(NPSL 2019) Hartford City 0v2 New York Cosmos B

Sunday 19th May 2019
Central Connecticut University Soccer Field, Connecticut,   Attendance - 

Cosmos ended a gruelling schedule of 4 games in 8 days with a win in Hartford to maintain the 100% record in the NPSL.

New York dominated the first half but Hartford somehow managed to keep the ball out of the net. Cosmos dominated possession with Hartford unable to generate anything at the other end.

Szetela went the closest to scoring, arriving at the far post from a left wing cross, but his effort hit the post. The captain also saw a header go narrowly wide after a free-kick whipped into the near post. The Hartford goalkeeper Hami Kara was called into action on a number of occasions, firstly saving from a free-kick with the rebound cleared to safety.

Chances continued to rain in on the Hartford goal as a clever pass behind the Hartford defence caught the home side out. Kara did well to stop the initial effort and Cosmos could not turn the rebound in as Hartford escaped again. Cosmos did manage to get the ball into the net only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. A well struck Bardic effort was saved and the rebound converted, but the offside flag came to the home sides rescue.

Matt Lewis went close as the half wore on as he rose above other in the box to head narrowly wide following a corner kick.

It didn't take long for Cosmos to get the goal their domination deserved after the restart. Junior Burgos struck the Hartford bar with a long range effort, and the bar had barely stopped rattling before the Cosmos finally scored. The goal came following a rare Hartford attack, there initially looked like little danger when the ball was played up to Charlie Ledula who had little in the way of support. But Ledula drove at the Hartford defence and cut inside beating 2 men before slotting the ball past the keeper.

Aaron Dennis came close to scoring a second as he skipped past a Hartford defender, but the angle was narrow and his effort flew wide of the target. Just before the hour mark Junior Burgos sent a trademark free-kick towards goal from long range with the keeper again doing well to tip it wide.

Hartford had barely threatened up to the Cosmos goal, but the home side were forced out of their shell and improved as they became more ambitious.

Hartford even wasted a golden chance to level the game. The move started with a long ball into the Cosmos half and the ball was played infield to Mark Grant who did everything right by beating 2 Cosmos players but with only the goalkeeper to beat he put the ball agonisingly wide.

Al Hassan came on as substitute and almost made an immediate impact when a crossfield ball found the Cosmos man in acres of space. But Hassan dwelled on the ball far too long and allowed a defender to stop him with a last ditch tackle. But Cosmos would soon make sure of the 3 points when a free-kick from Junior Burgos made it's way through a crowded box and into the net via the faintest of touches from Bardic.

A defensive mix up almost let Hassan in, but the Kara came out well to cut out the danger and Bardic had an effort cleared off the line in stoppage time as Cosmos continued to pile forward up until the end of the match.