Cosmos Top Armada to Extend Perfect Home Record

Published on July 13, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
New York Cosmos News Release


HEMPSTEAD, NY - Andrés Flores and David Diosa each scored first-half goals and Adam Moffat added a second-half insurance tally to help lead the New York Cosmos to a 3=2D0 win over Jacksonville Armada FC Wednesday night at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.

The Cosmos remain atop the North American Soccer League Fall Season Standings, the only team in the league with maximum points after three games. New York has also won all seven of its home matches this year, scoring 14 goals and allowing just 2.

"It's one of the best performances the team has had so far because it was complete," Cosmos Head Coach Giovanni Savarese said. "We can still improve upon that, but we felt always in control of the match."

In his first start of the Fall Season, Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer nearly scored in the 10th minute when his long goal kick bounced in front of Jacksonville goalkeeper Sean Lewis, who raced back to swat the ball from the goal line following the second bounce with Diosa racing in.

Flores put the Cosmos in front just before the half-hour mark on his first goal of the year. Juan Arango played to Lucky Mkosana, who toe-poked the ball to Flores and the Salvadorian international struck a low shot from 16 yards out inside the far post.

Maurer wasn't tested often, but did come up with a tremendous lunging save in the 34th minute, parrying over a Kevan George header from eight yards out.

Flores then played provider in the 36th minute when he took a pass from Arango, settled the ball and played a perfect cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Diosa tapped in to give the Cosmos a commanding 2-0 halftime advantage.

"That's been a key for us in the past. We've lost a couple of good results because we haven't managed the game the way we had to," Flores said. "We've been working on that a lot. Mentally we knew when we scored the first goal we had to go for the second one. Now it's getting better, but we have to keep improving, keep working."

Moffat put the finishing touches on a comprehensive win with a blast from 24 yards out in the 79th minute for his fourth goal of the year.

"It felt great coming off my foot and then right in the back of the net," Moffat said. "It's always good to score and it was an important goal as well, the third goal. They were still in the game. All it takes is one goal and they're right back in it."

Maurer added another point-blank save in second-half stoppage time to rob Junior Sandoval and preserve the clean sheet.

The Cosmos will next travel to Oklahoma, taking on Rayo OKC this Saturday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET.

About the Cosmos

The New York Cosmos are reigning champions of the North American Soccer League (NASL), having captured their second league title in three seasons and seventh overall on Nov. 15, 2015 with a 3-2 win over Ottawa Fury FC in The Championship Final at Hofstra University's James M. Shuart Stadium.

The Cosmos began play in 1971, spending 14 seasons in the NASL, winning five Soccer Bowl trophies and bringing some of the biggest names in world soccer to the USA. This included Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia and Carlos Alberto. It had been nearly 30 years since the Cosmos, an iconic global soccer club, played in a professional league. Yet throughout their absence, the club maintained a loyal and dedicated fan following.

On Aug. 3, 2013, the New York Cosmos returned to the NASL with a sellout win at Shuart Stadium, before embarking on a season that would see the Cosmos win the 2013 Soccer Bowl with a 1-0 victory against the Atlanta Silverbacks on Nov. 9, 2013 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.

Raúl and Marcos Senna, legends at famed Spanish sides Real Madrid and Villarreal CF, each suited up in Cosmos colors for modern era championship runs, adding their names to the impressive list of global soccer stars to feature at the club.

The Cosmos submitted a privately-funded economic development proposal in 2013 to the State of New York to build a world-class 25,000-seat professional soccer stadium at Belmont Park. More information about the proposal and renderings can be found at newcosmosstadium.com.

For more information on the New York Cosmos, please visit nycosmos.com, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram ( @NYCosmos ). Tickets for the 2016 season are now available by calling 855-71-COSMOS or via the club's official website at nycosmos.com/tickets .

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North American Soccer League Stories from July 13, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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