Wednesday night was a good one for the New York Cosmos, whose victory over Jersey Express SC set up a highly anticipated fourth-round match with NYCFC. It also marked the professional debut for one of the big signings of the winter, US youth international Haji Wright.
Wright started the match on the bench, but with a comfortable 2-0 lead late int he match, coach Gio Savarese introduced Wright in the 79th minute, when he took off fan favorite Sebastian Guenzatti. Wright promptly won a penalty when he was taken down in the box, which also resulted in the Express being reduced to 10 men for the remainder of the match. Mads Stokkelien converted the penalty.
For Wright, Wednesday night will probably be the first of quite a few appearances with the Cosmos, especially if they can take care of business against Minnesota Untied this weekend. A victory would secure a home playoff match in November, somewhat reducing the importance of the NASL fall season, and letting Savarese focus on the US Open Cup. That should lead to more rotation and experimentation during the fall, which in turn, should lead to more action for Wright.
Congratulations on the excellent debut, Haji, and we're all looking forward to more.