All year marquee offseason addition Raúl has been a catalyst for the New York Cosmos attack. On May 23 he was recognized for it by members of the media, securing his first ever Emirates Cosmos Man of the Match Award in a 3-0 win over the San Antonio Scorpions at home.

Raúl would strike first for the Cosmos, slotting a penalty past Scorpions goalkeeper Daryl Sattler in the 18th minute for a 1-0 lead.

Later the longtime Real Madrid captain was paramount in giving his side its third goal of the match. He won a ball in a dangerous area and chipped across goal for Lucky Mkosana, who in turn found Leo Fernandes for the final goal of the game.

Members of the media will cast their votes to determine the Emirates Cosmos Man of the Match at every Cosmos home game. At each home match, the winner will receive an Emirates Airbus A380 model airplane with an engraved plaque recognizing the player’s achievement.

The Emirates Cosmos Man of the Match award will culminate in a season-ending Emirates Cosmos Player of the Year award. The recipient of the Emirates Cosmos Player of the Year award will receive two round trip tickets on Emirates from New York (JFK) to Dubai (DXB) to celebrate a triumphant season.

2015 Previous Emirates Cosmos Man of the Match Winners:

 Carlos Mendes: May 10 vs. FC Edmonton (W 4-2)

 Lucky Mkosana: May 2 vs. Ottawa Fury (W 1-0)

 Marcos Senna: April 18 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (W 2-0)