New York Cosmos Clinch Postseason Berth As Week 14 Concludes

Photo: New York Cosmos

Second-half goals by Ruben Bover and Andrés Flores powered the New York Cosmos to a 2-0 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and with the victory, the defending NASL Champions clinched a berth in The Championship as action in Week 14 of the NASL Fall Season concluded with four games on Sunday.

New York, which also extended its unbeaten streak at Shuart Stadium to 18 games, is on course to win the Fall Season title. The Cosmos now lead FC Edmonton, a 2-1 winner over Indy Eleven on Sunday, by seven points. New York is also in first place in the Combined Standings and can finish no worse than fourth to still qualify for the league’s four-team postseason tournament.

Canadian youth international Ben Fisk scored his first NASL goal deep into second-half stoppage time to rescue three points for FC Edmonton on Sunday. The win snapped the club’s eight-game winless streak and moved it back into second place in both the Fall Season and Combined Standings behind New York.

Minnesota’s 1-0 loss to Jacksonville, coupled with a 1-1 draw between Tampa Bay and Miami FC in games on Saturday resulted in a three-way tie -- on points --  for fourth place in the Combined Standings. The Loons, however, own the first tiebreaker, which is goal differential.

In Sunday’s other games, Puerto Rico won its third straight game in a 2-1 triumph at Ottawa Fury FC, and Rayo OKC and Carolina each scored a goal in second-half stoppage time in a wild 1-1 draw in Oklahoma.

New York Cosmos 2, Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0

After a scoreless first half at Shuart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale (4W-5D-8L, 17 Fall; 8-8-11, 32 Combined) had a golden chance only minutes into the second interval when Amauri broke in alone on the New York  (11-4-3, 37 Fall; 17-4-7, 55 Combined) goal. Challenged by goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, the Italian international's rushed shot sailed high and wide. Fort Lauderdale carried the play and created several chances without converting, including a sharp shot from the left by Jorge Luis Corrales that fizzled wide.

The Cosmos made the Strikers pay in the 57th minute. Juan Arango was led to the end line and crossed from the left. Ruben Bover left his feet to hit a first-time side volley that flew past Bruno. It was the fifth assist of the year for Arango, a former Venezuelan international. New York iced the game when Andrés Flores scored his fourth goal of the year, in the 84th minute. Arango sent Lucky Mkosana down the left side, and his cross was volleyed into the goal by Flores.

New York has not lost a game at home since the 2015 NASL regular season. The Strikers lost their third straight after going on a seven-game unbeaten run.

FC Edmonton 2, Indy Eleven 1

Deep into second-half injury time, Ben Fisk scored his first goal in an FC Edmonton uniform as the Canadian side erased a one-goal deficit to defeat Indy Eleven, 2-1, at Clarke Field on Sunday.

Neither team scored in the first 45 minutes, but Indy (8-3-6, 27 Fall; 12-9-6, 45 Combined) put on the pressure and broke through in the 56th. Dylan Mares settled a pass on the right flank and directed a cross that found the foot of Éamon Zayed for a one-timer that skipped under FC Edmonton (8-6-3, 30 Fall; 13-8-6, 47 Combined) goalkeeper Matt VanOekel.

Zayed's 14th goal of the year moved the Ireland-born striker within one of Christian Ramirez, the league’s leading goal scorer.

The Eddies scored their first goal in five games when defender Papé Diakite tied the game in the 80th minute after a scramble in front of Indy goalkeeper Jon Busch. He planted a left-footed shot into the upper 90 for his third goal of the year. With the teams seemingly destined to share the points, the Eddies cobbled together one final counterattack. Shawn Nicklaw passed across the top of the area to Fisk on the left, and the Canadian youth international's shot beat Busch low to the near post for the game-winner.

The loss snapped the two-game winning streak of Indy, the NASL’s Spring Season champion.

Puerto Rico FC 2, Ottawa Fury FC 1

Puerto Rico FC won its third straight game, scoring the winning goal while playing with 10 men and extending its unbeaten streak to six games in a win over Ottawa Fury FC at TD Place on Sunday.

Ryan Williams scored his third goal in four games to give Ottawa (5-5-8, 20 points Fall; 7-8-13, 29 Combined) a 1-0 lead in the 15th, side-footing a crossing ball from Giuseppe Gentile. Puerto Rico (4-8-6, 20 Fall) tied it in the 27th when Kyle Culbertson scored into an open net after taking a pinpoint crossing ball from Héctor Ramos.

The visitors, playing a man down after Rudy Dawson was shown a straight red card in the 71st, stormed into the lead in the 77th when Sidney Rivera smashed a shot from 35 yards out past Ottawa goalkeeper Romuald Peiser, off the near post and into the net.

Rayo OKC 1, Carolina RailHawks 1

The Carolina RailHawks' Matt Watson and Rayo OKC's Futty Danso each scored in second-half stoppage time in a tumultuous 1-1 draw at Miller Stadium on Sunday.

Carolina (5-5-7, 20 points Fall; 9-7-11, 34 Combined) midfielder Austin da Luz had the best chance of the game in the early going, but his open shot in the fifth minute from a pass by Mexican star Omar Bravo sailed high and wide.

With time running down, the RailHawks took the lead when Watson planted a shot from distance behind Rayo OKC (4-8-5, 20 Fall; 7-11-9, 32 Combined) goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes two minutes into stoppage time. The RailHawks looked poised be part of a four-way tie for fourth place in the Combined Standings.

Danso had other ideas, however. From a long throw-in, the ball bounded near the six-yard box where Danso plucked it out of the air and poked it past Brian Sylvestre in a wild finish to the final game of Week 14.

Tampa Bay Rowdies 1, Miami FC 1

Neither Miami FC nor Tampa Bay hurt its chances of advancing to The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament, after a spirited 1-1 draw at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night. Both teams remain hot on the trail of Minnesota United for the fourth and final postseason spot.

A quick counterattack led to the Tampa Bay (5-5-6, 20 Fall; 9-9-8, 36 Combined) goal in the 31st minute. Carlos Preciado led the break, passing to Georgi Hristov on the left. Hristov slid a ball across the top of the area to Eric Avila for a left-footed shot that eluded Miami FC (8-5-4, 29 points Fall; 9-9-9, 36 Combined) goalkeeper Daniel Vega.

Miami FC drew even in the 74th minute when defender Rhett Bernstein, who had gone forward for a corner kick, pounced on a misplay in the Rowdies’ goal box to rap a right-footed shot into the back of the net.

Tampa Bay is now unbeaten in six games, but had its two-game winning streak stopped.

Jacksonville Armada FC 1, Minnesota United 0

A goal in the 88th minute gave Jacksonville Armada FC a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United FC at NSC Stadium on Saturday night. The win extended Jacksonville’s unbeaten streak to four games (three draws) and upped the Loons’ losing streak to four games.

The best chance of the first half came in the 37th minute with Jamie Watson of Minnesota (5-5-7, 20 Fall; 10-6-11, 36 Combined) bent a left-footed shot from 20 yards off the crossbar.  The Jacksonville (3-7-7, 16 Fall; 4-11-12, 25 Combined) attack was sparked by Charles Eloundou, but several of his best chances sailed high and wide.

In the second half, the Loons had the lion’s share of possession, but Jacksonville’s organized defense refused to concede, or even allow Minnesota a quality shot on goal. Jacksonville shocked the Loons’ home crowd when Matt Bahner scored off a pass from Derek Gebhard to punish Minnesota and snatch a victory on the road, only the second in franchise history.

The loss leaves Minnesota in a three-way tie, on points, for fourth place in the Combined Standings, and one of the berths in The Championship.