PREVIEW | Cosmos vs. Scorpions

Fresh off the club’s first ever win in Edmonton and riding a two-match winning streak in NASL play, the San Antonio Scorpions will travel to the Big Apple this weekend to take on the league-leading New York Cosmos. San Antonio had a slow start to the 2015 season, but has jumped from 11th up into a tie for sixth thanks to the two-match winning streak.

“We started behind the eight ball, so its long overdue,” Scorpions midfielder (and former member of the Cosmos) Joseph Nane said of San Antonio’s recent form. “We’ll take it. Two wins and from there we hope Saturday is another win.”

New York (4W-3D-0L) enters the game sitting atop the NASL Spring Season standings with 15 points through their first seven games and the Cosmos have yet to feel the sting of defeat this season, getting at least a point in all seven of their games this season. Last weekend the Cosmos paid a visit to the Carolina Railhawks and left with a 2-2 draw thanks to two second-half stoppage- time goals.

“New York is a team that dominates possession. They love to get numbers forward,” Scorpions Head Coach Alen Marcina said. “They have a lot of good attacking players. You have to always be on your toes.”

The payoff of the Cosmos constantly sending numbers forward has been that they have a balanced attack with four different players scoring at least two goals this season. Former Scorpions midfielder Walter Restrepo has been the setup man, as he is tied for the league lead in assists with three already this season. San Antonio (2-1-3, 7 points) will have their hands full this weekend, but they go into the game excited for the challenge.

“We’ve had a great week of training, and we have some momentum behind us. It is going to be a battle. Cosmos are the best team in the league right now, and we are excited for the opportunity,” Marcina said. “They have strengths, but we have strengths, too, that they have to worry about.”

By the Numbers:

This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the Scorpions and the Cosmos since the Cosmos rejoined the NASL back in the fall of 2013. San Antonio leads the all-time series 4-0-2. New York won the first two meetings back in 2013 but since then, the Scorpions have gone 4-0 including a 2-1 win over New York in the NASL Championship Semifinals last November.