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Judging by the way Raul moves around the pitch, whether the ball is at his feet or not, you would be forgiven for not believing that he is now 38 years old. The Real Madrid legend is in the twilight of an illustrious career, spending the final stretch with the New York Cosmos – a football club in the North American Soccer League, the second division in the United States and Canada.
Their opponents in the NASL semi-finals were the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Battling it out at MCU Park in Brooklyn, New York, it was the Strikers who took the lead first in the first half in spite of the Cosmos having the majority of the possession in the first half. But Gaston Cellerino then managed to equalise courtesy of a deflection just before half-time to make it 1-1.
Fighting for a place in the 2015 Soccer Bowl, it was the former Spanish international who then stepped up with a well-taken effort to give the Cosmos the lead. Receiving the ball outside the box, the Spaniard took one touch to control the ball and get in between the defenders and a second touch to shoot past the stranded goalkeeper who had no chance to make the save.
The shot went past the keeper, hit the post and found the back of the net. Raul was even seen keeping possession and running down the clock, dribbling towards the corner flag and even keeping two defenders at bay to waste precious seconds.
The Cosmos now wait for the winner of the other semi-final between Ottawa Fury FC and Minnesota United to see who they will face in the NASL final.
Raul will retire at the end of the season
For those wanting to get a last glimpse of the superstar, this is your last chance. The 38-year-old striker had announced in October that he would retire at the end of the season which will conclude this month.
“My decision is to retire from playing at the end of this season. I am fully focused on finishing the season strong and helping the New York Cosmos win the NASL Championship. In the coming months, I will decide the next step in my career.
“Playing soccer has been part of my life for so long and the decision to retire is not an easy one but I believe it is the right time.” – Raul.
