Nona FC Welcomes Sporting JAX as It Begins Two-Game Homestand

LAKE NONA – Fresh off a 3-0 road win over Brooke House FC on Wednesday, Nona FC returns home to face Sporting Club JAX on Sunday, May 25, at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.

The Longhorns (2-0-0, Southeast Division) sit atop the Southeast Division table as the only team to win its first two games of the league campaign. The Black and Orange will look to continue their flawless record this season and look to grab their first win against the newly-branded Sporting Club JAX (formerly Florida Elite Soccer Academy) at home since June 25, 2022.

Wednesday’s matinee at Showalter Field saw Nona FC’s Christian Kraus star in the opening and closing acts, as he finished clinically in the third and 90th minutes to seal the victory for Nona. Substitute Brandon Nyagurungo featured in the 74th minute as he stole the ball from the goalkeeper to score, followed by his low-cross assist to Kraus in the 90th.

Goalkeeper Parker Christiansen earned his first start and clean sheet in black and orange, making multiple crucial saves throughout the night to preserve the shutout.

Sporting Club JAX (0-1-1, Southeast Division) grabbed its first point of the season on Wednesday after a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Brave SC, when striker Ethan Newsome scored his second goal of the night on a penalty kick that rattled off the crossbar and fell into the net in the 90th minute.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SPORTING JAX

Sporting Jax has established itself as a bogey matchup for Nona, with the all-time series record standing all-square at 3-3-1. For Sunday’s matchup in particular, JAX carry two threats in attack that Nona will have to be wary of. Striker Ethan Newsome is in clinical form as he scored a brace last time out against Brave SC on May 21. He also netted in the 88th minute against the Longhorns last year to tie the match at home early on in the season. Sporting JAX midfielder Joey Mueller is also a player to watch out for, as he scored against the Black and Orange in all three meetings between the clubs in 2023.

STREAM THE MATCH

Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m. from Austin-Tindall Sports Complex and will be streamed on NBC’s SportsEngine Play (https://sportsengineplay.com/USL/Nona-FC). Access to the stream can also be found through the link on Nona FC’s Instagram (@nonafootballclub) stories prior to kickoff.

FOLLOW THE LONGHORNS

Follow Nona FC on Instagram (@nonafootballclub) and on YouTube (@nonasportscast4180), and keep up with the Nona Soccer Academy on Instagram (@nonasocceracademy).