If the New York Cosmos had any hopes of finishing atop the North American Soccer League combined table, they had to win on Wednesday night in Atlanta. The club responded with one of their best performances of the season, delivering a 3-0 victory against a Silverbacks squad that held the boys to a draw this weekend.
Unlike recent matches, the Cosmos started well, and didn't concede despite controlling play. Sebastian Guenzatti got the boys on the scoreboard just 29 minutes in, getting behind the Atlanta defense and making them pay. That was it for the scoring in the first half, with New York looking very much in control at the break.
It didn't take too long after the restart for the Cosmos to double their lead, as Gaston Cellerino scored his first ever goal for the club. Leo Fernandes closed it just minutes from the final whistle, giving the Cosmos their most comfortable victory in quite a while.
Head Coach Gio Savarese was thrilled with the showing, and it showed in his post match comments:
"It was one hundred and fifty percent effort. The guys worked very hard today. They played with heart. They wanted to win. They played together and the result was a reflection of the hard work of everyone. We have to maintain this mentality, this effort."
Hopefully, Wednesday's showing is the start of a good run of form to close the NASL season on a high note, before hosting a semifinal match in November.