When the New York Cosmos lost to the San Antonio Scorpions 1-0 during the North American Soccer League’s recent spring season, the club used the defeat as a springboard to go 4-1-1 in its remaining six matches.
After falling to San Antonio 3-1 at Hofstra University’s James A. Shuart Stadium on Saturday to open the NASL’s fall campaign, the Cosmos are already looking for a similar rebound.
“Last season, after we lost against San Antonio as well, we were able to find ourselves, we learned from it, we became better and we were stronger throughout the entire season,” Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese said. “Hopefully, it’s the same case, we learn from this and we are going to be a lot more competitive than we were today.”
The Cosmos fell behind 2-0 late in the first half on a pair of goals from Scorpions midfielder Rafael Castillo and allowed another midway through the second frame despite cutting the lead early in the half.
The win marked San Antonio’s fifth straight road win, while the Comsos conceded as many goals Saturday as they had during the entire spring season.
“We give up early goals and we don’t match their intensity,” said Cosmos fullback Hunter Freeman, who had New York’s lone score. “I think a lot of the games where we struggled is where we haven’t matched the other team’s intensity.”
Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was called for a penalty in the 41st minute after colliding with Castillo in the box, and Castillo rifled a shot past Maurer on the ensuing penalty kick.
Castillo scored again in the second minute of stoppage, on a free kick time that first hit the underside of the crossbar.
“We just weren’t ready to play, all of us,” Maurer said. “You can make excuses, different things, but we just weren’t good enough. Play like that, especially in the first half, it’s going to be a long game.”
Freeman launched a free kick from 26 yards out past the Scorpions’ wall of defenders and into the back of the netting in the 57th minute, and nearly tied it in the 63rd with a lob from 35 yards out that sailed high over the crossbar.
San Antonio put the game out of reach in the 69th minute, as forward Sainey Touray took a pass from Billy Forbes and put it past Maurer.
“It just deflates you, it does,” Freeman said. “Obviously, you have to keep working, keep battling to try to find another goal, but now you’re going uphill. It was a bad goal to give up at a bad time.”
The Cosmos return to action on July 20 at Ottawa Fury FC. They bookend their season with a road rematch in San Antonio on Nov. 1.
