New York Cosmos close 2017 Preseason
The New York Cosmos and the Bermuda National Team battled to a 1-1 draw at Bermuda National Sports Centre Sunday afternoon in New York’s final preseason match ahead of the start of the 2017 NASL Regular Season. “Today’s match was a good test for us,” said Cosmos Head Coach and Sporting Director, Giovanni Savarese. “We are happy because the team responded well. We will now redirect our attention to our game against Puerto Rico FC next Saturday.”
New York started the match enjoying possession and applying high pressure to the home team. Andrés Flores, along with recent signee, Eugene Starikov and Salvadoran international, Irvin Herrera, generated multiple attacks that Bermudan goalkeeper, Stefan Dill, repelled efficiently. The intense winds in the island made it difficult for the Cosmos to maintain possession, but the team continued to attack throughout the scoreless first half. Even though second-half substitute, Jimmy Mulligan, brought stamina to the match, it was Bermuda who broke the scoreless deadlock in the 58th minute through midfielder, Tre Ming.
In what seemed to be an attempt to pass the ball to one of Bermuda’s strikers, the 22-year-old scored from 30 yards out to beat goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer after the wind changed the ball’s direction, finding the back of the net. The Cosmos continued their offensive efforts and fought for an equalizer, despite being down a goal. They continued to test Dill’s skills through long and short distance shots from Herrera and Starikov, missing two of them by mere inches. In the dying minutes of the match, Starikov picked up a deflected ball from a shot made by Herrera, on the right-hand side of the box. He then crossed it to the center of the box so Flores could volley the ball to the back of the net, equalizing the match in dramatic fashion. Main referee, Anthony Bailey, ended the match right after Flores’ goal, earning the Cosmos another unbeaten performance during the 2017 preseason.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR1fx96DyxY/
