The names of the club’s cavalcade of international stars of yesteryear are merely names to the current generation. A glorious history that is both stirring and an impossible act to follow.
But Saturday night before a crowd of 7,211 in Atlanta, a collection of players wearing the green and white of the Cosmos set about writing their own story in a new North American Soccer League. The Cosmos, the league’s fall champion, defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks, the spring champion, to win Soccer Bowl ’13, 1-0, on stunning a goal by the former Spanish international Marcos Senna.
“It’s an exciting day for sure,” Cosmos Coach Giovanni Savarese said after the game. “The New York Cosmos are back, we worked very hard this season to play in the N.A.S.L. We had to come in in the second part, the fall season, so we didn’t have that much time to work. We are very proud, very proud of the players, because they accomplished great things. Week in, week out they were able to do very well, and tonight to bring a championship back to New York, something that hasn’t happened since 1982 is a proud moment for us.”
Savarese and the rebooted Cosmos, playing in the second tier on the soccer pyramid in the United States, built a roster around Senna, who was clearly the class of the team, and of the league. The team (10-1-4) lost only one game during the fall season and imposed its will on the Silverbacks on Saturday night, controlling possession and the tempo of the match.
The Cosmos were in control the first half, but failed to finish a handful of chances. They broke the scoreless deadlock in the 50th minute.
Ayoze, 27, a left wing from Spain who had a strong game, took a free kick from 25 yards out that was cleared by the Atlanta defense. Senna lurked just outside the penalty area. He calmly controlled the ball with his thigh before gently stroking a dipping shot that found the top corner inside the far post.
“It’s difficult for me to say exactly the way the goal went in, " Senna said. “What I can say is that it was a moment of happiness.”
The championship is the sixth N.A.S.L. title in the history of the club, but the first since the Cosmos defeated the Seattle Sounders, 1-0, in Soccer Bowl ’82 in San Diego. The current incarnation of the N.A.S.L. began play in 2011.
Next up for the Cosmos will be a trip to Spain to play in Senna’s testimonial match against his old club team, Villarreal, on Wednesday. The club is also planning a postseason trip to Bermuda and a preseason excursion to the United Arab Emirates for a tournament (Emirates airlines is the club’s jersey sponsor).
