PREVIEW | Cosmos Aim To Build On Impressive Home Form Against The RailHawks

After a midweek match, the New York Cosmos are set for its third game in nine days, while the Carolina RailHawks had an off week to rest and recover from a rough patch in form. The RailHawks are the last team to beat New York at home, which came on August 2, 2014 in a 1-0 win.

TEAM OVERVIEW

New York Cosmos: The Cosmos opened their 2015 NASL campaign undefeated for 11 straight games, finishing the Spring Season unblemished and winning the Spring Championship. Following a 1-0 road loss to Jacksonville Armada FC on July 18, New York has quickly reassumed its winning ways. Now the team is unbeaten in seven straight matches and atop the league’s Combined Season Standings.

Sunday's fixture against Carolina will conclude a stretch of three matches in nine days for the Cosmos, who defeated the RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park, 3-1, on August 22 and drew against Fall Season leaders Ottawa Fury F,  0-0, on Wednesday. As it stands New York is alone in second place for the Fall, four points behind Ottawa and five points ahead of Fury FC overall.

It doesn't get easier for the Cosmos after Sunday; though the match frequency relents, the quality of opponent doesn't. They'll have to face Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Minnesota, Ottawa, and Edmonton in September. If the season ended today the Cosmos would be the top postseason seed with Fury FC, United, and the Rowdies rounding out The Championship. The Eddies are pushing Tampa Bay for that final spot, just two points behind. And Jacksonville is the only team to beat the Cosmos this year.

Carolina RailHawks: The RailHawks have lost three straight, giving up three goals in each of those matches, and are winless in their last five. The Spring Season's third-place side has had a difficult August, and will need to finish on a high note if it hopes to compete for a postseason spot.

Goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald has made a handful of impressive saves over a difficult stretch for the Carolina defense. The Cosmos' margin of victory last weekend could have been greater if not for the Wake Forest product's quick reflexes in goal when the back line broke down.

MATCHUP HISTORY

The Cosmos and RailHawks are matching up for the second time in nine days. On August 22, New York came away with its first ever win at WakeMed Soccer Park, scoring three times in the opening 12 minutes of the second half after falling behind in the first stanza. Leo Fernandes got it started, adding to his team-leading goal total – now at seven – then Lucky Mkosana and Adam Moffat tacked on to make it 3-1.

The Cosmos are 2W-1D-4L) all-time against the RailHawks. They dropped all three matchups during the 2014 Season, including a nine-goal thriller in North Carolina last fall, but are unbeaten in two prior meetings this season. Sunday will be the first and only time Carolina visits New York this regular season.

NOTES

Hot In August: With a midweek draw in Ottawa on Wednesday, New York moved to 4-2-0 in the month of August. In six August fixtures last season the Cosmos were 1-3-2. Sunday’s matchup with Carolina at Shuart Stadium will be the seventh game of the month for the home side, but the loaded summer schedule has been good to the Cosmos on the field.

Clean Sheets Abound: Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer recorded his seventh clean sheet of the year against Fury FC at TD Place on Wednesday night. With that result his goals against average dipped under 1.00, to an impressive 0.95 in 19 NASL starts this year.