Saturday 9th August 2014
Atlanta Silverbacks Park, Atlanta Attendance 3,842
The
Cosmos recorded a much needed win with a 2v1 victory over Atlanta Silverbacks.
Atlanta is proving to be a happy hunting ground for the Cosmos, who recorded a
3rd consecutive win there. But Cosmos were far from impressive and were
struggling with the score at 1v0 to the home team approaching half time.
But
the game turned on a sending off for Silverbacks' Sandoval and Cosmos
capitalised by turning the game around with 2 goals.
The
first chance of the game fell to Danny Szetela in the 11th minute, who found
the ball fall into his path on the edge of the area, only to get his effort
badly wrong as the shot went horribly wide. The Silverbacks made the Cosmos pay
just a minute later as they went ahead courtesy of a spectacular strike.
When
Junior Burgos lined up to hit a free kick from 35 yards it looked optimistic from the home sides
view, only for the player to rocket the set piece into the top corner of the
net with a fantastic effort. The game had an unscheduled interruption halfway
through the first held due to a lightning delay. It was a lengthy three and a
half hour delay that meant that the game would finish past midnight and led to
large portions of the crowd electing to go home.
Although
the Cosmos did get into attacking positions, they failed to force Joe Nasco to
do anything more than collect some routine crosses and saves up until the
sending off.
The
visitors didn't take long to make the man advantage count and fashioned an
equaliser with the last kick of the half. Ayoze and Chirishian linked up well
with a lightning quick attack down the left wing and Flores slid in at the far
post to convert a cross by Chirishian.
Despite
dominating possession the Cosmos failed to put Atlanta under too much pressure,
but did take the lead just after the hour mark. In last seasons Soccerbowl
Marcos Senna hit a stunning game winner and he produced the magic again with
another well taken free kick. It was not as far out as the effort from Bargos,
but it ended up in the same corner of the goal, with Nasco given little chance.
Clear
cut chances were still few and far between, Stokkelien was presented with a
half chance after a long raking ball from Flores, but the striker elected to
take the shot on first time and it was an easy save from the striker who had a
disappointing evening.
As
the game wore on the Cosmos were looking to put the game to bed. Dennisen broke
free and unselfishly squared it to Stokkelien, only for the strikers shot to be
blocked as Atlanta kept themselves in contention. In the latter stages it was
the Cosmos who looked most likely to score as Dennisen found himself in space
with only the keeper to beat, but his effort hit the post. In stoppage time
Chirishian fired well wide after being set up by Dennisen, but with little
threat from the home side it was irrelevant as Cosmos saw out the win.
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