The New York Cosmos did what needed to be done Monday night at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium. In the 61st minute of match play, Hunter Freeman punched a corner kick to Marcos Senna who blasted the ball into the back of the net, lifting the Cosmos to a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United FC.
New York broke a two-game losing streak and scored for the first time in 294 minutes. The Cosmos handed undefeated Minnesota its first loss of the NASL season.
The Cosmos got on the scoreboard in the second half when Senna received the corner kick from Freeman outside of the box, took one touch and drove his right-foot shot into the net past Minnesota goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel in the 61st minute.
“It’s a talent that I have. It’s not exactly the first time I scored a goal like that,” Senna said via a translator. “It was good to be able to score again and support my team.”
Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese credited his team for working hard to get more shots on net against a Minnesota (4-1-0) defense that allowed just five goals coming into the contest.
“We worked during the week to do different things in our attack and were able to perform those things,” Savarese said. “We were very dangerous and we created very good opportunities. Unlucky we couldn’t put more in the net than just one, but we were able to create a lot of situations.”
The Cosmos (3-0-2, 9 points) had most of the possession in the first half and created some quality scoring chances. But with the game at 0-0 heading into the 61st minute, it took a special moment to get on the scoreboard.
Senna was open outside of the 18-yard box when he received the corner kick from Hunter Freeman. The former Spanish International star took one touch and drove his right-foot shot into the net past a few Minnesota defenders and goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel.
“We always work in set pieces and that’s one of the things we have done. It was clinical on the finishing,” Savarese said. “His control, he had the patience and he saw the only hole inside the defense that he can put on the net.”
The hosts had a chance to increase the lead in the 71st minute, but Mads Stokkelien could not get a foot off the pass outside the right box from teammate Jemal Johnson.
The Cosmos defense was key as they held the MUFC attack to just two shots on goal, but the visitors did pressure in the final minutes.
Minnesota United was close to equalizing one minute later. Aaron Pitchkolan put a long pass into the path of Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, who leaped to tip the ball away from oncoming attacker Simone Braclaello for a corner kick.
Maurer was called into action late in the second half as the Cosmos keeper saved a low shot from Minnesota forward Christian Ramirez in the 85th minute.
“We lost the last two games, it’s not that we have been playing bad in the last 90 minutes,” Maurer said. “We were able to put a good defensive effort in to keep the shutout, not have lapses and find our goal to get the win.”
New York is now tied for third place with San Antonio and returns to action on Saturday night in a visit to Tampa Bay at 7:30 p.m. ET. Savarese feels the previous two losses will get the team ready for the challenges ahead in the next few weeks.
“I think its important to get a little shaky and get a wakeup call and prepare for the situation we have faced in the last two games,” Savarese said. “We worked very well this week, improved, and this is going to make us a better team.”
