New additions Dominick Bachstein and EJ Johnson each made their Sharks debut in the club’s first home match of August.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (August 19, 2026) — Corpus Christi FC saw its six-match unbeaten run come to an end Wednesday night, falling 2-0 to New York Cosmos at Cabaniss Athletic Complex.
The Sharks started brightly, generating several opportunities in the opening minutes. Nacho Abeal came close twice, first firing over the crossbar in the 10th minute before narrowly missing the left post three minutes later.
Despite the early pressure, New York delivered the opening goal in the 25th minute when Lamin Jawneh found space inside the right corner of the box and fired past James Talbot with his left boot to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Corpus Christi came out of the gates in the second half creating a flurry of chances from set pieces around the New York penalty area. Team captain Paddy Langlois and Sam Roscoe each threatened with headed efforts on goal. Jake Keegan then came within inches of leveling the match in the 72nd minute, striking the crossbar from inside the box.
Two minutes later, Keegan appeared to find the breakthrough when he headed home a Blake Bowen free kick, only for the offside flag to wipe away the equalizer.
New York capitalized shortly after. Philip Spengler found space on the left side of the penalty area in the 76th minute and fired into the far corner to double the Cosmos’ advantage.
The Sharks continued pushing until the final whistle but were unable to break through goalkeeper Tristan Stephani and the New York backline. Corpus Christi finished with an 18-5 advantage in shots and placed six attempts on target, but Stephani turned away all six to preserve the clean sheet.
Corpus Christi’s captain didn’t mince words when assessing his team’s performance after the match.
“It just wasn’t good enough,” said Langlois. “We’ve obviously got a lot to work on in terms of finishing goals and then stopping them.”
Wednesday also marked the Corpus Christi debuts of new additions Dominick Bachstein and EJ Johnson, with Bachstein entering in the 61st minute and immediately contributing to the Sharks’ attack.
“It was great, you know, to come to such a great organization, having a bunch of fans and a great group of guys,” said Bachstein. “Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what we wanted. But we move. We have Saturday, and it’s a must-win for us.”
With a quick turnaround ahead, assistant coach Manny Iwabuchi emphasized the need for the Sharks to rediscover the standard that fueled their recent run of form.
“Rough performance after a good run of performances for us,” said Iwabuchi. “This group has shown to be resilient, and this is no different. The formula is there, and we know how to execute. We need to own up to the standard and come back on Saturday with the hunger and desire we’re known for.”
Corpus Christi will have an immediate opportunity to respond Saturday as the Sharks return to Cabaniss Athletic Complex for their second match in four days against Westchester SC.
| CORPUS CHRISTI FC | NEW YORK COSMOS | |
| 18 | SHOTS | 5 |
| 6 | SHOTS ON TARGET | 3 |
| 1 | SAVES | 6 |
| 13 | FOULS | 16 |
| 2 | CORNERS WON | 5 |
| 4* | YELLOW CARDS | 4 |
*Two of the yellow cards were given to coaches Zayed and Iwabuchi
Written by Corpus Christi FC, Communications Contributor, Nate Martinez
About Corpus Christi FC
CCFC was established in 2017 by Dr. Kingsley Okonkwo. The club previously played in USL League Two, the nation’s leading pre-professional league, and won their first Lone Star Division title in 2024. That same year, Corpus Christi was awarded a USL League One franchise and will kick off its first professional season in 2026. CCFC is building a new home at the Corpus Christi Multi-Sport Complex currently being constructed at 5102 Old Brownsville Road. Phase One of the $28.3 million complex was completed in summer 2025 and a 5,000-seat stadium, which will serve as home for all of the Sharks’ USL League One home games, is currently under construction.
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