NY Cosmos stand in way of SF Deltas' storybook finish

San Francisco Deltas forward Tommy Heinemann and the New York Cosmos Dejan Jakovica fight for a header at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, CA on April 29, 2017. San Francisco Deltas forward Tommy Heinemann and the New York Cosmos Dejan Jakovica fight for a header at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, CA on April 29, 2017. Photo: Robert Edwards, Robert Edwards-Robtography Photo: Robert Edwards, Robert Edwards-Robtography Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close NY Cosmos stand in way of SF Deltas' storybook finish 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

If the San Francisco Deltas win the North American Soccer League title in their first season, it's only fitting that they will have to beat the league's most storied club to do so.

The Deltas will face the defending champion New York Cosmos in the NASL Championship game at Kezar Stadium on Sunday at 5 p.m.

The Cosmos are arguably the most famous American soccer team in the world. During their first iteration in the original NASL in the 1970s and '80s, the Cosmos fielded some of the most famous players in the world, including the Brazilian legend Pele, Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, and Italy's Giorgio Chinaglia.

The original Cosmos folded along with the NASL in 1985. In 2013, the brand was reborn in the newly reconfigured NASL, which is the second division of soccer in the United States below the MLS. The Cosmos have been just as ambitious since restarting, bringing in Spanish star Raul for their first three seasons. They have won three of the past four league championships.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Deltas have been a success on the field but have struggled off of it, averaging just under 2,600 fans per game during the regular season and reportedly losing several million dollars. Sunday night's championship game at Kezar Stadium might be the team's final chance to attract the support of Bay Area sports fans.

"As a first-year expansion club, it's a dream come true. We're excited that we get to play at home and go for our first title," said Deltas midfielder Tyler Gibson, who scored the winning goal in the team's semifinal match against North Carolina FC. His goal advanced San Francisco to the NASL championship game, also known as the "Soccer Bowl."

San Francisco has been one of the most consistent teams in the league all season, losing only two of its final 16 regular-season games. New York suffered through a nine-game winless streak in August and September before turning it around in the last month of the season. They went undefeated in their final six games to secure the final playoff spot.

The two teams have played four times this season. In the spring season, New York defeated San Francisco 1-0 behind Cosmos midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma's well-placed goal at Kezar in April. SF earned a scoreless draw in May in New York. During the fall season, the Cosmos' Pablo Vranjican put the visiting Cosmos ahead in the third minute, but the Deltas responded with a tying goal by Deltas defender Patrick Hopkins and a penalty kick by Tommy Heinemann for a 2-1 victory in August.

The team's last game on Sept. 20 in New York was their most dramatic. The Deltas fell behind by two goals and a man when Michael Stephens earned a red card in the 61st minute. San Francisco responded with striker Devon Sandoval scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes to secure a draw.

The championship game is also a matchup of two of the best soccer minds in America. In the past five years, only two coaches in the three pro soccer leagues in the United States (MLS, NASL, and USL) have led teams to more than one championship game. Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese has done it with the Cosmos, while Deltas head coach Marc Dos Santos has taken three different clubs (the Ottawa Fury in the NASL in 2015, the USL's Swope Park Rangers in 2016 and this year with the SF Deltas).

"We respect each other a lot," said Dos Santos about his relationship with Savarese. "We both are very passionate about our group of players, very passionate about our teams and that's it. When the game starts that friendship doesn't need to be there and the one that deserves it more will win the game."

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Sunday's championship should be an open game with both teams taking chances. "New York has a lot of experience being in the final," said Dos Santos. "We know its one of the big giants of the league, and we have to be at our best on Sunday if we want to be champions."

The Cosmos boast a potent attack, scoring 34 goals in 16 games compared to the Deltas' 24 in the fall season. However, San Francisco holds a decisive advantage over New York on the defensive end. The Cosmos conceded twice as many goals (30 to 15) as San Francisco.

"We know it's a final, but at the same time we want to treat it as a regular game and not be on the back foot and not be afraid to make mistakes," said Deltas midfielder Maxim Tissot. "We want to go out there and set the tone early."

New York's top attacking threat is Emmanuel Ledesma, who scored 10 goals and six assists in 19 games. The Deltas' goal scoring has been a team affair, with 13 of the 20 field players on the team scoring a goal, led by forward Tommy Heinemann's nine.

There is also a chance that Sunday's NASL title game could be the last ever for the league and both teams. In August, the NASL had its Division 2 status revoked by the U.S. Soccer Federation. The league filed a lawsuit in federal court fighting the decision, but had their petition for the preliminary injunction to keep their sanctioning for next season denied.

During the preliminary injunction hearing, it became public that the Deltas have not committed to playing next season. Cosmos owner Rocco Commisso has also publically stated he will keep the team alive only if the NASL stays in the second division.

The NASL has appealed the preliminary injunction ruling, and a federal appellate court will hear the case in December.

"We have all this background noise going on with the league and maybe the team not being here next year. You know we've just been proving them wrong. We've been doing it all season." said SF Deltas winger Bryan Burke about making it to the championship game. "This has been a goal for us since the beginning of the year and now it's actually a reality so we'd like to bring a trophy here to San Francisco."

"We didn't think that we would host a final this year but it has happened and I feel like the stars are aligning for us to win it all," added Tissot. "It would be very huge for a first year team."