Fort Wayne Football Club has had time to ponder, prepare and get primed as it pursues its first victory in professional soccer. The club is back on the pitch 2 p.m. Saturday at the New York Cosmos in Paterson, New Jersey.
Both teams are in in their first seasons in USL League One.
When Fort Wayne FC (0-1-1) was last in action, March 14, it secured the first standings point since the club moved up to professional soccer. Lilian Ricol scored the first goal in the club’s professional history, Ryan Becher added another tally, and Fort Wayne FC played the Sarasota Paradise to a 2-all draw in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
Ricol and Javier Armas assisted on goals for Fort Wayne FC in the match that demonstrated much improvement for the club over its season-opening 2-0 loss to FC Naples on March 7.
Saturday’s opponent, the Cosmos, has played twice since Fort Wayne FC’s last outing – New York lost 3-1 at the Spokane Velocity FC on March 21 and 3-2 at the Greenville Triumph on Wednesday – and the Cosmos (0-3-0) has now been outscored 9-4 this season.
Of the 17 teams in USL League One, the Cosmos are the only one yet to earn a standings point.
To get fully prepared for this match, check out the Fort Wayne FC game notes and the Cosmos’ game notes.
The Cosmos has gotten goals from Darren Sidoel, Justin Milovanov, Nicholas Mendonca and Philip Spengler.
The Cosmos name is steeped in tradition; the brand dates back to the 1970s when stars such as Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer played for the club in the NASL. Former Italian National Team star and North Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi is a club investor and Head of Soccer for the Cosmos in its latest iteration.
The Cosmos plays at historic Hinchliffe Stadium.
Speaking of National Teams
Fort Wayne FC goalkeeper Aurie Briscoe had been slated to join Puerto Rico’s National Team this week before suffering a minor injury during training in Fort Wayne. For Briscoe, the longtime Fort Wayne FC netminder, it was the third time he’d been called to the National Team.
Briscoe is considered week-to-week with the injury and Fort Wayne FC has yet to announce who will replace him in the lineup against the Cosmos, with Bernd Schipmann expected to get the start in net. Schipmann, who stopped 3 of 5 shots in his season debut against Sarasota, was honored with the USL League One Save of the Week award in the wake of that match.
Out in the community
Schipmann, Armas, Becher and JP Jordan went to went to Turnstone on Tuesday to attend a power soccer practice, learn about the adaptive sport, and meet with some of the incredible athletes who participate in it.
Power soccer is played by athletes using power wheelchairs. Two teams of four players compete on a gym floor using a large soccer ball, maneuvering specialized chairs equipped with protective guards to pass, defend and shoot. The sport emphasizes positioning, teamwork and precision, and it has become one of the most widely played wheelchair team sports in the world.
Turnstone has been a leader in adaptive sports programming in Fort Wayne for decades and has offered power soccer programs since 2006, helping athletes with disabilities compete at high levels while building confidence, friendships and community.
On the road again
Fort Wayne FC is in the midst of playing five straight road games to open the club’s tenure in USL League One. Then comes the May 2 home opener – the first ever match at Fort Wayne FC Park – against the Charlotte Independence.
Single-match tickets are on sale, as are 3- and 6-Match Mini Plans.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.