Cosmos draw NCFC after late equalizer

The Cosmos earned a third consecutive draw, this time at the hands of North Carolina FC. After a scoreless first half, the home side opened the scoring with when Nazmi Albadawi finished on the receiving end of a give and go. In the 58th minute, Ayoze found Andres Flores with a cheeky chipped ball, and the El Salvadorian equalized. New York took the lead in the 70th minute when Eugene Starikov finally, found his first goal of the season. After being dispossessed by Connor Tobin, Starikov fought to recover the ball and give his team the lead. However, much like Conor Mcgregor in the Money Fight on Saturday night, the Cosmos faded late. An unmarked Renan Gorne tapped in the rebound of a Jimmy Maurer save, giving NCFC a point.

Another draw is not the result New York is looking for, but there are some positives to take away. For the first time in what seems forever, Carlos Medes started and played the full ninety minutes for New York. The return of Mendes and the promotion of Harri Hawkins could help in the fortification of the Cosmos’ defense going forward. Also, last year’s MVP Juan Arango has finally arrived in training for New York. In whatever capacity he can still contribute, he will make a difference in New York’s playoff push.

Honestly, as a fan of the Cosmos, Conor Mcgregor, and Arsenal, this has been a pretty rough sports weekend for me. At least in draw and defeat, New York and the Notorious one looked respectable, unlike the Gunners who were run off the park. So even though the Fall Season hasn’t gone as planned for New York, be glad you don’t support Arsenal.

New York plays the Jacksonville Armada on September 3rd.