CSL's 2016 top five stories
By Ralph Chery
December 31, 2016
2016 is a tough one to let go for the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, for the league had one of its most prestigious year of the past decade. As we're going through the 90th minute mark of 2016 today, let's take a look back at the top five stories of the year. CSL might want to ask the referee for added time for such a year.
5. CSL's teams cup success
The CSL won 17 out of the 23 games played against teams from foreign leagues, the Long Island Football Soccer League and the Eastern District Soccer League, in the Eastern New York cup competitions. Furthermore Lansdowne Bhoys won two of the three ENY cup finals played in 2016, the Fricker Cup through a 8-1 win over LIFSL side NY Polet and the Amateur Cup. And the only teams left in the ENY Manning Cup are from the Cosmopolitan League as the Bhoys reached the final and NY Greek Americans and Shamrock SC the semifinal.
Shamrock SC players celebrating Alejandro Fritz's game-winning goal against Doxa SC at St. Michael's Playground on Nov. 19th. Photo by Dennis Schneider/ NY Shamrocks Images
The only ENY cup CSL failed to win this year is the Rapaglia Cup as Cedar Stars Academy was edged by Polet 3-2 in the final on September.
4. Long time MLS player joined the CSL
The CSL had its share of former MLS players joining the league in recent years such as Jeff Matteo, Chris Megaloudis and Nicholas Walker and so on. But all these players had a scarce career in the top flight. The NY Pancyprian Freedoms signed a player who spent 11 years in the MLS earlier this season, James Riley.
NY Pancyprian Freedoms player James Riley in his days with D.C.United in 2013. Rantsports Images.
Riley won the MLS Cup in 2014 with Los Angeles Galaxy, the U.S Open Cup with D.C United, three more Open Cups with the Seattle Sounders and one with New England Revolution.
3. Lansdowne's threepeat
Winning your division is never easy, doing it for two years in a row is remarkable, doing it for three years in a row is frightening. The Bhoys won three CSL titles in row, defeating Cedar Stars (they went by Everton FC Westchester Eagles then) 3-0 in the final last season. The Irish based-club outscored their opponents 9-0 in the last three finals.
Lansdowne Bhoys celebrating after defeating Cedar Stars Academy in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League final on June 5th. Lansdowne Bhoys Images
Lansdowne is also on an outrageous 43-game unbeaten run in the league.
2. Rocks top of the table in their second year back in D1
Shamrocks wrote an incredible Cinderella Story in the CSL toward the end of 2016, topping the league before the winter break in their second season back in the elite division and after missing the playoffs last year.
Alejandro Fritz celebrating after scoring Shamrock SC's game-winning goal against Doxa SC on Nov. 19th.
Shamrock SC Images
1. Lansdowne's monstrous run in the Open Cup
An amateur team racking wins against a semi-pro and a professional side in its first spell in the most competitive soccer cup in the country-- you can't top that.
Ovan Oakley on the ball during Lansdowne Bhoys' 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Photo by Daviid
Harris/ Lansdowne Bhoys Images
It does seem like it happened last year as Lansdowne already failed to qualify to this edition of the Open Cup, falling to FC Motown 2-1 in the qualifying round on October. But it was only six months ago when the Bhoys were strolling in the Open Cup, defeating semi-pro side Long Island Roughriders 2-1 and professional team from the USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 2-0. Unfortunately their run ended in the third round, losing to Rochester Rhinos 2-0 on June 1st.
