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The Cosmos may have gone undefeated at home on Saturday, but it has been a bittersweet week for the club and its fans. The NASL is seeming to slowly get weaker, as the Ottawa Fury and the club’s biggest rivals the Tampa Bay Rowdies will leave the NASL next season for the (currently) third division USL. In addition, Cosmos Legend Carlos Alberto passed away this weekend. He will be remembered as one of the greatest players to wear the Cosmos green and will be severely missed by the Cosmos family.
The Cosmos finish out their regular season against Minnesota FC. This will likely be the last time the Cosmos play the Loons in league play as Minnesota will be soon leaving for MLS. Despite the match having no standings implications, it will still be important for the Cosmos to end the season on a high note. This game will also allow Gio Savarese to rotate and experiment with his starting eleven before the semifinal match against either Miami or Rayo OKC.
For Minnesota, this game will be the end of an era for the club. Moving to the MLS will likely mean a massive overhaul in roster, and it may be the end of the line for some of their players. They will also say goodbye to their home at NSC. They have the first overall pick in the MLS Superdraft, and it will be interesting to see how they overhaul their roster for next year. Win or lose this game will be a celebration for Minnesota United
We say goodbye to an old friend on Saturday... pic.twitter.com/4RA1E23kh8
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 27, 2016
Players to watch
We’re lucky enough to see the first and second leading scorer in the last regular season game. Christian Ramirez has bad intentions and will be looking to send the MLS and Jurgen Klinsmann the message that he’s ready for the next step up. More contribution from Juan Arango could help strengthen his already strong MVP case.
Match Prediction
Focused for Saturday. ⚽️#MNUvNYCosmos #NYCosmos pic.twitter.com/v8gddsdTgV
— New York Cosmos (@NYCosmos) October 27, 2016
The Cosmos have been shaky away this year, but I think they’ll be able to win out. I think the Cosmos win 2-1 on an Arango brace. Looking forward, they should hope to play Miami in the playoffs rather than Rayo OKC.
Tune in to the last game of the season this Saturday at 8pm on One World Sports. The match will also be streamed on ESPN 3 and One World Sport’s YouTube channel.