BROOKLYN, N.Y. — It was bad enough that the Cosmos surrendered four goals within a short span in the second half at home and that they lost 4-2.
What was worse that the two-time defending North American Soccer League champions allowed the worst scoring teams in the league convert those scoring opportunities.
FC Edmonton struck for four second-half goals within a 20-minute span en route to that 4-2 result against the nine-man Cosmos at MCU Park in Coney Island Wednesday night.
The Eddies entered the match with only five goals in its precious nine matches, but they almost doubled that production as they hurt the Cosmos’ chances of winning the spring crown to secure an automatic playoff berth.
The Cosmos (4-2-4, 16 points) had their seven-game unbeaten streak snapped. Their last loss also was at home — on April 1. Sixth-place Edmonton (10) improved to 3-6-1.
New York finished the game without two starters as defender Darrius Barnes and Juan Guerra were red carded late in the match.
Video courtesy of the Cosmos’ Facebook Page
At that juncture, very few fans or observers in the stadium predicted what occurred during a nightmare 20 minutes in the second. It had to be one of the worst in the long history of the club.
Four players found the net for Edmonton. First, Sainey Nyassi off a Pedro Galvao feed, equalzied in the 69th minute. Then Tomi Ameobi gave the visitors the lead for good in the 72nd minute on a set up by Mauro Eustaquio only three minutes later.
Keegan gave the Eddies a cushion in the 85th minute on a goal created by Dustin Corea before Ameobi’s second score made it 4-1 in the 89th minute.
Ayoze’s penalty kick four minutes into injury time made the score 4-2, but it was too little and too late.
Cosmos midfielder Javi Marquez had a penalty kick saved a minute into second-half injury time.
