News

Game Guide: The Championship Semifinals

New York hosts Fort Lauderdale at MCU Park this Saturday with a spot in The Championship Final at stake.
Published Nov 3, 2015

WHO

#1   vs.   #4

WHEN & WHERE

Saturday, November 7 at 2 p.m. ET | MCU Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn

  • Cosmos stars and Spanish soccer legends Raúl and Marcos Senna are set to play their final games in The Championship. The first 4,000 fans at MCU Park on November 7 each get a limited edition Raúl and Senna T-shirt.

WATCH & FOLLOW

THE STAKES

With The Championship Semifinals set to kick off, what's on the line for each side is straightforward. On Saturday either the Cosmos or Strikers will seal an appearance in The Championship Final and earn the right to play for the Soccer Bowl Trophy. 

The Strikers are angling to reach their second straight postseason final, while the Cosmos are looking for their second championship in three seasons. New York enters the contest riding four straight wins; Fort Lauderdale went 3-1-2 (WDL) in its last six Fall Season games to clinch a postseason berth.

MATCHUP HISTORY

The 2015 regular season saw the Cosmos win twice and draw once against Fort Lauderdale, the draw being an epic three-goal comeback on the road August 8. New York has not lost to the Strikers in the modern era, compiling a 6-2-0 (WDL) record over three seasons. 

NOTES

Comeback kids: Both New York and Fort Lauderdale entered the final weekend of the regular season needing help, and both teams got it. In fact, the Cosmos provided it for the Strikers by beating then fourth-place Tampa Bay 2-0 at Shuart Stadium on October 31. That win, along with an Ottawa Fury FC draw in Atlanta, made the Cosmos NASL Combined Season champions and guaranteed them home field throughout the postseason as The Championship’s top seed. It also paved the way for the Strikers to seize the final postseason spot with a 1-0 win over Jacksonville Armada FC on November 1.

Back to Brooklyn: The Cosmos debuted in Brooklyn earlier this year, defeating Ottawa 1-0 at MCU Park on May 2. The winner of this Championship Semifinal could meet the Fury in The Championship Final next weekend. Ottawa will host Minnesota United FC Sunday, November 8 at 3 p.m. ET.

Last call for legends: Cosmos stars Raúl and Marcos Senna each played their final regular season match on October 31. Now, depending on results, they’ve got only one or two games left in their decorated careers. Raúl has registered eight goals and three assists in 28 appearances this year, while Senna has three goals in 18 appearances.

Strength on strength: The Strikers and Cosmos each scored 49 goals in 30 games this season, tied for second best in the league. But the Cosmos defense is equally formidable. Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer posted a 0.93 GAA (goals against average) in 28 starts, and the Cosmos have let in just two goals in their last five matches.

34 years in the making: These two sides last faced off in postseason competition during the 1981 NASL playoff semifinals. The Cosmos got past the Strikers but fell on penalties to the Chicago Sting in Soccer Bowl '81.