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Cosmos Take Lessons From Draw With Milwaukee Torrent

The side's next opponent is Michigan Stars
Published Aug 20, 2019

The New York Cosmos learned a couple of harsh lessons in their 2-2 draw with the Milwaukee Torrent on Saturday night.
 
They were reminded that a game isn't over until the referee's final whistle and that they must find a way to finish off a game.
 
In their first NPSL Members Cup home game, the Cosmos conceded two goals in the final two minutes, allowing Milwaukee to rally while losing two valuable home points. The result left both sides with 1-0-1 records and four points.
 
"Obviously disappointing stuff," Cosmos head coach Carlos Mendes said. "After being in control and up two-nil, to give up goals like that pretty much in a five-minute span, is a tough one. But it's a learning lesson. We didn't kill off the game. We got too casual."
 
Center back Emmanuele Sembroni, who captained the team with midfielder Danny Szetela starting the match on the bench, agreed.
 
"Definitely there was something missing from us in those five minutes," he said. So that's an experience well have to grow through. This makes you grow, makes you become a better player. You have to act like a man and move forward. It sucks, it's disappointing, but that's soccer. We've got to grow from it."
 
It's all about keeping focus, which Mendes felt his team lost in the waning minutes at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y.
 
"It's about mentality and the little details," he said. "We got too involved with the little things, with the referees and all these things. You lose focus. You can't have a window where you give up a goal. You can't have a breakdown as a team and give up a second goal. It kind of fell apart. It’s tough. We have to learn from this and hopefully improve and mature."
 
Sembroni added: "Especially when you have the game under control, you always have to have your attention at 110 percent, and you cannot drop. As you can see, as soon we dropped in those five minutes, they got two goals. It was unfortunate. You've got to have a mentality and understand that you cannot leave anything to the other team."
 
Asked how he and the team will get the game out of their system, Mendes replied, "Everyone has to look at themselves. It starts with me on what we can do better and go from there. The good thing about this game is that we've got another chance in two weeks."
 
The Cosmos will have this weekend off before visiting the Michigan Stars on Saturday, August 31. They return home to Mitchel to welcome Napa Valley 1839 FC on Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m.
 
"It's a short season," Mendes said. "We said every point matters. Now we'll make sure from here on, even games on the road, you have to pick up points. We'll have to be ready. We're looking forward to it."