By RYAN TOLMICH
The pursuit of Samuel Eto’o may be over, but Giovanni Savarese insists that there are still moves to be made by the New York Cosmos ahead of the 2015 NASL season.
Eto’o had been linked with the Cosmos throughout the January window, but the Everton forward is reportedly nearing a move to Italy’s Sampdoria. Savarese admitted Friday that the club had been in contact with the Cameroonian forward in the past after the two parties expressed mutual interest.
“With Samuel, there was some kind of interest from the player and we investigated the situation,” Savarese told SBI. “The reality is that, at the moment, he’s still a player from Everton and we don’t know how that is going to end up. Probably in the next two or three days, we’ll know what is going to happen there.
“For us, we’re looking for lots of other players. If the name comes along at that moment, then we’ll look at it and see if it will be a possibility.”
Savarese added that the Cosmos are currently in the market and close to adding another signing, and any new additions would just be the latest in what has turned into a busy offseason for Savarese and the Cosmos.
Headlined by the December addition of Spanish legend Raul, the Cosmos have continued to bolster the roster with the additions of midfielders Adam Moffat, Leo Fernandes and Walter Restrepo.
The latter duo, who have joined the team within the past week, drew the praise of their new coach on Friday. In Fernandes, Savarese gets a familiar face while, in Restrepo, the Cosmos get a former NASL Best XI selection that can make an immediate impact.
“Leo, I know him from a long time ago,” Savarese said of Fernandes, who will join the Cosmos on loan from the Philadelphia Union. “I coached him when he was 15 years old, so I know him for a long time and I know his family. He has grown and developed a lot and he’s a player that is technically sound, hungry always to try and score goals and has good ability. I think he’s a player that brings a lot of quality to the team.
“Restrepo has shown through the years to be a player that has done very well. He has always been competitive. He’s fast and that will be an asset for us. I think we brought in two quality players that will help us this year.”
While the two additions are welcome, Savarese is still on the hunt for new talent. The Cosmos roster is one of the more populated in NASL, but Savarese says the team is set to stay busy heading into the preseason.
With MLS rosters in flux and the January transfer window in full swing, the Cosmos are scouting players both domestically and internationally ahead of the 2015 season.
“We’re still looking. We’re still looking to try and bring in two more players from overseas. We’re still looking at what’s going on with the rosters in MLS,” Savarese said. “We’re still looking everywhere. We’re still looking all around. We’re scouting and looking everywhere to see what’s available.
“We’re a few players away, just a few, from finalizing the roster, but definitely we’ll make a few more signings, hopefully, before the preseason.”
Too bad. I didn’t has much hope though when there was still european interest. Hopefully they land another big name though, NASL could use another reason for attention. Especially if MLS has a work stoppage.
Love it. Cosmos really gearing up this offseason. Too bad about Eto’o though.
As a fellow season ticket holder, I agree.
I’m curious to see revenues and net profits for these MLS, USL Pro, NASL teams. Something doesn’t add up from a business standpoint.
Toronto, Seattle and LA Galaxy have very high revenue. Cosmos revenue is very small and they’re losing money.
Like Vic said, we have 3 teams making a modest profit. Other teams are hovering around break even, some a little over, some a little under. Cosmos on the other hand have virtually no hope of even breaking even going forward if they continue to try to sign these kinds of players. They have almost no TV coverage, and very small attendance.
That’s what I don’t get. What is the Cosmos endgame? Muddle through with minimal attendance until they run out of cash? It doesn’t make sense unless they move to MLS.
Ha it’s the great question of SBI…. the Cosmos endgame. I’ve heard 100 theories, none of which exactly work, but a number of which are plausible (sort of).
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2013/11/20/major-league-soccers-most-valuable-teams/
That would have been a great signing for the Cosmos. At least they tried.
Yeah, Serie A or Hempstead? Tough choice.
You do know that the Town of Hempstead has more people than Genoa, Italy, the home of Sampdoria? And that it has more people than MLS cities Seattle or Denver or Portland or Kansas City or Orlando? And that its squarely in the NY metropolitan market, the largest in the country, and about 45 minutes from Midtown Manhattan? And that the old Cosomos used to play there also? Cosmos may not be “Serie A,” but New York isn’t Genoa.
In addition to all that, have you noticed that there’s a number of foreign players and managers who really don’t think MLS & NASL are all that different?
They seem to see them as both being Mickey Mouse minor leagues.
Sad
No I haven’t noticed that because it isn’t true. I have noticed MLS making a ton of high profile signings though.
You need to start reading foreign papers.
Start with marca.com
Learn something today
Kaka may enjoy visiting Disney World on his days off from Orlando City, but I suspect that is the only time that Mickey Mouse will enter into his mind during his time in the league.
Yes, I have been to Hempstead and that’s how I know it’s a big suburban sprawl that is close to New York but I’d like to know which route you are taking to get to midtown in 45 minutes. Maybe in the middle of the night but even that’s a stretch. I’ve also been to Genoa and, in my opinion, it’s a lot nicer than Hempstead. I also think that would be the majority view. In Genoa, you can marvel at medieval churches and castles while in Hempstead visitors you can marvel at the Unispan, the pedestrian footbridge over Hempstead turnpike. What a sight!
Anyway, from a footballing point of view, there’s no comparison – one of the top 5 leagues in the world versus a team that plays in front of 4,000 on rock hard turf at a college stadium. Seems not even the Cosmos “brand” can overcome that.
You are obviously right about the footballing part, but we also know that plenty of players don’t view playing at the highest possible level their number 1 priority. Its only 26 miles from Hempstead to Times Square. I suspect Eto’o, like Henry, would not have minded the reverse commute from elsewhere in Manhattan. I hear there are a couple of things for millionaire athletes to marvel at there.
I’m venturing you have never attempted to drive from that area to Manhattan because, unless it is late at night/early in the morning, you are not making that 26 mile drive in 45 minutes.
In any event, I agree someone making millions would live in Manhattan but you are going to have a tough time competing with Serie A when you are playing in a minor league in front of 4,000.
Why is no one in MLS trying to sign Eto’o? He would totally be worth the transfer just for the goalscoring alone … not counting the Jersey sales and added butts in seats. RBNY should be first in line to replace a legend in Henry with Samuel!