Jairo Arrieta celebrates his man of the match moment. Photo: NY Cosmos
April 10, Hempstead: The old Cosmos was the hottest ticket in town when NY was the stomping grounds for legends Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Alberto Carlos, and Giorgio Chinaglia in the late 70s. The Cosmos were more than a club, they were a lifestyle and those heady days are brought to visceral life in Gavin Newsham’s excellent Once In A Lifetime. The new version has a decidedly quieter, low key beginning but there are promising signs the mission to play excellent quality soccer remains intact.
The legendary Raul might have hung up his boots and so too has Marco Senna. However, the NY Cosmos did not skip a beat this season acquiring the very talented Niko Kranjcar, Croatian international and considered one of the world’s top young guns with comparisons to Leo Messi and Lukas Podolski during the 2006 World Cup. Kranjcar was a standout in the English league with former clubs Portsmouth and thereafter Tottenham, well known for his spectacular goals and assists. Juan Arango, Venezuela’s top goalscorer and one of their earliest European exports plying his trade at Mallorca and then Borussia Moenchengladbach was also brought in to bolster the attack.
More than 3500 fans came out to see their side play their home opener against the Jacksonville Armada at the James M Shuart Stadium. The Cosmos in their season opener had come out the gates flying winning 3-0 against the Ottawa Fury with Arango providing an instant impact with a brace. Jairo Arrieta, his partner in crime, also making his debut and a constant menace on attack provided the assist for Arango’s first goal.
A bit of history here. Giovanni Savarese was going up against Tony Meola, the long standing former USMNT goalie and Soccer Hall of Fame inductee making his first appearance as coach for the Armada. Both were on the 1995 title winning Long Island Rough Riders squad and repeated success as team mates with the New York/ New Jersey Metrostars, now the NY Red Bulls (Match Information). The long and short of it, compatriots in the yesteryears of their playing careers, now meeting again but on opposing sides. With this intriguing script, the stage was set for the evening.
Savarese lined up the Cosmos in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Arrieta playing up top and Michael Lahoud in the holding role. Arango played just behind Arrieta with Kranjcar pushed out wide to the left with Ruben Bover inside. Sebastian Guenzatti was down the right channel. Meola countered with a 4-3-3 with big framed Matt Fondy located centrally and the pacy Pascal Millien flanking left. Kevan George located himself right in front of the back four providing the Armada the metronome.
The Cosmos was the first to attempt a break through in the opening minutes with Jairo Arrieta having a go at goal with his attempt flashing just wide far post. The tone was set with the Armada concentrating on ball possession with the NY team relying on lightning quick counterattacks through Lahoud linking the backfield via Kranjcar and onto Arango and Arrieta. The latter came close again in the 10th minute as his cross hit shot clipped the crossbar and went over. The Armada’s first real threat came in the 13th minute as Bryan Burke’s driving cross from the right was met by Milien but his powerful header was off target.
Just as the Armada defence looked like it was settling down against Arrieta and Kranjcar, the opening goal came in a flash. Arango’s looping header found the whirling Arrieta first bounce and the forward’s snap volley took goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo by surprise. He was unable to hold onto the ball which crept over the goal line in slow motion. It was the 29th minute and the East stands with the most ardent fans broke out in raucous celebration. Stung by the goal, the visitors tried to counter through Milien whose threatening cross to Alhassane Keita was blocked by Hunter Freeman just in time. By this time Kranjcar was controlling the midfield nicely, relaying and receiving passes showing his deft touches. The half ended on a slightly sour note with Keita’s crunching challenge leaving Bovar in considerable pain as worried team mates and the medical staff gathered around. Fortunately, the midfielder was able to shake it off and exit the pitch on his own steam. Robert Sibiga issued Keita a yellow for his recklessness.
The second half resumed after the half time show with kids in costumes bringing Star Wars night to life and a very welcome acknowledgment to Street Soccer USA for their yeoman work using sports as a change agent for socially disadvantaged children.
Jimmy Maurer having a quiet night between the sticks was tested for the first time but Keita’s effort was comfortably dealt with. At the other hand, the Cosmos showed no signs of letting off as Lahoud’s delicious cross sizzled just ahead of the onrushing Arrieta. Then in the 55th minute, Kranjcar showed why he was brought to the side as he latched onto Lahoud’s pass and in a few touches created enough space to slide the ball almost no look to Adam Moffat arriving on his left for a perfect assist. The substitute midfielder without a touch, curled in an unstoppable shot past Gallardo far post. A few minutes later, Kranjcar again in his element, dummied his way past 3 defenders as the Cosmos piled on the pressure with Guenzatti’s cross providing yet another moment of discomfort. All Kranjcar needed was a goal and in the 67th minute, Lahoud found the Croatian who wheeled around and belted the ball just wide off goal with a cultured left foot. That strike would have been a cherry on top. The opportunities kept coming. Moffat came close with a booming shot just rising above the cross bar before Arango almost got Cosmos their third goal before close as his shot ballooned off a defender and struck the crossbar. Gallardo was in a position to collect and limit any further damage.
The Cosmos ran out winners against traditionally tough opponents who had previously kept honors even (1W-1D-1L) in three previous encounters. The Cosmos noticeably tightened up the second half as compared to the first, with improved ball retention and passing accuracy up from 47% to 51.5% and 58% to 76% (Opta Stats). The left flank was noticeably more mobile and linked with the center, with Ayoze Perez and Kranjcar leading the way with touches, passes, and passing accuracy. Moffat provided an absolute lift from the bench and Andres Flores coming in as a 75th minute sub for Kranjcar kept the momentum going with his close control. The Emirates man of the match was Jairo Arrieta and the striker was “very happy” with his first goal. Nice to see a warm hug between old friends Meola and Savarese at the end of the match.
The 2015 NASL champions have had a perfect start to the new season and they now travel to Indy Eleven on April 16.
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