The Cosmos will try to salvage their three-game homestand with a win against Puerto Rico FC Friday night.
The two-time defending North American Soccer League has gained only one point out of a possible six at MCU Park in Brooklyn, N.Y.
On June 7, they dropped a 4-2 decision to low-scoring FC Edmonton.
On Saturday, they settled for a 2-2 draw with North Carolina FC.
And on Friday at 7:30 p.m., they host Puerto Rico FC in Coney Island, Brooklyn in their third meeting of the NASL spring season.
The teams played to a scoreless draw at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in the Cosmos’ season opener March 25. New York recorded a 4-3 victory over to PRFC May 14. Andrés Flores, Juan Guerra, Ryan Richter, and Walter Restrepo tallied for the Cosmos, with two assists from Emmanuel Ledesma and one from Dejan Jaković.
So, the fourth-place Cosmos (4-2-5, 17 points) need a home win or the homestand will be considered a disaster.
New York enters the match having earned a point in the 2-2 tie with North Carolina FC. An early goal from Irvin Herrera inside the six-yard box kicked things off. The Cosmos were down a goal when Kalif Alhassan came off the bench to level the score, curling in a chip shot from inside the area to open his account.
Seventh-place Puerto Rico FC (1-6-4, 7) head to Brooklyn following a 3-1 home loss to the San Francisco Deltas. PRFC, one of two teams that has yet to win on the road, is tied with Indy Eleven for most goals conceded (19). Goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg has conceded 13 goals, tied with FC Edmonton’s Chris Konopka for third most in the league.
The hosts will need to keep an eye on PRFC’s attacking line, including forward Emery Welshman, who recorded a goal and an assist in the teams’ previous meeting. Another key figure for Puerto Rico FC is Giuseppe Gentile, who leads the team in shots (21), tallying two goals and two assists in nine appearances.
The Cosmos are unbeaten against PRFC in all four meetings between the teams with a 3-0-1 mark, outscoring their foes, 9-4.