NY Cosmos Take Down the Atlanta Silverbacks in the 2013 NASL Soccer Bowl

Written by Kozmo Miller

The North American Soccer League championship between the Atlanta Silverbacks and the New York Cosmos proved to be one of the highlight sporting events of the weekend with an oversold capacity at Silverbacks Park with the 7,200+ fans in full effect.

There was red smoke, there was green smoke but this isn’t Christmas, this is war. The creative makeup, chants and thunderous roaring of feet pattering on the bleachers set the stage for combat. Even the brother-to-brother match-up of Pedro(ATL) and Paulo(NY) Mendes promised to spice things up.

Atlanta’s long time semi-pro soccer team, the Silverbacks were hosting multi-championship title-holders and newly reactivated New York Cosmos. That statement may contradict itself but it works something like this: the North American Soccer League brand itself has been reactivated having enjoyed professional sports status from the late sixties to the mid eighties.

Along with the re-emergence of the league brand; certain club brands were resurrected as well such as the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders (who are now Major League Soccer franchises), Tampa Bay Rowdies and five time champions New York Cosmos. At that time, Atlanta was home to the Chiefs who saw one NASL league title in 1968.

The Cosmos, still under the NASL brand, hold league titles that are all quite dated ranging from 1972 to 1982 making the 2013 season the first action the Cosmos have seen since the1984 collapse of the NASL. The Silverbacks were looking to bring a soccer championship title back to Atlanta for the first time since 1995.

Formerly known as the Atlanta Ruckus from the A-League, The Silverbacks had their work cut out for them coming to the Soccer Bowl with three straight losses on the road surely hoping the home field advantage would pull them through. The Cosmos had only lost one match in their first season back in action.

The New York Cosmos had just emerged once again poised to create problems for the Silverbacks with some key players such as Marcos

Senna who made quite a name for himself playing in Brazil for Corinthians, captaining Spanish side Villarreal in addition to appearing for the Spanish national team.

The first half opened up with some very cautious moves from both sides both of them showing decent organization in their midfield movements, despite some simple mistakes, yet and still rendering fruitless attacks on each goal. The Silverbacks actually outshot the Cosmos but only the shots that see net count; of course.

Their defensive backlines were in tact especially with the Atlanta Silverbacks goalkeeper, Joe Nasco, making a couple of key saves one of which was a venomous free kick from Senna that was certainly on it’s way in until meeting Nasco’s gloves.

The second half saw a more aggressive Cosmos front line push up quickly with a key assist from Ayoze García who’s free kick shot was unfortunately deflected by a Silverback defender placing the ball right in Senna’s path of motion.

With just the cheekiest of touches, yet good pace, Senna strikes the stray ball with a half-volley kick that speedily spins the ball up and over Nasco only to plop comfortably into the far left side of the Silverbacks’ goal.

Senna’s goal drove the Cosmo’s fans into an inexhaustible frenzy erupting in green and white smoke bombs, safety flares and those relentless Samba drums echoing the grand old days of the Pélé era.

Through several desperate attempts involving out-of-place forwards and wayward passes; the Silverbacks just couldn’t keep up even with the late substitution of the reputedly fast Horace James.

Coach Brain Haynes led the Silverbacks to a spring title and was even named coach of the year for 2013 but manager Giovani Saverese and the Cosmos were just not having it. Able to hold the Silverbacks off, the Cosmos claimed the trophy.

The Cosmos now look forward to a relaxed friendly against Senna’s old club Villarreal (a.k.a the Yellow Submarine) in a unique tribute match dedicated to him.