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Bermuda Bound! Cosmos continue preseason training in the Caribbean

March 9, 2017 By Scott Enman Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The New York Cosmos can’t seem to get enough of island life these days. The team announced Wednesday that it would be traveling to Bermuda on March 19 to play the Bermuda Football Federation National Team in an international exhibition match. Shown: Kalif Alhassan (in white) fights off a defender during an exhibition match in the Dominican Republic. Photo courtesy of Atlético Pantoja
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The New York Cosmos can’t seem to get enough of island life these days.

After winning three straight preseason friendlies in the Dominican Republic, the team was given a hero’s welcome on Monday in Coney Island.

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Two days later, the team announced that it would be travelling to Bermuda on March 19 to play the Bermuda Football Federation National Team in an international exhibition match.

After that, the squad will kick off its 2017 campaign in Puerto Rico against Puerto Rico FC on March 25.

“We are happy to continue our preseason work, this time by travelling to Bermuda, where the Cosmos had a presence 40 years ago,” said Cosmos Head Coach and Sporting Director Giovanni Savarese. “The team is looking forward to starting the season strong and playing international matches that allow us to rotate players is very helpful.”

The Cosmos are one of the most storied franchises in sports history, having been led by Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, who is undeniably regarded as the greatest athlete to ever play the Beautiful Game.

Other notable players include Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and West German defender Franz Beckenbauer.

The Cosmos have strong ties to Bermuda, having visited the archipelago for preseason training in 1977, when Pelé was on the team, and again in 1978.

In addition, during their 1972 championship-winning season, the team’s most valuable player and top goal scorer was Bermudian Randolph Horton.

Horton is expected to visit the team while they’re in Bermuda.

“Our primary role is to bring visitors to Bermuda, yet we’re also looking to add extra benefits for our community as a result of the work we’re doing in tourism,” said Pat Phillip-Fairn, chief product and experiences development officer for the Bermuda Tourism Authority. “Whether it’s golf or sailing, rugby or soccer — sports is once again proving a formidable force to attract volume to Bermuda during the shoulder season.”

The Cosmos compete in the North American Soccer League (NASL), a second-tier professional soccer league.

The Cosmos have won eight NASL championships, including last season, and three times in the last four years.

The team hopes to continue its unbeaten preseason tour in Bermuda after three straight victories in the Dominican Republic.

The team won against Atlántico FC 1-0 on Feb. 28. They then defeated Club Atlético Pantoja 1-0 on March 3 and the squad triumphed over the Dominican Republic National Team 5-1 on March 5.

The fact that the team only conceded one goal in three games should be a source of pride for Savarese, who is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Cosmos.

On Monday, the team was grandly welcomed to the borough at the legendary Gargiulo’s Restaurant. The event was co-hosted by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance for Coney Island. Hundreds of people, along with several local elected officials, gathered at the restaurant to officially greet the team.

The Cosmos — who were once labeled “the most glamorous team in world football” — announced at the start of February that the club would be playing its home games at MCU Park, the longtime home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.

The team kicks off its home opener on April 1 at 7 p.m. against Miami FC.


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