The fall season has been tough on the New York Cosmos, who lost yet again on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton. The spring season champions needed to leave Canada with all three points in order to regain their place atop the North American Soccer League table, but another poor defensive showing left the boys in green sitting third, behind both Minnesota United and the fall season leading Ottawa Fury.
Gio Savarese used a heavily rotated side on Saturday, giving many squad players who don't typically start a chance to spell some of the club's veterans following a congested stretch with some tough matches. Savarese noted that some miscues probably cost the team in his post match remarks:
"We did a lot of very good things in the second half, but we cannot have distractions like we had in those few minutes toward the end of the first half, allowing them to score two goals and making us change the game again. I think the problem was mostly about not keeping the line together. If we step forward, we need to step together. We did some good things going forward, but they got the better of us when we leave some areas open."
The Cosmos' manager will now have a full week to sort out the club's defensive issues, before facing off against the Atlanta Silverbacks twice in a span of three days.