Cosmos Coach Giovanni Savarese 'Couldn't Be More Proud' Of Players' Effort In The Championship Final
The top-seeded New York Cosmos and No. 2 Indy Eleven featured in The Championship Final on Sunday night, and both sides backed up their consistent play over the course of 2016.
For 120 minutes, the clubs battled in a back-and-forth tilt that saw strong defending, while several chances came within inches of being goals, including Don Smart’s shot, on the end of nice build-up play by Indy Eleven, that clanged the crossbar in the second half.
Ultimately the game was decided by the penalty-kick shootout as the Cosmos repeated as NASL Champions with a 4-2 advantage.
“We knew that they were going to be tough to play against and they showed they are difficult to break down,” Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese said after the game. “They are difficult to stop in their counters.
“It was a back-and-forth game. They were exhausted, our players were exhausted – they gave everything and it went to PKs.”
Savarese believed that the fight shown by his charges was a small sample of the way the club carried itself throughout a tough campaign, despite finishing atop the Fall Season and Combined Standings.
“I think the Final was the example of the year we had,” he said. “We never stopped to think about the adversity or the situations, we only thought about solutions. It was the same way [tonight].”
The Cosmos’ depth was tested throughout the year. Key players departed, including veteran right back Hunter Freeman and central midfielder Michael Lahoud (both to Miami FC). International call-ups throughout the year limited Savarese’s choices. And, of course, there were injuries in 2016.
Even in the title game, Savarese and the Cosmos had to deal with injury issues. Center back Rovérsio was forced out of the contest in the 59th minute and in stepped Kenyan international David Ochieng. The Cosmos’ back line didn’t miss a beat.
Savarese credits the players’ spirit with being able to push through any circumstance, especially with legs and minds tiring during a hard-fought matchup with Indy.
“You can make it work always when you have a group that is convinced and willing to work even when they can run no more,” he said. “There’s something inside of them that allows them to continue to go forward and a coach couldn’t be more proud of what they did.”
While the season and The Championship Final proved to be a grind at times, the Cosmos, once again, finished another year as champions. Ryan Richter, a late-season addition, converted the clinching spot kick as the club claimed back-to-back titles. The Cosmos have now hoisted the Soccer Bowl Trophy three times in the last four years under Savarese’s guidance.
“They gave everything.” Savarese said. “Some guys had pulled muscles. At the end, they wanted the championship and full credit to them.
“We wanted to finish the year in the best possible way and I’m very proud of the players to be able to get another championship.”
