Andres Flores (left) headed a cross off the crossbar in the ninth minute of stoppage time. (Photo courtesy of the Cosmos)
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Cosmos earned one point the hard way Saturday night, overcoming a two-goal deficit to register a 3-3 draw with Indy Eleven at MCU Park Saturday night.
In a rematch of last year’s Soccer Bowl, New York avoided its second consecutive loss in the North American Soccer League season.
Juan Guerra’s 84th-minute header lifted the Cosmos into a 3-3 draw in what was one wild, high-scoring encounter.
How crazy was the game? in the ninth, yes, ninth minute of stoppage time, Andres Flores headed a Dejan Flores cross off the crossbar. A minute later, Javi Marquez had his header from the middle of the area denied by goalkeeper Jon Busch.
The game was whistled over in the 10th minute of injury time.
“It was one of our best performances offensively,” Cosmos Head coach and Giovanni Savarese said. “We did a lot of good things. I think we still can work in some aspects, in which I think we can capitalize more of the opportunities that we have.”
Guerra sent his header — off an Emmanuel Ledesma cross from a corner kick — from the center of the penalty area into the top left corner past Busch for the tie.
Gerardo Torrado struck for two goals within a four-minute span early in the first half.
In the 10th minute, after a corner kick Torrado fired a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area past goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer into the top right corner.
Indy and Torrado doubled the lead only four minutes later, connecting from outside the box off an Eamon Zayed feed.
The Cosmos sliced the lead in half in the 29th minute as Jakovic’s header from the right side of the six-yard box, off an Andres Flores assist, found the net, making the score, 2-1.
Five minutes into the second half, the hosts equalized on Pablo Vranjican’s close-range head for a 2-2 deadlock.
New York’s celebrations did not last that long as Zayed snapped the tie in the 53rd minute as his left-footed shot from outside the box hit the bottom right corner. David Goldsmith assisted on the goal that gave the visitors a 3-2 edge.
“It was a very good match, I think,” Savarese said. “The team constantly showed the desire to come back into the match; that’s the positive part about today. I just think that defensively, it could have been a little bit better.”