JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An hour after the Jacksonville Armada FC's 1-0 win over Indy Eleven, the grounds crew peeled back the two-week-old sod that covered the infield of a baseball diamond, officially signifying the end of the club's first homestand.
And you couldn't call it anything other than a resounding success.
For the second week in a row, the Armada FC played and won in front of more than 8,000 fans at Community First Park, this time thanks to a headed goal by midfielder Bochy Hoyos in the 50th minute that gave the team its first win streak and put an end to Indy's nine-game unbeaten run that stretched back to last season.
After two losses on the road, these two wins have been an immense confidence boost, and the North American Soccer League's newest team now stands in second place (3W-0D-2L, nine points).
"The first few games we felt maybe a little unlucky, but they say you make your own luck," said defender Matt Bahner, who assisted on Hoyos' goal. "We wanted to turn things around, and this home stretch we thought was a great time for that. The game last week was really a breakthrough for us."
The Armada FC will take their winning streak on the road next week, traveling to face the Atlanta Silverbacks next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.