Preview: Kickers Face Bottom of the Barrel NY Cosmos

Opponent:  NY Cosmos (3-12-2)
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 5th,  7:00 PM
Last Result: 3-2 Win Against AV Alta

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Three Things to Kick About

1. A Win – The Kickers not only won on Saturday but looked pretty good doing it. Whenever they had the ball, they worked towards goal. Getting an early goal took some pressure off and the Kickers never let up.
2. Possession –  When looking at stats, possession is often an indicator of success. The more possession the more opportunity to score is a pretty basic tenet. The Kickers turned that idea on its head. During Saturday’s game, the Kickers only had the ball 28% of the time, yet scored three goals. Also, in a logic-defying manner, the Kickers made 69% of their passes while AV Alta made an impressive 90% of their passes.
3. NY Cosmos – Even the most soccer ignorant knows the brand NY Cosmos. This version of the Cosmos is not doing well. They play in Paterson, New Jersey not near any major public transportation. Their attendance is consistently in bottom of USL1 and their results are at the bottom of the table and have been for most of the season. There is no denying the power of the Cosmos brand, but they certainly aren’t hitting any benchmarks of an actual soccer team.

Prediction

It would be easy to say I’m wearing rose-colored glasses after Saturday’s win. However, even if the Kickers had lost on Saturday I’d still be predicting a Kickers win. The Cosmos are shambolic and I know shambolic after watching the Kicker play most of this season. The Cosmos just announced that they released Chevone Marsh for violation of team rules. The team has scored only 18 goals while conceding a staggering 38. I know the Kicker aren’t much better but they are still better. If the Kickers lose this game it will be a gut punch to their confidence.

Kickers – 2
Cosmos – 1