Guenzatti Golazo Helps Cosmos To 1-1 Draw
October 24, 2026 Hinchliffe Stadium, Paterson, NJ
The New York Cosmos wrapped up their 2026 USL League One campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Decision Day at Hinchliffe Stadium.
The Cosmos came into the match looking for a result that would help them avoid a bottom-of-the-league finish in their first season back in the professional game, while Chattanooga was just looking for a point to secure a playoff place.
The Cosmos began the match with the same lineup from the midweek draw with Spokane, with the only exception being Justin Milovanov reclaiming his position in the starting lineup in place of Nestor Cabrera after missing the previous match due to a red card suspension.
The match began with Cosmos showing initiative in the attack but not generating any significant danger. Meanwhile, Chattanooga looked comfortable sitting back and looking for an opening. Lamin Jawneh would start to cause problems for Chattanooga on the right side, alerting the visitors to the Cosmos' intentions. The scoring would open in the 30th minute when Cosmos captain Sebastián Guenzatti capitalized on an error by Chattanooga goalkeeper T.J. Smith, firing home a volley after Smith came off his line for an aggressive clearance. The goal-scoring sequence developed quickly when the Cosmos launched a direct ball forward, forcing Chattanooga Red Wolves goalkeeper T.J. Smith to aggressively sprint far off his line to try and clear the danger outside his penalty area. However, his clearance lacked the necessary distance, falling short into a dangerous pocket of space. Guenzatti read the play perfectly, anticipated the goalkeeping mistake, and set his feet instantly. Tracking the flight of the ball, the Cosmos captain fired a perfectly struck volley over the displaced keeper and into the back of the net to give New York a 1-0 advantage.
The Cosmos' lead lasted just seven minutes. In the 37th minute, Chattanooga had an instant response when Pedro Hernandez laid the ball off wide to Omar Hernandez, whose high, floating cross hung awkwardly over the penalty box. Cosmos goalkeeper Derrek Chan struggled to locate the flight of the ball, creating chaos in the six-yard box. Angelo Kelly-Rosales reacted fastest to the goalkeeping miscue, pouncing on the loose ball to slot home the final touch into the back of the net to level the match at one. The teams entered halftime tied at one, even though the Cosmos had been the stronger side. However, another preventable error let Chattanooga back into the game.
The second half began with Chattanooga on the offensive and with Cosmos struggling to get the ball out of their own half. The Cosmos tried to launch attacks with Lamin Jawneh but were forced to remove the Gambian winger in the 60th minute due to injury. Davide Galazinni, likely making his final appearance for the Cosmos, entered the match in his place. Cosmos started to regain control of the match and began to generate more danger with Ajmeer Spengler troubling Chattanooga in transition. In the 82nd minute, Nestor Cabrera entered the match in place of Justin Milovanov in hopes of a late spark. The best chance of the second half was for Cosmos as Galazinni found himself in space and maneuvered into the box but rifled his shot inches wide in the 88th minute. The Cosmos defense, led by Davide Materazzi, who played his best match of the season, limited the Red Wolves to two total shots on goal. In the end, after a reasonable 4 minutes of injury time, both sides would settle for a 1-1 draw, a result that would secure a postseason berth for Chattanooga and help Cosmos avoid a bottom-of-the-league place.
With the draw, the Cosmos could breathe a sigh of relief as it helped them avoid a last-place finish. With the season now ended, the club can now fully focus on building a roster to allow the team to properly compete in USL League One. After the match, coach Davide Corti expressed confidence in returning in 2027. With only two substitutes playing in the match, it is evident that Corti lacked trust in many of the players on the roster. Working with Vincenzo Bernardo, it is expected that over 10 players will not be returning for the 2027 season. The Cosmos are actively recruiting players for next season, and a much-improved roster is expected to compete in their second season in USL League One.
New York Cosmos 1- 1 Chattanooga Red Wolves
⚽ GOAL SCORERS
NYC – Sebastian Guenzatti (30')
CHA – Angelo Kelly-Rosales (37')
LINEUP
NYC: Chan, Acosta, Chavez, Materazzi, Milovanov (Cabrera 82'), Ramos, Ljucovic, Spengler, Koffi, Jawneh (Galazinni 60′), Guenzatti.
Match Statistics:
Possession: (CHA) 45% (NYC) 55%
Offsides: (CHA) 1 (NYC) 3
Total Shots: (CHA) 20 (NYC) 15
Shots on Goal: (CHA) 2 (NYC) 8
Corners: (CHA) 5 (NYC (5)
Total Passes: (CHA) 200 (NYC) 289
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