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NASL Notes: Cosmos waiting on health of Restrepo; Silverbacks sign Kimura; and more

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Photo by New York Cosmos

By RYAN TOLMICH

The New York Cosmos were forced to settle for a frustrating loss to the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night, but the ramifications may extend into the NASL fall season.

Midfielder Walter Restrepo was injured in Wednesday’s action, forcing a substitution in the 72nd minute of the 4-1 loss. Restrepo’s injury came in a game in which he was one of the Cosmos’ best players, as the midfielder repeatedly had his way on the right side against the Red Bulls’ defense.

Restrepo’s creativity may be missing this weekend, as he is now being listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s Fall Season opener against Indy Eleven.

“Walter felt his hamstring,” said Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese, “so we’ll evaluate now what he’s going to do and we’ll see if he’s available for Sunday.”

Restrepo was not the only Cosmos star to deal with hamstring issues, as forward Raul missed the first half of the game due to a similar issue. Raul came on at the start of the second half.

“At first we didn’t think he was going to be able to make it,” Savarese said. “Finally, we felt that it was about 75 percent, so with that we felt that he could step in the game, be smart, and he did.”

Here are some more of Thursday’s NASL news and notes:

SILVERBACKS ADD VETERAN DEFENDER KIMURA

Atlanta Silverbacks head coach Gary Smith has turned to a familiar face to help fill gaps in his team’s backline.

Sources tell SBI that the Silverbacks have signed defender Kosuke Kimura, who previously featured for Smith with the Colorado Rapids from 2008-11 and was a key part of the 2010 team that won the MLS Cup.

Kimura has previously spent time with the Portland Timbers and the New York Red Bulls, making a combined 171 MLS appearances before joining Widzew Lodz in Poland for 12 appearances in 2015.

The 31-year-old fullback holds a U.S. green card, making him a domestic player for roster purposes, a fact very helpful to the Silverbacks after Smith previously said that his side would be unlikely to clear international roster slots.

STRIKERS FALL TO BOCA JUNIORS ON FRIENDLY

Playing in a marquee friendly, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers were overmatched by one of South America’s premier clubs.

The Strikers were defeated, 3-0, by Boca Juniors in a friendly on Wednesday night in a physical contest at Lockhart Stadium that yielded 31 fouls and five yellow cards.

Although the Strikers had several early chances through Bruno Nunes, Boca Juniors pounced early, taking the lead on a third-minute goal from Jonathan Calleri. The second half saw Alexis Rolin and Cristian Pavo find the back of the net, leading the Argentine club to a commanding victory.

The Strikers return to league action on July 8, kicking off their NASL Fall Season with an away match against the Carolina RailHawks.

How will the Cosmos handle the team’s injury issues? How will Kimura impact the Silverbacks? What were your takeaways from the Strikers’ friendly?

Share your thoughts below.

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