Seven things from the first half of the season worth pondering on during the break

By Ralph Chery

December 30th, 2016

                 Shamrock SC's halftime talk during their 3-1 pre-season win over Central Park Rangers at Randall's Island on

                 Aug. 28th. Photo by John Riordan/ Shamrock SC Images

The electrifying 2016-17 Cosmopolitan Soccer League season came to a halt last week to give way to the three-month winter break. We've seen about everything in the first half of the season: an unlikely team in first place, a prolific 1.2 goal per game striker, a team that won both Eastern New York cup competitions etc. A three month break is just what we need to take a breather and process the wonders of this entertaining season. Let's take a look at the top seven things to ponder on about the Fall season during the break.

1. The most decorated active team is fighting to stay in Division 1

                                                         NY Atlethic Club logo.

NY Athletic Club, alongside NY Pancyprian Freedoms, won more CSL titles than any other active teams, seven. They're the last team that won the league before Lansdowne Bhoys' threepeat, in 2012-13. They're one of the seven teams that won the league for three seasons in a row, doing it from 1994 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2000... They're in the relegation zone now, sitting in ninth place on a 1-4-5 record.  

2. From Division 2 in 2015 to top of Division 1 now

Shamrock SC was in Division 2 just last year-- in the Spring season of 2015. They finished in fifth place in their first spell back in the top flight last season. After making several great signings before their second season back in D1, such as Kwesi Mills-Odoi and Jamie Clarke, they created the best CSL team of this past Fall season, sitting first in the standings.

                   Kwesi Mils-Odoi (right) celebrating his goal against Zum Scnheider FC 03 on Sept. 11 alongside Jamie                                                Clarke. Photo by Dennis Schneider/ NY Shamrock SC

3. Two out of two ENY cups for the Bhoys

Lansdowne mesmerized amateur soccer in the U.S last year by winning the CSL three times in a row; they dragged their astonishing winning form in cup actions this season, snatching both Eastern New York cups before the winter break. The Bhoys defeated NY Polet 8-1 in the ENY Fricker Cup final and won the ENY Amateur Cup by conquering the Freedoms 3-1 in the final. Our eyes will be on them when they compete in the regional stages of the Fricker and the National Amateur Cup in the Spring.

                   Lansdowne Bhoys players and coaches after winning the ENY Amateur Cup on Dec. 15 at St. John's Belson                                        University Stadium. Lansdowne Bhoys Images

The Irish based-club has the opportunity to make it three ENY cups out three as they're scheduled to play in the Manning Cup final on June 17th. They will play either NY Greek Americans or Shamrocks. 

4. CSL is no longer a bully zone against the newcomers

                 Promoted side Zum Schneider FC 03 defending against league leaders Shamrock SC.  Photo by Dennis                                               Schneider/ NY Shamrock SC

From 2011 to 2015, five out of the seven teams that were promoted to the CSL's first division were relegated in their first season in the top flight. But last season, promoted sides Shamrock and Polonia NY managed to escape relegation. This season, newcomers Zum Schneider FC 03 and Doxa SC are performing even better than Shamrock and Polonia from last year as they sit far above the dropzone, Zum Schneider in sixth place and Doxa in fifth. 

Zum defeated last year finalists Cedar Stars Academy 3-1.  Doxa drew with Cedar, 3-3, and with three-time defending champions Lansdowne, 1-1.

"We [Doxa SC] are putting up a statement that we are not a team that was promoted from Division 2 to come here and let these teams get away with whatever they want to do to us and push us back down into the second division," Doxa head coach Paul Grafas said after his side tied with Lansdowne. "We are a team to be taken seriously."

5. Oakley won't stop scoring

Lansdowne striker Ovan Oakley missed the first month of the season as he was playing for his school, Concordia College. The Jamaican expressed how much he missed the league by scoring a brace in his second game back against Polonia on Nov. 20th and since then he hasn't stopped scoring. Oakley netted 12 goals in 10 games in all competitions. 

                  Striker Ovan Oakley has a 1.2 goal per game ratio for Lansdowne Bhoys this season. Hess Boys                                                            Photography

Oakley scored four goals in the ENY Fricker Cup final against NY Polet.

6. NY Pancyprians are underperforming

                   NY Pancyprian Freedoms goalkeeper Nicholas Tarkany Jr. during his side's 6-0 loss against Cedar Stars                                             Academy on Oct. 23rd at Randall's Island Field 75. Photo by DeVaughn Clasp.

Being in a playoff spot, making it to the ENY Amateur Cup final, scoring the second most goals in your division, sounds like a pretty good season, right? No, not for a team in NY Pancyprian's caliber-- a team that won the league seven times. The Freedoms are going through their worst season since the 2013-14 campaign. For the past two seasons, Pancyprian didn't lose a single league game going into the winter break. They lost four league games so far this season.

The reason of their underperformance is that they’re not getting results against the other giants of the league. They drew with Lansdowne and defeated CSA in Fall 2015 but this season, the only losses they suffered were against the top three teams in the table. 

Pancyprians' results against the top three teams

7. NY Greek Americans are pulling off 2014 NY Greek Americans' performances here and there

After the Greeks made their return to the CSL in 2003, they were the most successful team until 2014, winning four league titles and one National Amateur Cup. But they hit a sudden downfall last season, finishing in eighth place in the table. They're currently in eighth place again but they've been showing signs of a potential reestablishment of their glory days. They drew with Lansdowne 1-1 and made it to the semifinal of the Manning Cup by defeating Forrest Park, 4-3, and Cedar Stars, 5-3.

The main reason of these results is their plethora of new signings, 18 in total.