should fit the brand new signings he's brought to the team.
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While the Armada was founded with an almost-fanatical devotion to offense, the Meola system appears much less volatile. It’s clear that shoring up the defense — which struggled often last season — was a priority, as the team came out with five defenders, including new signings Tyler Ruthven, Beto Navarro and Bryan Burke.
The Armada will return to the pitch next Saturday when they host Orlando City SC at 6 p.m.