Spring And Fall Season Winners Square Off In The Championship Final

The day that teams dream of before the start of a new season has finally arrived, but only one team can win an NASL title. The New York Cosmos and Ottawa Fury FC – No. 1 and No. 2 after a 30-game regular season – meet on Sunday with a chance to lift the Soccer Bowl trophy. The Cosmos defeated the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 2-1, to reach The Championship Final, while Fury FC outlasted Minnesota United by the same score in extra time.

A full match preview is below:

New York Cosmos vs. Ottawa Fury FC
5 p.m. ET | Sunday, Nov.15
Shuart Stadium | Hempstead, N.Y.
Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.), ONE World Sports (National – U.S.), NASL.com (National – Canada), Rogers TV (Local – Ottawa)

The Cosmos won the Spring Season title and Fury FC finished first in the Fall Season. Now, the two sides square off in The Championship Final. Both enter the match with full confidence and in great form. The Cosmos are unbeaten in six matches, winning the last five. Ottawa has lost just once in 26 matches and enters with a 12-match road unbeaten run, which includes a 4-1 win at Shuart Stadium on Sept. 22. That win in September also ended the Cosmos’ more than year-long unbeaten run at home.

The match on Sunday could come down to Ottawa’s strong back line against the Cosmos’ attack led by Spanish great Raúl. Along with the former Real Madrid man, Marcos Senna will hang up his cleats after the match. The Spanish duo will want to end their career with one more storied title.

Fury FC has been deadly on the counterattack, but used an aggressive attack against Minnesota United to upend the Loons. Tom Heinemann has become the focal point of the attack and caused the Cosmos’ rearguard trouble in their last meeting. Richie Ryan and Sinisa Ubiparipovic should all have critical roles in the final if Ottawa is to get the result.