By RYAN TOLMICH
The addition of Spanish forward Raul was viewed as a warning shot. With a new team entering the market and another approaching a crossroads, the New York Cosmos signing a player of legendary caliber was seen, by many, as a statement of intent.
Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese views things much differently. Having worn MetroStars colors before being embraced as head of the revived New York Cosmos, Savarese understands the pulse of New York soccer.
For him, Raul’s addition was less of a statement than it was an improvement. With an eye on the big picture, Savarese believes that the Cosmos ambitions, as well as those of New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, don’t breed competition, per se, but enhancement.
“I think some people might look at it that there are now three teams looking for the same players, but I think differently,” Savarese told SBI. “I think that this is going to create more awareness and more enthusiasm for players to want to play, for players to see that they have more spaces to be able to become professionals. There’s going to be, I think, a bigger effort from players to want to become pros. I think we’re bringing more opportunity to New York.
“The competition is healthy, it’s good. I think it helps tremendously for the growth of the sport, which is what we all want to see in the United States and I think that having three teams in New York is a very good situation for players to go in and develop maybe through the three systems that each club will have. It will create a lot of opportunities. It’s going to be a great competition I think in a healthy way.”
That healthy competition, in Savarese’s eyes, will do nothing but grow the game in one of the country’s largest cities. With three teams all contributing to the game’s growth through youth academies, community efforts and, ultimately, on-the-field success, Savarese believes that the trio will present the city’s youth with even more opportunities to break into the professional ranks.
“It’s important that people keep supporting the teams we have in New York, both our team and other teams,” Savarse said. “I think the more support that we can grow with all of the teams, then, in the end, more opportunities will be there for kids to have in the future to be part of this. We want to create good environments, but it’s important, not only what we do, but what the fans and the lovers of soccer can provide for this to continue growing in the future.”
While the game continues to grow in the Big Apple, the Cosmos true competitors, the rest of the NASL, will also benefit from the increased exposure brought in by Raul’s addition.
NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson has seen some of that first hand. While Peterson understands that signings that match the caliber of Raul will be few and far between, the commissioner is excited at the prospects of his league’s growth with more and more teams making splashes with talent from all over the world.
“I don’t know if they’d make moves at the same level as Raul, but we see teams maturing as they’re looking around the world for players,” Peterson said. “I think we had 17 players last year that played for national teams, so we’re getting a high level of international players already. This guy (Raul) is historic, that’s a different level. The interesting thing here is that he really fits in in a lot of different areas.
“It’s hard to predict whether teams will do something similar or not,” Peterson added. “This could be the start of something, but I don’t think it has to be. I think we’re finding great players all over the world in different stages of their career.”
Savarese echoed Peterson’s sentiments, as the Cosmos head coach understands that the addition of Raul isn’t necessarily a blueprint for the rest of the league’s 10 teams to follow. With varying climates, budgets and cultures, each team has its own set of desires, although the overarching sentiment is that the NASL will continue to work to make improvements in domestic soccer.
“I think the good thing about the NASL is that everybody can work differently, but still contribute to the league,” Savarese said. “I cannot say 100 percent that teams are not going to imitate what we have done in bringing in a player like Raul. I think it can definitely change. Some teams will want to do that. I just think that the flexibility that the league provides allows teams to be able to work in their own way.
“We’ll keep working our own way and each team will look into their own budgets and what they’re able to do to build something important. I think all of that will contribute to the league to keep on going.”
1 – haven’t the Cosmos already rejected MLS – multiple times.
2 – haven’t the Cosmos already beaten MLS teams on the field.
uhm, thisiscosmoscountry!
Don Garber’s official response to this article:
http://dailyinspires.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Yosemite_Sam_desktop_wallpaper.jpg
NO!
You will enjoy the team I tell you to enjoy for I am the DON!
You will enjoy NYCFC and other teams with FC in their name. You will vacation in the Northwest and you will cheer for Frank Lampard when he gets here in June.
I AM SOCCER AND YOU WILL OBEY!
All I got to say to New York soccer fans is to support your team or the team you think will reach that New York folklore.
Look at the NFL, MLB NHL teams in the New York area, some are at the New York area and some are not.
For example, I support cosmos for many reasons, and I respect the fans of red bull and nycfc, but let’s be honest, cosmos should be in MLS and MLS should have bought cosmos way back in time.
Cosmos is just a baby in a baby league, but just support your team in good and bad times.
NO
YOU WILL NOT!
YOU WILL ENJOY DAVID VILLA AT YANKEE STADIUM!
YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!
I AM LORD AND MASTER OF US SOCCER!
I AM TNE DON!!!????????
Dear Don,
Can we pleeze enjoy Lampard and Cubo Torres in March 2015?
80)
Can’t wait to see Raul play!
+1
I AM THE DON AND I DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS PIECE!
THE NASL IS A SECOND RATE LEAGUE AND NOT WORTHY OF MENTION!
DO THEY HAVE A DISPERSAL DRAFT? ALLOCATIONS? WEIGHTED LOTTERIES? DISCOVERY PLAYERS? A COLLEGE DRAFT? WAIVER DRAFTS? RE ENTRY DRAFTS? NFL STYLE MULTI TIERED STADIUMS? ARE THEY BFFS WITH MAN CITY?
PLEASE!
I AND I ALONE SHALL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF SOCCER IN NEW YORK! IN AMERICA! ACROSS THE GLOBE! ON OTHER PLANETS!
NO ONE ELSE! JUST ME!
BWAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA!!!!!!!
Cosmos will ruin this version of NASL just like they ruined the first attempt.
Agree
I guaranteed cosmos winning us open cup in less than 3 years, before Russia 2018.
They dont care about NASL becoming division1, they care about the cosmos winning championships and hopefully champions.
Cosmos know NASL will grow but won’t become d1, and they have a grudge with garber and MLS.
Imagine moving your restaurant around the block but the new block asking you for half your money, they will sign your players and you need to wear what they want.
MLS is pretty f*ck up but as the league will keep growing and soccer in the US, real owners will want a real league.
If ligaMX can survive and keep growing, why not MLS.
You can’t really compare. In LigaMX, badly managed and poor teams survive because they are rescued from bankruptcy by local governments using public money whenever they are in trouble (Chiapas, Puabla, Veracruz).
Good luck with that in America.
Man City needed to pony up $100 mil to enter the league. As a deep pocketed owner why wouldn’t you buy an NASL team and invest in players? The Cosmos can spend $10 mil on wages per year over the next 10 years while at the current CBA Man City can only spend about 2 mil per year. Even if the new CBA doubles wages it will go to a 4mil cap. If the Cosmos sign some players, out bid MLS for some college studs they will be able to win MLS cup and gain entry in CONCACAF champions league. At some point if they are big enough MLS will want them for now they can run their business as they see fit without having to drop $100 Mill in Garber’s pocket for the right to have MSL chose where Raul can play.
Probably because NASL is a minor league. Dude, it’s cool if you want to go to Hempstead and watch Raul trot around for a few minutes before he goes to visit his grandkids but you don’t need to delude yourself about what you’re watching.
If I moved back to NY it would be all about the Red Bulls and the Cosmos. The New Yorker in me is disgusted to see how ball-less Reyna has been through all the Lampard BS. Hasn’t said a word while Pellegrini does all the talking. I don’t give a damn how much money ManCity throws around. If you are someone else’s bit(h then you are someone else’s bit(h.
If someone wants to find Reyna’s balls they should go look in Pellegrini’s pet dogs food bowl. Way to fight for NY Benedict Arnold Claudio.
Both clubs owned by the same owner. That owner will make a decision that makes the best business sense, as they see it. If Reyna raises PUBLIC hell, and they still don’t release Lampard, he will have made the situation worse. BTW, I am quite sure that ManCity doesn’t give a damn what you think about how much money they throw around, nor your school yard level mentality on how to conduct their business.
“That owner will make a decision that makes the best business sense, as they see it.”
The best business sense for Manchester City, even if that comes at the expense of the unimportant clubs in the US, Australia, and Japan
I very much know that ManCity doesn’t give a damn about me. that’s the whole point.
The only thing that surprises me about this situation is that anyone is surprised by it.
Getting into public spats with other, more successful divisions of the same company is rarely a good sign for future advancement. Reyna knows full well where his paycheck comes from.
Xerox of a xerox of a xerox of a MLS move.
as if signing beckham wasnt a xerox of a 1970s NASL move, please
If there’s a lockout or a lawsuit this spring with the CBA, I can easily imagining the Cosmos causing some trouble. They already seem interested in making offers to some would-be MLS draftees.
A work stopping would be a disaster. And it’s not like the players’ union is asking for the moon. Free agency and a respectable wage isn’t too much with MLS’s new TV deal.
It’d be interesting to see if Garber and Co play hardball. I would like to see NASL jump at that opportunity. Just to see.
I’m all for Raul’s coronation at the Cosmos, but, isn’t he 40?
Competition is good in any industry. I hope NASL continues to thrive alongside MLS and USL Pro.
+100