NEW YORK COSMOS B DEFEAT BOSTON CITY FC 3-1

Two own goals and an early red card denied Boston City FC a famous victory in the club’s first-ever competitive match, a 3-1 loss to reigning NPSL champion New York Cosmos B.  A noisy crowd of 927 braved rainy conditions to cheer on Boston’s National Premier Soccer League opener in Malden, Mass.

Boston defended a 33rd minute Yaw Addow lead, but after the Ghanaian striker was sent off, the hosts were unable to stem a determined comeback by the visitors.  The pair of own goals in the 64th and 75th minutes and a third strike six minutes from time ensured New York Cosmos B remain unbeaten in club history, but the score was cruel on Boston.

“The red card complicated things for the say we were playing, but I’m very content with way the team played and I know that going forward things are going to be good,” said Boston City coach Palhinha.

“Our team was marking and defending well and we had two opportunities in the first half.

When you play against a big team and you don’t score, you kind of chase your own tail and you’re going to get it in the end.”

Cosmos B produced the first scoring chance of the match as Ivan Bertame forced City keeper Neneca to save at his near post, but from then on, Boston dominated the first half.

City came within inches of taking a seventh minute lead when midfielder Jadilson Vieira clipped the crossbar with a fierce free kick from distance.

Visiting keeper Hector Guerrero made two fine saves to keep the hosts at bay.  First he parried away a Michael Bustamante effort after the midfielder had broken through in a one-on-one situation then turned an Addow header on the end of another Jadilson free kick around the post.

The deserved opening goal came after 32 minutes and it was Addow, whose height and physical presence had been a thorn in New York’s side, who broke the deadlock.  Having shaken off receiving a ninth minute yellow card, the imposing Ghanaian rose to power home a header from a Jadilson corner and celebrated as wildly as the partisan crowd.

Franklin Castellanos had the ball in the net for Cosmos B a minute before halftime, but was ruled offside and the hosts took a deserved 1-0 lead in at the break, albeit without Addow, who walked for a second yellow card.

Cosmos B produced its most threatening chance after 63 minutes when Ivan Bertame latched onto the end of a Kyle McTurk cross, but directed the ball over the cross bar.

A minute level the visitors were level as Gaston Sanchez drove a shot into a crowded goalmouth and the ball deflected off a defender leaving Neneca powerless to prevent the equalizer.  Incredibly in the 75th minute, a Sanchez free kick was headed past Neneca, again by one of his own defenders.

Cosmos B made sure of victory in the 84th minute when substitute Gonzalo Rodriguez powered home a header from a corner and it might have been four and a third own goal as Jadilson headed powerfully against his own post.