For the second consecutive game, the New York Cosmos played to a 1-1 draw, this time with ten-man Maryland Bobcats FC in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the NISA Independent Cup at the Evergreen Sports Complex on Sunday night.

 

The result left the Cosmos with a 0-0-2 mark and two points, tied for second place with Maryland (0-0-2, 2) after they drew 1-1 with New Amsterdam FC (0-1-1, 1) their opener last week.

 

In the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, FC Baltimore Christos (1-0-1) defeated New Amsterdam FC, 3-0.

 

The Cosmos played 81 minutes with a man advantage after Maryland goalkeeper Christian Caulker was red carded for tripping Shavon John-Brown outside the penalty area in the ninth minute. John-Brown already had established himself as one of the most dangerous players on the field, having attempted two shots.

 

Maryland, which had been forced to replace an injured Levi Houapau with Sammy Kahsai in the sixth minute, needed to make yet another substitution only three minutes later after the ejection. Joel Isyaq came on to play in the net as forward Eduardo Jimenez was pulled.

 

Striker Isaac Acuna lifted the Cosmos into a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute as he ran onto a lead pass on the left flank, beat his man and scored from a difficult angle in the penalty area past Isyaq.

 

The Cosmos took advantage of the extra man by dominating the rest of the opening half, allowing Maryland to possess the ball out of its territory on rare occasions.