Back-to-back 3-0 wins have put the New York Cosmos back atop the North American Soccer League combined standings as the spring season champions are playing their best soccer of the fall campaign just at the perfect time.
After defeating Atlanta 3-0 on Wednesday, the Cosmos knocked off FC Edmonton by the same scoreline Sunday at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium, giving them seven out of a possible nine points from a difficult stretch of three games in eight days.
“I think we’re looking very solid. I think the guys are starting to understand we’re getting to the end of the season and we need to finish strong,” Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese said. “It was a good performance today, a good performance last game, but it was more the intensity and how we play together collectively that made the big difference.”
Sebastian Guenzatti and Raul scored eight minutes apart late in the first half and Ruben Bover added an insurance goal five minutes from full time as the Cosmos (8-6-4) moved one point in front of both Ottawa Fury FC and Minnesota United FC in the combined standings with two games remaining.
Having already clinched a semifinal home game, the Cosmos can get home field throughout the playoffs by finishing atop the combined standings.
“We deserve it,” midfielder Danny Szetela said. “I feel like we’ve been playing well. We’re going to host the semifinal and we want host the final too.”
In his second consecutive start, Guenzatti put the Cosmos on the board in the 37th minute with his third goal of the season and second in as many games. The sequence started when Gaston Cellerino attacked space after a pair of 50-50 challenges and slipped a pass to his left where Guenzatti took a touch into the box before finishing clinically low inside the far post with his left foot.
“My confidence was a little down because I haven’t been playing much in the beginning of the season,” Guenzatti said. “But I think I’m catching the confidence like I did last year, scoring a lot. Hopefully it will keep going.”
Both Szetela and Guenzatti credited Cellerino’s arrival as something that has provided a much-needed spark in the attacking third. It was the second straight game that the Argentine linked up with Guenzatti for a goal.
“I think we kind of lost it for a few games, but we’re catching back the rhythm. I think Cellerino is bringing our confidence up also,” Guenzatti said. “He’s a great player. He moves with the team, an amazing player. Reading his passing, reading his moves is really easy.”
The Cosmos went into the break with a 2-0 lead on Raul’s seventh goal of the season. The Spanish legend latched onto an Ayoze corner that bounced in front of goal and blasted in a point-blank shot at the back post.
Bover capped the scoring in the 85th minute when he intercepted a poor clearance by an FC Edmonton defender and chipped high inside the far post for his first goal of the season.
It was the first time this season the Cosmos had back-to-back shutout wins, which was also important for Savarese.
The Cosmos return to play Oct. 24 when they take to the road to meet the San Antonio Scorpions.
