The Opposition Report II — MD23 vs New York Cosmos
Fort Wayne Football Club hosts a New York Cosmos side that rebuilt its midfield in August, tightened up the backline, and still runs nearly half its offense through one of the league’s best players, Ajmeer Spengler.
Saturday, September 5 | 7:30 PM ET | Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, Fort Wayne, IN | ESPN+
Prior Proceedings
All-Time vs New York Cosmos (W-L-D): 0-1-0
The Opposition Report
MD3 Recap & Analysis
By Matchday 3, there wasn’t much data on either side. The storylines were forming, not written. The first Opposition Report built the case around the Cosmos backline: nine goals conceded in three matches, a defense that bends yet breaks. We held 71.7 percent of the ball in Paterson, out-shot them 20 to 6, and hit the post and the crossbar. But we left Hinchliffe Stadium with zero points. The 2-0 scoreline remains tied as the biggest win of the Cosmos season, five months later. The report missed on Sebastián Guenzatti, the 35-year-old veteran captain. It pointed at the players around him, and he scored the opener. Five months later he has eight league goals, tied for most on the team. The other guy? That would be Ajmeer Spengler, the Paterson Pelé. He set up both goals that afternoon, and set himself up for early Team of the Year votes. Today he leads the Cosmos in assists, chances created, and minutes, and he shares the team lead in goals.
What changed since is most of the team around him. The Cosmos lost seven straight from early May to the Fourth of July, then spent the late summer rebuilding the spine of the team. Ozzie Ramos and Shamit Shome came into the midfield, and Michael Chilaka came into the backline. The midfield pairing from March is gone: Darren Sidoel comes off the bench now, and Justin Milovanov has been converted to right back. The results improved with the new-look roster: two clean sheets in their last five, their only road win of the season, and points at playoff teams Chattanooga and Omaha before Sarasota ended the run on Wednesday. This is a better team than its record. Full stop. These past three weeks are good results for a near-last-place team.
The Matchup II
Four of every ten shots the Cosmos have taken this season end with Spengler shooting or playing the final pass. That’s close to half their offense flowing through one player, and it evolves in every shape head coach Davide Corti has tried. Spengler has played as the No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1, in a midfield three at Chattanooga, and up top next to Guenzatti on Wednesday. Corti will change the formation, and Spengler keeps being the most important player on the pitch.
So the plan I’m hoping to see is simple: clog the middle and give them the wing. Their set pieces have produced two goals all season, penalties aside, and their crosses almost never turn into a real chance. A corner conceded to this team is lower risk compared to other teams in this league. If Spengler sprays a ball out wide, count it as a success.
Two exceptions: First, the ball over the top. The Cosmos rarely complete it, but when they do it converts. Eliminate the 50-yard Davide Galazzini-type goal we saw in March. The backline can’t get baited high while the midfield does the clogging. Second, the foul in the penalty box. They have won three penalties this season and scored all three, and Christian Koffi, their direct winger, drew two of them. Push him wide, then stand him up. If you do get beat, don’t let it happen in the penalty box.
The last threat is Lamin Jawneh. The winger signed in May has scored or assisted in three of their last five matches. Giving them the wing is a bet he can’t beat us by himself. That’s the risk if we double Spengler, but based on the data, the Cosmos appear more dangerous through the middle. Jawneh is the next Cosmos attacker trending up.
Seven of the last eight Cosmos goals came from Spengler, Guenzatti, and Jawneh. If Fort Wayne FC can limit those three on Saturday, we improve our odds of walking away with points. This is likely the last time we play the Cosmos this year. One more chance to beat an iconic soccer club. Three points at home is always the goal, and if we can accomplish that, we get a bit of breathing room in the playoff race and the Cosmos start thinking about an early offseason.
Always FWD