CFC Scores 2 Late Goals To Upset New York Cosmos

  • Sunday, September 13, 2020
  • Joseph Dycus

Sometimes, all you need is a second chance. CFC discovered this during their 2-1 win against
the Cosmos. Striker Darwin Lom lined up what should have been an easy penalty kick, and let it
fly in the 75th minute. However, the first crowd Finley Stadium has had since November let out
a collective groan when the keeper smothered it.

But that frustration from 918 fans turned into elation after the referee blew his whistle, and
indicated that the keeper had left his line too (7) early. Lom did not err on his second kick and
buried it into the back of the net, running past an irate keeper to celebrate the game-tying goal.

“Everybody is like, should he be taking it? But with penalties, you’ve got to believe and have
confidence in yourself,” CFC coach Peter Fuller said. “The bottom line is, I think the guys would
have sorted that out and he would’ve taken it.”

Following an agonizing hour and a half lightning delay, both teams took the field for kickoff
around 9:00. After nearly a month after their last official match, CFC showed their rust in the
first half. While Zeca and company made some nice runs and generally hounded the Cosmos on
defense, the game had a haphazard feel as the New York based team dominated most of
possession.

The Cosmos had only one good chance in the first half-hour, after a sweet through ball gave a
Cosmos striker a shot on goal. Fortunately for keeper Alec Reddington, the ball slid just a few
feet wide to the right, and the game remained deadlocked at 0-0.

The Cosmos’ Geo Alves finally put his team on the board in the 35th minute. Reddington
seemingly handled a Cosmos corner as he often does, but this time, the slick conditions caused
by the deluge caused the ball to be slippery. CFC’s pink-clad keeper bobbled the prized object
and then fumbled it away.

Unfortunately for the home team, Alves was right there to pop the ball two feet away and into
the goal. An enthusiastic Alves celebrated in front of a dismayed Finley crowd by doing joyous
backflips after the score.

“It was probably due to a number of things,” coach Fuller said of the mishap. “But we were not
playing well. We were playing scared and the epitome of a team playing not to lose. And that
was not our intent tonight. It was our intent to come out and get three points. ”

An ecstatic Cosmos squad followed up their mini-triumph by narrowly avoiding an equalizer
mere seconds later. Zeca booted a perfectly weighted lob 40 yards downfield to a streaking
Darwin Lom, who Randy Moss-ed his defender and collected the ball with only the keeper in
front of him.

Lom had a perfect chance to tie the game, and just needed to find a way to get the ball around
New York’s keeper. His shot appeared to be true, but at the last minute, the keeper used his
massive mitts to paw away the ball and prevented what could have been CFC’s first goal in a
month.

The Cosmos started the second half by launching a bevy of long range shots not particularly
troubling for Reddington or CFC in general. CFC brought a spark in off the bench in the 64th
minute in the form of prolific goalscorer Brian Bement, along with Topher Marshall and Kyle
Carr.

“I think they definitely changed the energy of the game. When you’re changing from a front
two to a front 3, if you have fresh legs to hop in there against defenders who are gassed, that
can cause some problems for the other team.”

In the 73rd minute, the long-awaited breakthrough finally occurred. Isolated on the left side
with one primary defender and another shading over, Darwin Lom started putting the moves
on his defender. Cutting right, Lom tried to split the double team and maneuver past his
defender. This move caused a Cosmo fan to foul him, hence leading to the equalizer.

The 82nd minute saw a hard charging Clayton Adams electrify the Finley crowd with a
monstrous effort. He intercepted the ball from a Cosmos midfielder and then made a beeline to
the goal. He skipped past the Cosmos backline, veered slightly left, and then let it rip from
about 15 yards out. The ball turned into a high-speed projectile, not stopping until it hit its
target in the top left corner of the twine. Adams did not stop running until he circled back
around to the CFC bench, where he let out a triumphant roar.

“It was a cracker, and absolute rocket,” coach Fuller said. “Clayton’s got that in him, and in
fairness to him, he’s usually a seven or an 11. But because we haven’t been playing with those
positions, he’s had to learn how to play the 10. And tonight he did a hell of a job.”

In the end, CFC held on for a victory, despite missing players such as Ian McGrath and Kaleb
Jackson. CFC now has a short respite before hosting New Amsterdam on Wednesday night. If
CFC wins their final game, they will vault to the top of the standings in the eastern conference.

“It’s should show the guys it’s amazing what you can do when you play with a heart the size of
your body,” said coach Fuller. “Because we were a bit outmanned and outgunned, and I’ll tell
you what. The guys did a hell of a job.”

Sports
UTC Sofbtall Hosts ETSU In Friday Doubleheader
  • 3/28/2024

The Chattanooga softball team returns to Frost Stadium for a seven-game home stand that begins Friday afternoon against East Tennessee State in Southern Conference action. The Mocs are 21-8 ... more

Covenant Men's Tennis Loses 6-3
  • 3/28/2024

The Covenant Scots looked to boost their nonconference tennis resume with a win on the road at Oglethorpe. Covenant was unable to get the job done, as it fell 3-6. Final: Covenant 3, Oglethorpe ... more

7 Football Mocs Participate In Annual Pro Day
  • 3/28/2024

The Chattanooga Mocs had a 7-man contingent go through their paces in front of NFL scouts at the annual Pro Day. It started in the Wolford Family Strength & Conditioning Center before shifting ... more