Kerry duo help NYC Ireland to Cosmos Copa title

A GOAL from Tralee native Sean Kelly helped NYC Ireland to lift the New York Comos Copa for the first time after they beat NYC Colombia 3-2 in the final last Sunday. Kelly, who was once on Arsenal’s books, was joined by another Tralee man, John Dineen, who scored a crucial penalty in Ireland’s semi-final win over NYC Gambia.

Cosmos Copa was founded in 2009, and is a soccer tournament played in New York City between local, community based, “national teams”.

This tournament brings together the best men’s players in the tri-state area to compete for the honour of hoisting the Cosmos Copa while celebrating the city’s rich cultural diversity and promoting local soccer talent. The Cosmos Copa has grown into one of the most prominent and prestigious adult soccer tournaments in the United States because of the professional presentation and exposure that the players receive. It has doubled from 16 teams in its founding year of 2009 to 32 teams as of 2015.

Named after the legendary NASL club, the New York Cosmos, Cosmos Copa is the organisation’s grassroots tournament and an important part of the club’s efforts to return to the highest levels of American soccer while still keeping grounded in the local community.

NYC Ireland started the tournament with a 1-1 draw in their opening round game against NYC Paraguay, and victories over NYC Japan and NYC Jamaica sent Ireland to the Round of 16 as Group E’s top seed. In that round, NYC Ireland held off a dangerous NYC Senegal squad 2-1 to advance to the quarter-finals, where a strong defensive performance led the Irish to a 2-0 win over NYC Ukraine.

In the semi-finals, NYC Ireland and defending champions NYC Gambia played a 1-1 draw. In a dramatic penalty kick shootout, the Irish and Gambian squads traded goals for the first three rounds. In the fourth round, NYC Ireland goalkeeper Alex Condell saved the Gambian penalty and then John Dineen scored his to send his squad to the finals.

In the Cosmos Copa Final played at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium last Sunday NYC Ireland faced NYC Colombia. Ireland went behind to a very early penalty but five minutes later Conor Hunter scored an equaliser. NYC Ireland took the lead through team captain Sean Kelly whose low shot beat Colombian keeper Oswaldo Herrera. Colombia equalised before the break to leave it 2-2 at half-time.

In the dying moments Ireland were awarded a penalty which Ian Sweeney scored to secure the Cosmos Copa for Ireland for the first time in the tournament’s seven-year history.