NY Cosmos another victory
MIAMI — New York’s North American Soccer League Cosmos on Saturday night, 3-2 triumph over Miami FC at FIU Stadium.
Lucky Mkosana scored second goal of the game two minutes into stoppage time to give the Cosmos their second road win of the season.
Hunter Freeman drilled a corner kick into the area that hit the near left post. The ball fell down to the ground where Mkosana kicked it past goalkeeper Mario Daniel Vega.
The Cosmos (8-4-0, 24 points) were fortunate to leave FIU Stadium with three points for the second time this season as twice they gave up the lead.
They taken a 2-1 lead in the 81st minute as Yohandry Orozco completed a nice give-and-go with second-half substitute Andres Flores.
Miami, however, would not go gently into the night as right back Hunter Freeman took down Jaime Chavez into the penalty area.
Dario Cvitanich converted the penalty kick, beating goalkeeper Brian Holt to the left side for a 2-2 deadlock in the 87th minute.
The Cosmos, however, they wanted the victory from the start, Flores drilled a shot from outside the box that Vega parried over the bar, setting up Freeman’s corner kick and a chance for redemption.
The Cosmos played without three players, one due to injury (left back Ayoze), another to a coaches’ decision (goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer) and a third due to the birth of his child, Julian (forward Jairo Arrieta).
However the visitors made impression from start, Mkosana lifted the Cosmos into a 1-0 halftime advantage on a beautifully timed play in the 39th minute. Overlapping left back David Diosa, starting in place of the injured Ayoze, took advantage of a sleeping backline as he fired a ball across the penalty area to an unmarked Mkosana.
The Cosmos continued to control play in the second half as midfielder Ruben Bover attempted two chances from distance in the opening half hour that sailed out of bounds.
For most of the match, Danny Szetela held former New York City FC midfielder Kwadwo Poku in check. In the second half, however, Poku managed to work himself free and wound up being fouled by Diosa some 30 yards out.
Cvitanich faced another free kick opportunity, but on this one he ripped a rising shot over the bar.
Poku and Cvitanich had another opportunity in the 73rd minute from the left flank, slotted the ball to an onrushing Poku on the far side. Center back Carlos Mendes tried to cut down the angle, but Poku drilled a 15-yard shot home for a 1-1 deadlock and his first goal for Miami.
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