News

Cosmos Draw Season Opener in Puerto Rico

New York and Puerto Rico FC finish nil-nil at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel
Published Mar 26, 2017

Bayamón, PUERTO RICO (March 25, 2017) - The New York Cosmos kicked off the 2017 NASL Spring Season with a 0-0 draw against Puerto Rico FC at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel. The two teams battled hard in the season opener, however, neither was able to find the back of the net.

"We obtained a valuable point tonight away from home," said Head Coach and Sporting Director, Giovanni Savarese. "We are very proud of the work the players have done, considering the fact that we started to put the team back together only a few weeks ago."

The match was delayed due to a power outage in the area of the stadium, as kickoff began at 8:20 p.m. ET. Five of the returning New York Cosmos stars who prevailed in last season’s championship started tonight; Jimmy Maurer, Carlos Mendes, Ayoze, Ryan Richter, and Andrés Flores.

The first half saw the away-team with nearly 58 percentage possession, looking to play through new signee, Amauri, who joined the club after playing last season with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The Italian forward partnered up with Andrea Mancini, who returned this season as the two players up top pressured Puerto Rico’s defense.

Second half play provided early drama as referee, Kevin Morrison, was forced to separate players from both teams who reacted after defender Danny Szetela was elbowed in the face. Play resumed, and the Cosmos created more chances in the final third.

Jimmy Mulligan came off the bench in the 57th minute to replace Salvadoran International, Irvin Herrera. Minutes later, Savarese made his second substitution, bringing onto the pitch another new signee, Kalif Alhassan, to replace Mancini.

The best opportunity of the match came in the 62nd minute as Amauri flicked the ball to Flores, but the shot went just wide. New signee, Eugene Starikov, came in with a set of fresh legs to replace Amauri, making an impact instantly. However, the Cosmos were unable to convert their chances. Morrison blew the final whistle, as the two teams took their respective one point.

The Cosmos will play their first home match of 2017 on Saturday, April 1 at 7:00 pm, as they will host Miami FC at Brooklyn’s MCU Park. Tickets are on sale now, for more information click here.