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New York Cosmos (1-4-2, 7 Points, 7th in NASL)
vs.
Jacksonville Armada FC (2-2-3, 8 Points, 6th in NASL)
“No trait is more justified than revenge in the right time and place” - Meir Kahane
As the weeks go on, fans start to wonder if the New York Cosmos will get into the win column at all in the Fall Season. The Originals currently sit in 7th place, and the team’s playoff hopes are starting to slip away.
This Sunday, the Cosmos are going to welcome back the Jacksonville Armada for a re-match at MCU Park. The last time these two teams met, the Armada played a patient game against the Cosmos, defeating them 2-0. Goals came from Ciarián Kilduff and Juan Guerra on an own goal.
It’s no secret that the Cosmos form has been rather poor of late. New York’s tendency recently seems to be going down early and playing catch-up for the rest of the match. It might not work here, especially against a defensively strong unit like Jacksonville.
The Cosmos elected not to sign a defender in this past window. They may be biting their tongues now, especially knowing that the defence has given up 10 goals in the previous four matches.
Jacksonville on the other hand just have to find a rhythm. They have a strong young core in place that looks to cause havoc for teams on the future. The leader of that core may be Jack Blake, who earned the NASL Player of the Month for August. Blake will be joined by Tony Taylor and Zach Steinberger, who combine for 8 goals this season for the Armada.
Giovanni Savarese and his team are going to have to be on their toes in this one. Things are really starting to slip away in the Fall Season standings, so this game really has to be a win for the Cosmos. For New York, nothing will be more justified than revenge against Jacksonville this Sunday at MCU Park.
Match Prediction: 2-1 Jacksonville
This match is going down this Sunday, Sept. 17 at 5:00 p.m. Catch the game on the MSG Networks or on ESPN3.