Saturday’s clash between the New York Cosmos and Tampa Bay Rowdies will be as meaningful as any in NASL this season, for reasons both on the field and off of it.
Unbeaten in their last four contests, the Rowdies face off with the Cosmos this weekend in a game that could go a long way towards cementing a playoff position. As things stand, the Rowdies sit one point ahead of the rival Fort Lauderdale Strikers for the fourth and final postseason position.
Meanwhile, the Cosmos sit two points behind Ottawa Fury FC for the league’s top spot in the Combined Standings, and the home championship game advantage that comes with it.
Saturday’s contest is one with plenty of star-power. On one hand, Spanish legends Raul and Marcos Senna look to continue the push to an NASL crown. On the other, Freddy Adu will battle against former Olympic teammate and current Cosmos midfielder Danny Szetela with a Rowdies team that is one step away from the postseason.
The stakes at hand ensure that Saturday’s collision is one full of meaning, but the impending retirements of Raul and Senna add even more intrigue than just playoff positioning.
“The most important thing is how simple they can make the game,” head coach Giovani Savarese said of his two stars in a press conference. “The simplicity and how they play and how quick they can make decisions, because they see things way too early. For me, I’m a lucky man to have two of the greatest players in our club and for me to coach them. It’s historical because the two of them are retiring.
“I’m a lucky man, I have to say. I’m a lucky man because two of the best players in the history of the game chose to play for us here with the New York Cosmos. ”
Raul and Senna will certainly be a focal point for Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell, as his team heads to Shuart Stadium. Since assuming the reigns as the team’s head coach in late August, Campbell has led the Rowdies to the brink of the postseason with the team’s defense playing a major part.
Allowing just eight goals in 10 games, the Rowdies will face a task that is somewhat familiar. The two teams previously collided on Sept. 5, a 2-0 Rowdies victory at Al Lang Stadium on goals from Corey Hertzog and Darwin Espinal.
On that day, the Rowdies were effective in shutting down the Cosmos attack, but Campbell is well aware that repeating the task is anything but certain this time out.
“Raul and Senna,” Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell told SBI, “they have a real genuine quality that if you switch off a second against them, they’ll punish you. ”
“I think we want payback from last game,” added Cosmos midfielder Sebastian Guenzatti. “They had a good performance and they beat us. We want our payback and, hopefully, we’ll beat them and go to the playoffs happy.”
With the Cosmos set to play their NASL semifinal playoff matchup at Coney Island’s MCU Park, Saturday’s meeting with the Rowdies could prove to be the Spanish duo’s last at Shuart Stadium. The contest could prove even more emotional for the Rowdies, who could see their season ended if the team fails to register a victory.
“Some of these teams are fighting for something,” Guenzatti said, “like we’re trying to fight for a spot as the first seed for the playoffs. We’re fighting a lot right now, and we still have one more game during the season and two in the playoffs, so hopefully we get that second game in the playoffs that gets us in the final.
“The team has stepped up,” the Cosmos midfielder added, “and now we’re getting ready for the playoffs, for our biggest challenge yet. Hopefully, the team steps up even more so we can get a good place.”