Rafa Garcia scored a goal for the ages in the 82nd minute. (Photo courtesy of the Cosmos B)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Despite playing a little more than half the match a man down, 10-man Cosmos B avenged its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup elimination by the Brooklyn Italians Tuesday night.
It took a wonder goal by Rafael Garcia’s from the other side of the halfway line to accomplish that feat. His 55-yard goal snapped a tie in the 82nd minute to lift Cosmos B to a 2-1 National Premier Soccer League win at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.
Garcia’s second goal of the match was scored from just about the halfway line after Cosmos B (2-0-0, 6 points) kicked off after Brooklyn equalized in the same minute.
Only seconds earlier, Matthew McDonnell had knotted the score up at 1-1, scoring from atop the right side of the penalty area past goalkeeper Macklin Robinson.
Cosmos B dropped a 3-2 Open Cup decision in a play-in match in Brooklyn April 29.
After a pair of lightning delays totalling 35 minutes, the game finally kicked off at 8:35 p.m. ET.
Cosmos B dominated the opening half, but could not solve the Italians. Goalkeeper Tyron Matuta was stellar in the nets, stopping everything that was sent his way. That including three saves during the 18th and 19th minutes.
Brooklyn hardly had the ball in the Cosmos B end and when the visitors did, it was very for extremely short times.
New York, however, suffered a blow in the 43rd minute when Bill Stevens saw red for upending Giuseppe Barone — one of two Giuseppe Barone’s in the Starting XI for both sides — in the 43rd minute.
A minute after the red card, Garcia was awarded a yellow card for dissent.
Despite playing a man down in the second half, the hosts continued to possess the ball for reasonable stretches and it finally paid off in the 67th minute.
After a few quick passes, Garcia powered a shot from atop the penaty arc past the outstreched Matuta and into the lower left corner for a 1-0 Cosmos B advantage.
Cosmos B will host Greater Lowell NPSL FC at Mitchel Athletic Complex Sunday at 4 p.m.