The 2017 New York Cosmos season was the new Cosmos' fifth season of existence, playing in the new North American Soccer League. Including the previous franchise, this was the 19th season of a club entitled New York Cosmos playing professional soccer in the New York metropolitan area.
Background
The 2016 season saw the Cosmos achieve a league-best 20–5–7 combined regular season record. In the Soccer Bowl playoffs, the Cosmos defeated Rayo OKC in the semifinals before beating Indy Eleven in penalty kicks in Soccer Bowl 2016 on November 13, 2016. It was the franchise's sixth division two honor. Including the previous franchise, it was the Cosmos' eighth Soccer Bowl title.
Following that successful 2016 Championship run, the Cosmos and the league faced serious questions on survival. In the week after the championship game, league officials and team owners met in Atlanta for a crisis meeting on November 29. Two franchises (Ottawa Fury FC and Tampa Bay Rowdies) had already made plans to leave for the USL. The Cosmos had already started laying off front office staff and entered furlough on other staff and club members.
On December 14, Cosmos chairman Seamus O'Brien publicly announced that the Cosmos will not field a team in 2017. The USSF still had not made a decision on the divisional status of the NASL or USL. The announcement and talks had been delayed several times, and O'Brien felt that the Cosmos could not play in a Division 3 sanctioned league. By this time the Cosmos had released all of their players and coaching staff from their contracts and left a skeleton crew to operate the front office.
The following players signed with other teams prior to the announcement of the Cosmos returning for 2017. (Danny Szetela had signed with the NASL expansion San Francisco Deltas but returned to the Cosmos.) No.Pos.PlayerSigned WithFee/notesDateSource25 HeredianoSigned19 December 201677 IFK MariehamnSigned1 January 20177 Ettifaq FCSigned2 January 201716 Sacramento Republic FCSigned23 Reno 1868 FCSigned10 January 201718 Zulia FCSigned19 Zulia FCSigned21 OKC Energy FCSigned12 January 201715 BarnetSigned27 January 2017
On January 6, 2017; the USSF announced that they had granted the NASL and USL provisional Division 2 status for the 2017 seasons. Both leagues received waivers to structuring laws and regulations that must be met to keep their Division 2 status in the following years. Four days later on January 10, the Cosmos publicly announced that Rocco Commisso (CEO of Mediacom) had taken over as majority owner of the team. The Italian had emigrated to the United States when he was a child and played for Columbia University's soccer program before trying out for the US Men's National Olympic Team in 1972. Columbia University's soccer stadium is named after him, leading many to believe that the Cosmos may play there or at MCU Park in 2017.
On February 2; the club made the "re-rebirth" official by announcing that many players have already returned and that they will be playing 16 regular season games at MCU Park in Brooklyn. Season tickets went on sale first to former season ticket holders on February 3.
On March 17, 2017, the team announced a new broadcasting deal with MSG and WPIX-TV. Their previous broadcaster, One World Sports, had been shut down.
Club
Kit Supplier: Inaria / Sponsor: Emirates (airline) Last Update: November 12 game @ San Francisco Deltas
Roster
Competitions
Exhibition
Match reports
Exhibition Statistics 3 Goals
Irvin Herrera
2 Goals
Emmanuel Ledesma
1 Goal
Juan Francisco Guerra Eugene Starikov Javi Márquez Andrea Mancini Andrés Flores Eric Calvillo
NASL Spring Season
The NASL regular season will now feature two equal seasons
Standings
Results
Results by round
Match reports
NASL Fall Season
The NASL regular season will now feature two equal seasons
Standings
Results
Results by round
Match reports
The Championship
U.S. Open Cup
Match reports
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
|colspan="14"|Players who appeared for the New York Cosmos who are no longer at the club:
Goal scorers PlacePositionNationNumberNameNASL Spring SeasonNASL Fall SeasonNASL PlayoffsU.S. Open CupTotal1 MF18Emmanuel Ledesma5500102 MF6Javi Márquez240063 MF16Juan Francisco Guerra23005DF17Ayoze32005FW31Pablo Vranjicán140056 FW27Eugene Starikov040047 MF26Eric Calvillo120038 MF11Andrés Flores11002MF14Danny Szetela10012FW19Irvin Herrera20002MF20Wálter Restrepo20002MF22Kalif Alhassan10012FW32Bljedi Bardic02002FW77Lucky Mkosana0200215DF2Ryan Richter10001DF3David Ochieng01001DF4Carlos Mendes01001DF5Dejan Jakovic01001MF8Kobi Moyal01001DF28Jimmy Mulligan01001TOTALS22340258
Own goal scorers PositionTeamNationNumberNameNASL Spring SeasonNASL Fall SeasonNASL PlayoffsU.S. Open CupTotalDFNew York Cosmos2Ryan Richter10001MFNew York Cosmos16Juan Francisco Guerra01001
Disciplinary record NumberNationPositionNameNASL Spring SeasonNASL Fall SeasonNASL PlayoffsU.S. Open CupTotal1 GKJimmy Maurer00200000202 DFRyan Richter30200000503 DFDavid Ochieng30300000604 DFCarlos Mendes10301000505 DFDejan Jakovic00300000306 MFJavi Márquez40000010508 MFKobi Moyal003000003011MFAndrés Flores101000002014MFDanny Szetela301010005016MFJuan Francisco Guerra313000006117DFAyoze004010005018MFEmmanuel Ledesma300110004120MFWálter Restrepo100000001022MFJuan Arango001000001024GKBrian Holt100000001025DFDarrius Barnes111000002126MFEric Calvillo102010004028MFJimmy Mulligan312010006131FWPablo Vranjicán001000001032FWBljedi Bardic1000000010TOTALS2933216010684
National Team Call-Ups
No.Pos.PlayerNational TeamCompetitionDateSource11 El Salvador2017 Copa Centroamericana group stage13-22 January 201711Friendlies22-26 March 201719233 Kenya23-26 March 201735-12 June 20175 Canada5-16 June 201719 El Salvador11 June 2017235 Canada2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup7-26 July 201711 El Salvador19233 KenyaFriendlies31 August - 2 September 20175 Canada2 September 201711 El Salvador8 October 201719235 Canada
Transfers
In
No.Pos.PlayerTransferred fromFee/notesDateSource16 Tampa Bay Rowdies20 January 201720 Philadelphia Union31 January 201723 Rayo OKC16 February 201715 Fort Lauderdale Strikers21 February 20176 Granada CFSpring Season Full Season Extension24 February 2017 15 June 2017 21 OKC Energy FC25 February 201727 Chornomorets Odesa17 March 201722 Tampa Bay Rowdies5 Shimizu S-Pulse22 March 201718 Panetolikos25 New England Revolution24 March 201730 Brooklyn Italians27 March 201731 Pahang FASeason Long9 June 201777 IFK Mariehamn20 June 20178 Beitar Jerusalem F.C.21 June 201722 Zulia FC24 July 2017
Out No.Pos.PlayerTransferred toFee/notesDateSource8 Free AgentReleased 22 April 20171522 Free AgentMutual Parting19 July 201720 Tampa Bay Rowdies20 July 2017
Loan in No.Pos.PlayerLoaned fromFee/notesDateSource19 Saint Louis FC2 February 2017
Loan out No.Pos.PlayerLoaned toFee/notesDateSource1 FC DallasDuration of Gold Cup19 July 201729 C.F. MotrilThrough Remainder of Season26 August 2017
References