By Ryan Lovejoy

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (August 1, 2015) – New York Cosmos B advanced to the NPSL National Final with an entertaining 5-2 win over CD Aguiluchos USA at Hofstra Soccer Stadium on Saturday evening.

Two goals from both Jenison Brito and Miguel Herlein, and one from Man of the Match Hagop Chirishian, did the damage and earned the team a shot at the title at home next Saturday, August 8 (time and venue to be decided).

Head coach Alecko Eskandarian was pleased with the performance. 

“It was good," he said after the game. "The guys worked extremely hard. It all starts with the respect that we have for the opponent, because I think they had a quality team with some dangerous players that asked some different questions of us. Credit to them for making it difficult but I think our boys had a good mentality from the get-go.

“They put a lot of work in, which resulted in chances that we were able to put away. Overall I'm very, very happy with the performance and the effort, but there's still some things that we can improve on.”

Cosmos B were were on the front foot from the start and and went ahead in the 12^th minute after good work down the right by Chirishian, and Jenison volleyed in his cross at the back post.

They thought they had a second three minutes later but Sebastian Guenzatti's effort was ruled out for offside. Another goal did arrive in the 34^th minute and it was Jenison again, finishing after Herlein's shot was blocked, then celebrating with a backflip. That took the Brazilian's tally to seven goals in just five starts for the team.

Chirishian supplied his second assist of the game four minutes after the restart, from the left this time. Herlein was the beneficiary, flicking in his inch-perfect cross.

Aguiluchos had a goal back within a minute though, Simon Rawnsley catching the Cosmos napping with a ball through the middle for Adan Martinez to slot under Kyle Zobeck. However, the Oakland-based side's hopes of a comeback were dented by the dismissal of defender Derek Dodrill for a second yellow card in the 58^th minute.

Cosmos B tried to make the most of their extra man, with John Neeskens, Herlein and Jimmy Mulligan all having shots saved by goalkeeper Kevin Gonzalez. He could do nothing about the fourth home goal though. Herlein played in Chirishian and he finished coolly to get the goal his performance deserved in the 69^th minute.

Three minutes later, Herlein had his second of the match, a deflected free kick from just outside the box, making it 16 goals in ten Cosmos B games for the Portuguese forward.

It was the visitors who had the last word in the 78^th minute. Substitute Devin Collins was denied by Zobeck on his first attempt but when the ball looped up in the air, he acrobatically smashed it in. Aguiluchos came agonizingly close to a third with a minute to go when another substitute, Flavio Ramos, reacted fastest in the box only to see his attempt cannon back off the post. At the other end, Gonzalez was tested by a fine long-range strike from Gonzalo Rodriguez in stoppage time.

The Cosmos' opponents in next week's final are Chattanooga FC, a Tennessee-based club who finished runners-up last year and attracted over 9,000 fans for Saturday's 3-0 victory over Indiana Fire.

A quick message from @NYCosmos B head coach @alecko11. #NYCosmos pic.twitter.com/cNURaB36C4

— New York Cosmos B (@NYCosmosB) August 2, 2015

“It was our goal to get here since the beginning of the season and our plan is to get the job done,” said Eskandarian. “We will prepare like we do for every other game. We will spend a good amount of time getting our boys ready for another tough match.

“We know at this stage no game is going to be easy, so we'll come out with the same level of respect for our opponent and do our best.”

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