MAROSEVIC, DIMITROV RETURNING FOR 2014 SEASON...that is all. http://www.nycosmos.com/article/uui.../marosevic-dimitrov-returning-for-2014-season
The odd thing about this is the graphic they posted a few weeks ago showed these two as part of the team. So were these extensions just signed now or just being announced now? Weird
The Cosmos loaned him to Vancouver. Vancouver is loaning him to Charleston. Why wouldn't they be able to do that? I presume that Vancouver is paying him.
I am sure the loan deal calls for MLS to pay his wages while on loan. But fact is he is still owned by the Cosmos, so one would have to assume they signed off on their player being sent to a third party to play and train. Clubs that take players on loan don't have any ownership rights beyond those expressly permitted under the loan agreement.
Would he be needed? I'd say y'all are strongest up top already. Off topic: those Cosmos polos are nice.
Having a reliable and consistent finisher up top was a big weakness for the team last season. In fact, the leading scorer at the forward position was a guy that was a sub for the majority of the year (Noselli-3) After him was Peri with 2 and Lopez and Dimitrov with 1 each. The signed the guy from San Antionio and Mads from Norway this off season, in two preseaon games they each have failed to score. So, I would say while not NEEDED, Raul would be a significant upgrade at striker, even at his age. Not to mention should give the team a little boost in the stands. Off Topic: yeah those polos are dope.
If they get him it would solely be to put butts in the seats. I'm thinking there is a good shot that you may still see him play for the cosmos. There is that story that says his wife is a fashion designer or something so NYC would be perfect for her. That aside, there is no question that he is building good will with Senna and the Cosmos. The fall season would be a perfect time to bring him over. The crowds should be bigger in the fall since the spring schedule has horrible dates and the attendance will likely be low. Plus the Cosmos will hopefully be in the thick of things for the US Cup. Fingers crossed....
I doubt Raul is famous enough in the US to really be a box-office draw. The only players who would rate that in a post-Beckham world are unattainable (Messi, C. Ronaldo, Neymar) or unlikely to be attained (Drogba). There are of course plenty of players who are famous to soccer fans, but the casual sports fan probably only knows those four, and perhaps Theiry Henry who is clearly spoken for. Neymar is even pushing it and I wouldn't have put his name on the list prior to his recent social media fame. And for those who overreact and don't actually read what was written, I am not suggesting the Cosmos could acquire any of those players. I'm simply suggesting that no one else would be worth acquiring for the reason of "box-office draw."
I don't think that the only reason for signing Raul would be to put butts in seats, he would clearly be an upgrade at forward over last year.this year we have yet to see what the new guys can bring, so IMO if we could get him we should do it. Not holding my breath. I also don't think he needs to be any where near as popular as Neymar or Messi to make a difference at the box office, he will sell way more tickets than any of the guys we have at forward now. The man played in Real Madrid, Shalke, and the Spanish national team you do not need to be a poster on these threads to know the name.
I don't have a problem with them signing Raul if it benefits open cup play and adds depth which it can. Regardless if the Raul name means anything to the casual American soccer fan it does mean something to the folks that frequent these boards and sites like it. It *IS*something that Spanish and other global fans will take note of. Scoring was an issue last year so anything that improves us with regard to that is wonderful. I also think the qualities Raul brings are the same ones that Senna brought, professionalism, a high soccer IQ and a record of winning. These are Cosmos qualities... In the meantime we've got a 10 week spring season and some early US Open Cup games to get through first before we need to jump to any real conclusions on what the club needs to do. Generally speaking NASL teams across the board have been far more active this year than last year. That has a lot to do with Indy and Ottawa entering the contest, it has a lot to do with MLS waving the expansion flag around. Still a good chunk of it has to do with the way the Cosmos came in and the way the organization carried and carries itself. Again anything that serves as a catalyst to improve the American Soccer landscape should be welcomed and encouraged.... And yes the Cosmos polos are nice as are the warm-up jackets.
Well if by box-office draw you mean Beckham like (or dare i say, Pele like) then sure, of course you are right. The players you mentioned are all clearly unattainable by any US club. Not even sure why you would place Drogba in that category. Soccer fans know Raul respect Raul and recognize he is perhaps one of the greatest players/name in the sport in its history. Well soccer fans that have followed the game more than 4-5 years anyway. He would be a coup for NASL and the Cosmos.
I've seen plenty of Drogba/Chelsea jerseys in my travels across the country, third to Beckham and C. Ronaldo. I agree Raul would be a coup and a great player to have, I'm simply suggesting he would probably not be a box office draw. The move would not pay for itself.
I think you could say the same about Senna. To me the more pressing concern is will he be able to perform? The data on Raul's perofrmance shows a serious drop off during his two seasons in Qatar... Money doesn't buy happiness. He seemed to still be fairly productive in his role with Schalke 04 with 40 goals and 21 assits over 98 matches. He did have some injuries and he is 36 but I don't think Al Sadd has been good for him at all. Perhaps being on a start-up with an old friend and young blood in NYC will get him motivated?
Alessandro Noselli is confirmed as back with the team! Great that he is coming back! Read here- http://www.cosmossoccerfan.com
Team added depth to the goal keeper position today - http://cosmossoccerfan.com/2014/03/26/cosmos-sign-another-goalie-named-kyle/
Yes, another example of why the Cosmos need to appreciate that other teams have improved. I think they will feel that in a spring season "sophomore slump" and then bounce back after making more investments for the fall season. The haters won't give them credit or will find reasons to say it is a bad thing, but the Cosmos have raised the standard at the D2 level and other clubs like San Antonio, Tampa, Minnesota, Indy and Ottawa have responded. The US Open Cup could have many upsets this year between the improvements in US based NASL teams and USL teams with MLS loanees!
Arguably the better GK signing for the entire off season..This season is going to be a great deal more competitive than last.
No trolling... That was a great signing for the Rowdies and with Restrepo down for the count it was needed IMO becuase their defense was suspect last season and he kept them in a lot of games.
I'll add that I've been posting all off-season that the Cosmos needed to upgrade their GK position, which they have not. The rest of the squad seems to be at least on par with last year, but nothing was done with GK. I think this Pickens signing for the Rowdies might make the Cosmos staff take notice, at least I hope so.
Agreed... I don't think Goalie by commitee is a good way to go... The only thing to add is maybe they are seeing something in practice and preseason that makes them think they will be ok... He did have a year in the system and had time to develop behind Reynish so there's that. I'll reserve judgement until the fixtures are upon us for Spring Season.