The New York Cosmos B played host to Greater Lowell FC at Rocco B. Commisso Stadium in beautiful Columbia University on Sunday afternoon. It was the teams' second encounter of the season, as the Cosmos B defeated their opponents 2-0 on June 4. The Cosmos B looked for a repeat of that performance.

The difference between the two teams was apparent from the start. The Cosmos B held possession right out of the gates. They had the majority of touches and looked to challenge the opposition. After many tempting chances and shots off of the goalkeeper, the Cosmos B produced a crucial and game-changing play in the 11th minute. Khalif Alhassan issued a great ball into the box onto the feet of Bledi Bardic, who finished past the keeper, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

The game became more like a clinic as the first half went on. The Cosmos B maintained their authority on the field as the more experienced side, showcasing it with a frenzy of excellent passing and shots on goal. In the 37th minute, Bardic dribbled his way into the box and pulled back to lose his defender, crossing it to José Nájera, who ripped a shot just right of the keeper for the Cosmos B's second goal of the game. With the opponents' morale now shook, the Cosmos B took advantage, adding a third goal to the scoreboard with a skillful cross by Alhassan to Nájera, who volleyed a shot into the net for his second of the game. As the half came to an end, the Cosmos B looked like the better squad on the field and went into the locker rooms confident, composed, and winning 3-0.

When play resumed, there was no surprise that the Cosmos B were dominant again. The team still held possession about 50 minutes in, creating many great through balls and skillful dribbles in the attacking third. Nearing the 65th minute, Salvatore Barone stepped up and curled a shot about 22 yards away into the upper 90 of the net. The Cosmos B now led 4-0 and looked minutes away from a guaranteed victory.

The game looked to be over in the 87th minute, as the pace slowed down tremendously. The Cosmos B had more to say, however, as David Nigro crossed a great ball into the box right to the feet of Mohammed Rashid, who finished without a defender in sight to give his team a 5-0 lead.

The referee added three minutes to the end of the second half, but it would not affect the outcome, as the Cosmos B won the match 5-0 with a great overall performance and excellent communication, skill, and leadership on the field.

To catch more of the action, join us next week on July 1st at 7:00 pm, as the Cosmos B travel to Yale University-Reese Stadium to play Elm City Express.