Raúl González Blanco ends his professional football career as champion

Spanish player Raúl González Blanco closed his career as a professional footballer today by winning the North American Soccer League (NASL) with the New York Cosmos.

In the final, the iconic New York team defeated Ottawa Fury 3-2. Three goals from Argentine forward Gastón Cellerino defined a friction-filled match, where intensity prevailed over order.

We are the 2015 @naslofficial CHAMPIONS. #NYCosmos #TheChampionshipFinal pic.twitter.com/G37aeGTNGH

— New York Cosmos (@NYCosmos) November 16, 2015

Raúl, who had little participation during the match, provided an assist in the 85th minute, when he set up Cellerino for the partial 3-1 that secured the second title in three years for the "NY" Cosmos.

The Spanish forward played 16 seasons with Real Madrid, winning three Champions Leagues and six Spanish Leagues, among other trophies. He then moved to German club Schalke 04, where he played for two years before moving to Qatar to play with Al Saad. His last stop for the "Siete" was a season with the New York Cosmos, where he played 29 matches and scored eight goals.

Source: DPA