Cosmos Earn Point in 0-0 Draw
- Emilio Lopez
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
July 18, 2026 Hinchliffe Stadium Paterson, NJ
The Cosmos returned home to face Corpus Christi FC in league action looking to add another positive result. In a match that took over 4 hours to complete due to inclement weather, the Cosmos came away with a 0-0 draw with Corpus Christi FC.
The Cosmos started the match with a few changes to the lineup, Tristan Stephani was surprisingly added to the starting lineup after having his best performance of the year in a 1-1 draw with Hearts of Pine the previous week. Nestor Cabrera and Massimo Morabito started at the fullback positions in place of the injured Will Noecker and Davey Mason, while Patrick Bohui was inserted into the attack in place of Lamin Jawneh. The match started with the visitors controlling possession for much of the first half, but with the Cosmos remaining disciplined and limiting the Corpus Christi attack. In the 4th minute an active Nestor Cabrera would be fouled on the left wing, earning a yellow card for Nacho Abeal. From that point on Corpus Christi began to argue just about every other sequence which seemed to influence Kyle Johnston's decision making. In the 28th minute mark, the match was delayed due to thunder in the area, after a lengthy break the match was set to resume but once again another weather incident led to another delay. After starting at 7 pm, the first half restarted at 10:02 pm and ended 20 minutes later. In a tactical match, the teams went to the half with only one total shot on goal by Corpus Christi.
The second half began with Cosmos taking control of a match and controlling possession. With the defenders pushing up the Cosmos looked to get Darren Sidoel more on the ball as they would try to create numerical advantages. The Cosmos would get their first shot of the match in the 57th minute from Ajmeer Spengler. The Cosmos would continue to push for a winner, generating dangerous opportunities through Ajmeer Spengler and Chevone Marsh. Spengler would have a great opportunity on a free kick in the 73rd minute, with James Talbot doing well to record a save on the play. A minute later the Cosmos would bring on Nick Zielonka and Frankie Ljucovic in place of Nick Mendonca and Patrick Bohui. Ljucovic, who was recently signed by the club after two seasons playing in Australia, would show great composure on the ball and help the team continue to press forward, while maintaining a compact defensive shape. In the 82nd minute Tino Puentes would enter in place of Massimo Morabito to help solidify the defense. Corpus Christi would resort to time waisting tactics, with the goalkeeper James Talbot being the biggest culprit. Cosmos would continue to press forward in the closing stages, however the goal would not come. The match would end 0-0, as Cosmos would limit Corpus Christi to just two shots on target. Goalkeeper Tristan Stephani would record his first clean sheet of the season with two saves, while the back line would stand strong throughout the match.
Despite not generating many chances, the Cosmos second half performance was arguably the teams best half of the season. The team was able to dictate the pace of the second half with Darren Sidoel in control and Ajmeer Spengler looking for openings. The team was able to record its second straight clean sheet in league play as the Cosmos seem to be limiting mistakes and the turnovers which plagued them in the early going. With the improved play, look for Cosmos to push for a victory on Wednesday in Westchester.
NEW YORK COSMOS 0-0 CORPUS CHRISTI FC
NEW YORK COSMOS (4-1-4-1): Stephani; Holt, Chavez, Morabito (82' Puentes), Cabrera; Sidoel; Bohui (74' Zielonka), Mendonca (74' Ljucovic), Spengler, Marsh; Guenzatti. Subs: Materazzi, Jawneh, Milovanov, Garcia. Coach: Davide Corti.
CORPUS CHRISTI FC (4-1-4-1): Talbot; Roscoe, Kearney, Gomez, Bowen; Kwakwa; Booth, Medina, Abeal, Keegan; Ferrín.Subs: Cerritos, Mariona, Dietrich, McCready, Infuso, Thomas, Ritondale. Coach: Eamon Zayed.
Bookings: 4′ Abeal (CCFC), 20′ Marsh (C), 61′ Medina (CCFC).
Match Stats:
Possession: Cosmos 44% – Corpus Christi FC 56%
Shots: Cosmos 10 – Corpus Christi FC 7
Shots on Target: Cosmos 3 – Corpus Christi FC 2
Saves: Cosmos 2 – Corpus Christi FC 3
Fouls: Cosmos 12 – Corpus Christi FC 11
Accurate Passes: Cosmos 295 – Corpus Christi FC 386
Pass Accuracy: Cosmos 84% – Corpus Christi FC 87%
Tackles: Cosmos 11 – Corpus Christi FC 6
Clearances: Cosmos 18 – Corpus Christi FC 23
Blocked Shots: Cosmos 2 – Corpus Christi FC 5
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