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Cosmos sign Italian forward Noselli

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By IVES GALARCEP

The New York Cosmos are less than three weeks away from kicking off their inaugural season in the current version of the North American Soccer League, and Wednesday saw the Cosmos move a step closer to having the full-strength squad they want to kick off the new campaign.

The Cosmos have completed the signing of 32-year-old Italian striker Alessandro Noselli, who most recently played for Serie B side Sassuolo, where he scored 38 goals over the course of four seasons.

“Alessandro will be a very positive addition to our forward line,” head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “He’s a proven goal-scorer who was productive in Serie B and can help lend his experience to our younger players.”

“I’ve been training with the team the past few weeks and have been really impressed with the level of play,” said Noselli. “The Cosmos name has so much history and New York is an incredible city, so it’s long been a dream of mine to live and play here.”

A former player for Udinese in the early years of his career, Noselli joins a Cosmos attack that has already added Spanish standout Ayoze, Japanese midfielder Satoru Kashiwase and former Spanish national team star Marcos Senna.

The Cosmos make their 2013 debut, and play their first league match in almost 30 years, when they take on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Aug. 3rd at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium.

What do you think of this signing? See the Cosmos heading into the Fall NASL season as league favorites, or still not sold their collection of players will produce results right away?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Get all the lame jokes out now. I don’t think anyone’s going to be laughing at this franchise in three or four years.

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    • It’s obvious that you have no clue the caliber of Noselli. He was instrumental in earning Sassuolo a promotion to Serie A. But troll along, I guess.

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  2. it’s as if some of you don’t even want NASL to exist. Only in America do you see this kind of attitude where people feel the need to denigrate lower divisions. I’m gonna assume most of the haters are MLS fans and feel threatened by the fact that a soccer league can exist in America without having drafts, allocations, no free agency, and all the other stupid regulations MLS has.

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    • Sure it can exist and American soccer needs thriving lower divisions. But when Hempstead fans talk, it’s like their team is too good for MLS and that’s nonsense. They wanted into MLS in the worst way but the league went with NYCFC instead. This team plays in a college stadium off the side of highway in Long Island and they act like they’re some enormous superpower.

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  3. What’s the easiest way to get from Manhattan to Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium without driving?

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    • LIRR to Mineola, then take the Cosmos shuttle bus to Hofstra.

      Or you could take the booze bus from midtown with the supporters group.

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    • They just announced shuttles from the mineola LIRR station and one other, so i would say take LIRR from Penn station or Jamaica, woodside etc. Probably be about 40 min train from Penn to Mineola.

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      • Correct. And by the way, PATH gets you to Red Bull Arena in 22 minutes. And no need for a shuttle bus.

      • Sorry, but i care to watch a soccer team that isn’t a marketing gimick for an energy drink..if you like a shorter trip to say you saw Henry..good on you..i am for supporting an actual soccer club that has hsitory and roots to the city itself..not using the name just to bombard me with lifestyle brand marketing and a team whos name and badge and everything about stands nothing for NY or soccer.

  4. Just checked out the Cosmos roster. Didn’t know Jemal Johnson was on it. I remember when there was USMNT call-up chatter for him back when he was with MK Dons.

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  5. Awesome picture.

    I want to see the photograph when he’s told what league he’s playing in/stadium he’ll be playing his matches in.

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      • That wasn’t sarcasm. Some people actually thing these players don’t know what they’re getting in to.

        And you’d be silly to think the team didn’t go over all of those details with these players beforehand.

      • While I agree with you that they know it’s second tier, not in manhattan etc. But it IS realistic to wonder if they know about the league. The Cosmos splash cash and have big plans, but there are some other teams that, in comparison to the Cosmos set up will be a stark reality of exactly what second tier soccer is in America.

        And before people jump in, I’m not suggesting that the Cosmos are the only “legit” team, I know there are others, but the point remains, tier 2 in the US isn’t what it is in many European countries.

      • Benteke recently admitted he had no idea Villa was in Birmingham – thought he was headed to London when he signed. Footballers by and large are not an overly-educated bunch, you know.

  6. anyone have an estimate of where the Cosmos player payroll may end up? Would be interesting to see if they are spending close to the level of cheap MLS teams, or if its far lower.

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    • They’ll have to woo some people (Senna) and others they’ll get on the cheap (Szetela).

      One of the reasons they didn’t want into MLS was the financial restrictions I believe, so it would make stand to reason that they’ll probably outspend some MLS teams.

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      • “One of the reasons they didn’t want into MLS”

        Huh?

        Cosmo’s tried extremely hard to get into MLS. MLS wasn’t turned down by Cosmo’s. Quite the opposite.

    • See this nonsense is the reason I hate Hempstead Cosmos. Some deluded people actually think the club is too big or too good for MLS. This club plays in a college stadium in the middle of Long Island. Seriously, have you ever been to Hofstra? Some suburban four lane highway runs straight through the middle of campus. It’s in the middle of nowhere.

      And people think this club is so awesomely huge and important that it can’t be restrained by MLS? They signed some Serie B retread who’s on his last legs and we’re all supposed to be impressed? Please.

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    • you always bring up the hempstead thing. do you give dallas a hard time for playing in frisco? la a hard time for playing in carson? colorado for playing in commerce city or wherever? boston for playing in foxboro? philly for playing wherever? the fire for playing wherever? many teams have their home in areas outside of the one they represent

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      • This is the Cosmo’s though. (you know, the greatest team to every exist in the history of the planet)

        If you’re comparing them to a club way out in Frisco, Texas…surely that’s a step down for such a legendary brand.

        Right?

      • In the Cosmos’ history, they played in stadiums technically outside of the five boroughs, including in Long Island and in NJ in Giants Stadium. You’re fabricating a controversy.

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