The Cosmos accrued only one point in back-to-back matches with Indy Eleven. (Photo courtesy of the Cosmos)
INDIANAPOLIS — Indy Eleven used some smarts and some braun to beat the Cosmos Saturday night, that is Justin Braun and Don Smart, that is.
Braun snapped a 1-1 deadlock in the 75th minute to boost Indy to a 2-1 victory over the Cosmos in a North American Soccer League game before a crowd of 8,748 at Michael A. Carroll Stadium.
The loss dropped the Cosmos (5-4-6, 21 points) to fourth place in the spring standings, while Indy (3-4-8, 17) remained in sixth place. Last week New York salvaged a 1-1 home draw with Eleven.
“Today we showed great spirit,” Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “Under different circumstances, the game could have been ours.”
Smart had given Indy a 1-0 lead with a 15th minute penalty kick past goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer before Emmanuel Ledesma equalized in the 27th minute off an Eric Calvillo assist past keeper Jon Busch.
Braun headed home a Nemanja Vukovic corner kick with 15 minutes remaining in regulation as Indy held on for the win.
Vukovic went on a solo run in the 87th minute, trying for an insurance goal, but Maurer denied the Indy player.
The Cosmos visit FC Edmonton next Saturday at 9 p.m. The team returns to MCU Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. to take on Miami FC Saturday, July 29 at 7 p.m., when they open the fall season.
