NASL Rewind: Cosmos make a statement

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Aug 30, 2016

Defending champion New York Cosmos returned to first place with a 6-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks. The six strikes were the most in a game for the Cosmos in the new NASL.

“I'm very proud of the guys for the way they came to play,” said Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese, whose team has scored a league-high 41 goals in 2016 and has a plus 11 goal difference to go with its one-point lead over second-place Edmonton in the overall standings. “It was some quality play from the players and a good result for us."

Salvadoran Andre Flores earned Player of the Week honors after scoring once and assisting on three goals against Carolina. Costa Rican Jairo Arrieta scored twice as did Venezuelan Juan Arango, the Cosmos’ leading scorer with nine goals.

2016 Leading Scorers:
13 Christian Ramirez (Minnesota)
12 Eamon Zayed (Indy Eleven)
9 Juan Arango (NY Cosmos)
8 Michel (Rayo OKC)
7 Carl Haworth (Ottawa)
7 Adam Moffat (NY Cosmos)
7 Hector Ramos (Puerto Rico FC)
7 Joe Cole (Tampa Bay)

The Cosmos’ victory was its third straight and extended its unbeaten streak to five games. On Wednesday they host spring champion Indy Eleven at Shuart Stadium, where the Cosmos are unbeaten in all 11 games this year.

Fall Season, Week 9 Results:
AUGUST 24
Ottawa 0 Miami 0
Att.: 4,852
AUGUST 27
New York 6 (Arango 8, 57, Arrieta 61, 82, Flores 79, Guenzatti 93+) Carolina 1 (Fondy 6)
Att.: 3,221
Tampa Bay 2 (Cole 61, 70) Rayo OKC 0
Att.: 4,935
Miami 1 (Poku 51) Minnesota 1 (Laing 58)
Att.: 9,739
AUGUST 28
Ottawa 1 (Stewart 59) Indy Eleven 1 (Ring 64)
Att.: 6,139
Edmonton 0 Puerto Rico 0
Att.: 2,007

The Tampa Bay Rowdies ended a three-game losing streak and 317-minute scoreless streak with a 2-0 win over Rayo OKC. After missing a penalty kick, 34-year-old former England international Joe Cole, who arrived from Coventry City in May, scored both Rowdies goals to give him a team-leading seven goals.

"I feel we played well again tonight," Cole told BayNews9. "All credit to the staff and the players. It's nice to score, but the main thing is the team wins. I'm all about the team.

FC Edmonton, which is tied on 23 points with the Cosmos in the Fall Standings but have an inferior goal difference, saw its nine-game home win streak, one shy of the league record, come to and end with a scoreless tie with Puerto Rico.

NASL:
Fall Standings | Overall Standings | Schedule