Schwartz: Cosmos Are Dressed For Success And An NASL Repeat

By Peter Schwartz
» More Columns

There's a saying that goes "the more things change, the more they stay the same." And when it comes to soccer in the United States, the New York Cosmos fit that saying like a glove.

Back in the days of the original North American Soccer League, the Cosmos won five Soccer Bowl championships. They returned to the modern day NASL in 2013 and picked up where they left off three decades ago, winning the Soccer Bowl in their first season back on the pitch and then following it up last season with their seventh championship.

This season, the Cosmos are looking to repeat, but it won't be easy.

"We're excited to get going again," defender and captain Carlos Mendes said. "I think the league has gotten stronger and it will be a tough year for us."

MORE: Schwartz: NASL Is Carving Out Its Place In American Soccer Landscape

After a successful preseason that included matches in California and Florida, the Cosmos will get the regular season started on April 3 when they play Ottawa at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium. It's a rematch of last year's championship final that was won by the Cosmos, 3-2, in front of more than 10,000 fans.

This year's team will have a different look with plenty of new faces, but it's possible that it could be the Cosmos' best squad, at least on paper, since their resurrection in 2013.

"I'm always excited to start a new season and to start getting to work again," said head coach Giovanni Savarese, who is also the club's sporting director. "I think we have an interesting group with very good depth."

The fans and the media will definitely need a roster when the season starts because of all the changes, including the retirement of legendary stars Raul and Marcos Senna. Both players retired as champions, with Raul hoisting the Soccer Bowl trophy after his one and only season with the green and white.

Senna, on the other hand, was the heart and soul of the Cosmos since their reboot. He scored the only goal in Cosmos' win over Atlanta in the 2013 Soccer Bowl and was like a coach on the field. His retirement leaves a big void.

"We already feel it," Savarese said. "When you don't see Marcos, things are not the same. Same with Raul. We knew we would never be able to replace them."

Senna leaves behind some big shoes to fill, but the slack will have to be filled by several players, including Danny Szetela, who said he's ready step up his game.

"I'm going to have to take a bigger role in the midfield," Szetela said. "I learned a lot from Marcos."

Led by Savarese, the Cosmos' technical staff was able to re-shape the roster with 10 new players that were not on last season's championship team.

Among the new faces that Cosmos fans will see this year are Michael Lahoud, a midfielder on loan from the Philadelphia Union of MLS, and striker Yasmani Duk, who is on loan from Sport Boys Warnes in the Bolivian first division.

"I'm very excited," Duk said. "I've come to support this club and hope I can live up to the history."

That history now includes a brand new multi-year partnership with Under Armour to outfit the team. As part of media day on Wednesday, the Cosmos unveiled their new "kit" at the Under Armour Brand House in New York City.

The Cosmos are the first soccer team in the United States to be outfitted by Under Armour and the reviews from the players have been nothing but positive.

"They look good," defender Hunter Freeman said. "I think it's great for a U.S. company to have a U.S. team and not just a U.S. team but the most iconic team in U.S. soccer ever."

"The uniforms are nice," Szetela added. "They have a little style to them, so we're excited to wear those on opening day."

"I think they look sharp," Mendes agreed. "I'm a big fan of them and Under Armour has done an unbelievable job and I'm excited to wear the kit."

"I love it," added goalkeeper Jimmy Mauer. "They're great and really comfortable."

This is just a part of Under Armour's continued growth in the game of soccer. The company is producing the new NASL game ball and when it came down to striking a deal with its first American club, it could have chosen a team from Major League Soccer.

But Under Armour decided to pick a team with a legendary history.

"It's an iconic property, not only here in the region, but in the United States and really internationally," said Shawn Flynn-Director, Global Football for Under Armour. "When we announced the deal, we were getting calls from the UK, Europe and all around the world looking for Cosmos jerseys."

Fans can pre-order the jerseys here.

The Cosmos will debut their new kits on April 3 and if you look close enough, you might see some red circles on the back of the jerseys. After all, they have what the other 11 NASL teams want.

The Soccer Bowl trophy.

"It paints a target on your back," Mauer said. "We'll get the best shots from people, but that's what we're all about and that's what we love to do."

The 2016 Cosmos will have a new look on the field in terms of players and uniforms, but their mission statement, which dates back to the 1970s and 80s hasn't changed.

Win championships.

Don't forget to follow Pete on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow @NYCosmos and @UnderArmour