By Aaron Cheris

On Wednesday New York Cosmos midfielder Sebastián Guenzatti got his first start of the season, featuring for 79 minutes before being subbed off. He stepped on the pitch the same way he always does: right foot first.

“That’s what I do when I come on the field,” Guenzatti explained to NYCosmos.com after New York bested Jersey Express 3-0. “It’s my pregame routine.”

He was one of the key players in the Cosmos’ win at St. John’s Belson Stadium, scoring a goal in the 40^th minute of the match.

“I was happy,” he said. “This whole team has been doing a great job.”

After taking a Leo Fernandes pass just outside the Express box, Guenzatti beat two defenders before beating goalkeeper Matthew Turner from 10 yards out.

“Leo gave it to me, I faked a pass to [Hunter] Freeman and found an open hole,” Guenzatti explained. “I ran through the defense, shot and put it in.”

“I thought the guys played most of the game well and it was a good result for us at the end,” Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese said.

Scoring a goal at Belson Stadium is a long way from Guenzatti’s birthplace of Montevideo, Uruguay, but not too far from Francis Lewis High School, where he was a member of the soccer team shortly after moving to Queens at age 12.

“Over here with the Cosmos I feel at home,” Guenzatti said. “The people are very nice, so I’m enjoying it.”

For the Cosmos this season has been one to enjoy. Through eight NASL games they’ve yet to lose, earning five wins and three draws to climb to the top of the standings.

“Our veteran players really help us out a lot,” Guenzatti said. “They’ve been doing a great job with the team, and the coaching staff has also.”

After a matchup with Minnesota United FC on Saturday, the Cosmos will head to Cuba for a friendly with the Cuban National Team in Havana.

“We want the people to enjoy the game in Cuba,” Guenzatti said of the upcoming trip. “We’re the first team to come over in a while. We’re going to try to give them a good performance. We’re going to have fun.”