MATCH REPORT
The Cosmos suffered a 3-0 defeat on the road against Charlotte Independence, with the hosts scoring three first-half goals to secure all three points. Charlotte opened the scoring in the 18th minute through Christopher Jaime, who gave the home side an early advantage. The Cosmos looked to respond, but Charlotte doubled its lead in the 41st minute when Joseph Skinner found the back of the net. Just before the halftime whistle, Souaibou Marou added a third in the 45th+2 minute, sending the Cosmos into the break trailing 3-0.
Looking to turn the match around, Head Coach Davide Corti made three changes at halftime, introducing Néstor Cabrera, Davide Galazzini, and Nick Mendonca in place of Ozzie Ramos, Lamin Jawneh, and Anderson Holt. The Cosmos continued searching for a way back into the contest, maintaining 48 percent possession and completing 343 passes throughout the match. Ajmeer Spengler and Sebastián Guenzatti looked to provide an attacking spark, but the Cosmos struggled to break through Charlotte’s defense. In the 59th minute, Davide Materazzi received a yellow card as the Cosmos continued battling in the second half.
The Cosmos made two additional substitutions in the 78th minute, bringing on Sergio Chavez for Stalyn Acosta and Nick Zielonka for Guenzatti. Despite the changes, the Cosmos were unable to find the back of the net, finishing the match without a shot on target. Charlotte maintained its three-goal advantage through the final whistle, handing the Cosmos a 3-0 defeat. The Cosmos finished with 408 passes, five corners, and 48 percent possession but were unable to convert their attacking opportunities.
MATCH DETAILS
CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE 3-0 NEW YORK COSMOS
CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE (4-2-3-1): Levy; Skinner, Romero, Coulibaly, Dimick; Manin, Fuchs (85′ Amaya); Manzinga (56′ Ortiz), Jaime (65′ Saydee), Bakero (85′ Guffroy); Marou (85′ Pinho). Subs: Lyons, Riascos, Tasouris.
NEW YORK COSMOS (4-2-3-1): Garcia; Chilaka, Holt (46′ Mendonca), Materazzi, Milovanov; Ljucovic, Ramos (46′ Cabrera); Acosta (78′ Chavez), Spengler, Jawneh (46′ Galazzini); Guenzatti (78′ Zielonka). Subs: Puentes, Chan.
Goals: 18′ Jaime (CLT), 41′ Skinner (CLT), 45’+2 Marou (CLT).
Booked: 59′ Materazzi (COS), 85′ Levy (CLT), 90’+5 Coulibaly (CLT).
