New York Cosmos to open the 2016 NASL season at home, hosting Ottawa Fury FC

The North American Soccer League schedule is dropping on Thursday, and we now know who the New York Cosmos will play as they kick off their title defense. The first match of the new season will be a rematch of the 2015 final, with the Cosmos hosting Ottawa Fury FC.

#NASLOpeningKick | @NYCosmos start title defense with rematch against @OttawaFuryFC on Sunday, April 3. pic.twitter.com/jf1guaGqVM

— NASL (@naslofficial) January 14, 2016

As a northern club, it's a bit surprising that the Cosmos will not be opening on the road. The league has typically tried to schedule early April matches in cities less likely to deal with cold and snow, and New York is definitely a candidate to get both on April 3rd.

Still, it's great to see the league put a title match rematch in New York for the opener, even if there's a chance of some inclement weather. The Fury will likely look nothing like the team that made it all the way to the final last season, but it will still be nice to see the same laundry on the pitch as the club and its fans celebrate the 2015 title.

The full 2016 NASL schedule is due to be released later in the day. We'll have it all for you as soon as it's announced.