by Deny Gallagher

On Wednesday night, the New York Cosmos couldn’t find the back of the net thanks to a sturdy defensive effort by the Ottawa Fury.

The match itself didn’t provide much action, but it’s what didn’t happen in this one that may be the biggest cause for concern for the squad.

Unpark the Bus

The Cosmos play arguably one the most attractive styles of football in the NASL, but the squad’s kryptonite has been teams parking the bus and beating them on the counter. This is nothing new — it has been the norm since they returned to play in 2013 and was again the problem on Wednesday night in the team’s scoreless draw at TD Place.

In games like this one, the side’s movement becomes imperative. Too often, the Cosmos have good — but not great — movement both on and off the ball. This in turn leads to incomplete passes, and failed opportunities.

Two things that contribute to great movement are a high soccer IQ and world-class fitness. Once again, in both of these areas the Cosmos are good — but not great. It is difficult to be the fittest team in the league when dealing with a veteran side. However, soccer IQ is teachable. This is no slight on Savarese, who for my money is one the better coaches in the country. Players like Raul and Marcos Senna will do wonders for this in the future, but these things take time. The Cosmos are still establishing their culture. Once the side is years into its existence and have established the Cosmos way, the luxury of being able to sit back and defend will go by the way side.

Raul

In the 78th minute, Hunter Freeman played a ball into Raul. However, the striker couldn’t step to it fast enough and the volley was botched.

It’s no secret the Real Madrid legend has lost a step, but this moment may be an indicator that the striker’s quality has also deteriorated. There is no shortage of YouTube clips of the former Real Madrid man punishing the goalkeeper from a volley just like the one he attempted on Wednesday night.

As previously repeated on EoS, the striker’s playing career may be over as early as this season, which may not be the worst thing for the Cosmos. Recently, Haji Wright has been on the bench for Savarese’s side. With Raul out of the way, the striker can get the first team minutes he needs to take his game to the next level. Lucky Mkosana has also been a revelation up top, and the coming Gaston Cellerino will also fill a need.

Raul has been a great addition to the team in terms of marketability, but has not contributed to the side’s success as much as fans would hope. If anything, seeing Raul’s declining quality should make New York soccer fans appreciate the greatness of Marcos Senna, and his importance to the rebirth of the New York Cosmos.

Invest in Defense

In the second half, Roversio went to ground and was forced to come out for only a minute. The injury scare sent a shiver through Cosmos Country as the side remains paper thin on defense.

The reincarnation of the famed side has been more of a Michael Bay movie with the club investing in explosive players on the attacking end of things, rather than a Hemingway novel that is artfully put together from forward to back.

It is incredibly ironic that the side refers to the original era of the side as the Golden Age. In said time, the club was famous for constructing one of the strongest spines in world football.

By just taking a glance at the current squad, it is clear that this team is top heavy. In a typical lineup the spine would consist of Raul, Senna, Mendes and Mauer. This is a far cry from Pele, Beckenbauer, Alberto and Messing. The Cosmos don’t need to roll out an XI that features Kompany, Pique, and Ramos, nor do they need Courtois between the stick. However, they need more quality in the back than Carlos Mendes and Jimmy Mauer. I get the two are fan favorites, but to rebuild the club’s reputation the Cosmos trust fund should shell out the cash to build the best backline in the nation, not just in the NASL.