Cosmos Tryouts

From NY Cosmos

Cosmos broaden player pathway with open tryout at Hinchliffe Stadium

 

 

 

 

Although the New York Cosmos’ long-awaited return to competition remains a little less than three months away, Hinchliffe Stadium was alive and kicking on Saturday, Dec. 20, as the club hosted an open tryout that attracted approximately 90 ambitious players.

 

The Cosmos had welcomed fans to the venerable, refurbished venue in Paterson, NJ, during the lively Fan Fest and Select-a-Seat event in early November. Saturday’s tryout then marked another notable milestone in this nascent new era. There was competition on the Hinchliffe pitch at last, with coaches and club staff in Cosmos gear looking on.

 

The common thread: the Cosmos’ commitment to accessibility and community.

 

This was the sixth tryout overseen by Cosmos Vice Chairman and Head of Soccer Giuseppe Rossi and Head Coach Davide Corti. The first five, which were held at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, the Hudson Sports Complex in Warwick, NY and Hinchliffe in August-October, were invitation only.

 

Saturday’s was open to all, and it was comprised of players identified by the Cosmos’ local Official Affiliate and Partner clubs, as well as individuals who registered on their own.

 

Rossi and the club believe that there are talent players in the Tri-State Area—and around the U.S.—who have been overlooked or missed by existing professional and developmental systems. The tryouts are one way to connect with those players and offer an additional pathway. Opening up Saturday’s tryout also sent a vital message to local hopefuls: there is a way forward, and the Cosmos will be watching.

 

“The tryout represents an opportunity for players in the community to have that chance,” said Vincenzo Bernardo, a Cosmos investor and the founder and President of Morris Elite Soccer Club, the Cosmos’ Official Affiliate.

 

“It’s a genuine chance to feel like they could be part of something bigger, and it’s important to have that in this community,” Bernardo added. “You can’t just try out for the New York Giants. That doesn’t exist. So to have this opportunity for the Cosmos is awesome.”

 

The chance is indeed genuine. The August-October tryouts were productive, furnishing five of the 15 first-team players the club has signed and announced so far. Saturday’s tryout cast the net a bit further to include additional local prospects, while strengthening ties between the Cosmos and its partner clubs and, critically, looking for players who might be a fit for Cosmos B, the reserve team that will be operated by Morris Elite.

 

Among the Cosmos’ Official Affiliate and Partner clubs, eight sent players to the Hinchliffe tryout: American Soccer Club New York, Fox Soccer Academy, Jackson Lions FC, Morris Elite, New York International FC, PASCO Soccer Club, Passaic FC and Southside Soccer Club. Along with those who registered individually, players from the Affiliate and Partner clubs were evaluated as potential first team or Cosmos B prospects.

 

Cosmos B is the centerpiece of the Affiliate partnership between the professional club and Morris Elite and will begin play next March as a USL Academy side. Academy teams are mostly U-19 squads that feature limited space for over-age players, creating a genuine youth-to-pro pipeline.

 

“There was a handful of players, for sure, that fit that mold,” Bernardo said. “We were very happy with the level of quality across all the players who came overall.”

 

Passaic FC, which fields a UPSL team founded in 2022, is a Cosmos Partner club and furnished three players to the tryout. Jose Calixto, a PFC owner and coach, said the event offered his players a “great opportunity to showcase their talent.”

 

Passaic FC play home matches at Boverini Stadium, which is a little more than five miles southeast of Hinchliffe. The Cosmos’ presence and outreach in the area is already a game changer, Calixto affirmed. He was thrilled that a group of Passaic youth players were able to attend the Cosmos’ holiday party earlier Saturday, and then by the experience later enjoyed by PFC prospects and coaches at the tryout.

 

“It’s really nice to see what they’re doing in the community, bringing everyone together from different towns to share their love of soccer,” Calixto said. “As for the tryout, it just reinforces what we’ve been doing and it’s a great motivator to partner with such a historic and prestigious club. It gives our players a direct platform—a direct pathway—to get seen.”

 

Bernardo, a former pro from Morristown, NJ, also noticed what the tryout meant to the North Jersey soccer community.

 

“There was a lot of energy. As soon as you walked into the stadium, you could feel it from the players,” he said. “It was accessible and welcoming to everyone who wanted to go chase their dreams and be identified by a club like the Cosmos. It was great to see players from so many different backgrounds come together and compete with that one goal in mind.”

 

There’s a lot more soccer to come at Hinchliffe. The Cosmos highly-anticipated 21st season of competitive play will kick off March 14, when the club celebrates Legends Night. That showdown with Portland Hearts of Pine will be the first of at least 19 League One and Prinx Tires USL Cup matches at the iconic venue in 2026.