Cosmos to play two in California

The Island Now

The New York Cosmos announced this week that the club will play two preseason games in California: one on Wednesday, Feb. 25 against Ventura County Fusion at Ventura College Sportsplex and another on Saturday, Feb. 28 against Sacramento Republic FC at Hughes Stadium. Both matches will kick off at 7 p.m. PST.

“I’m looking forward to visiting the West Coast,” said Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese. “With New York weather the way it is this time of year, it’s going to be a good trip for the squad to face some quality opposition and train in the warmer climate.”

Ventura County Fusion competes in the Southwest Division of the USL Premier Development League’s Western Conference. Since its debut match in 2007 the club has earned three division titles, reached the league playoffs six consecutive seasons and won the 2009 PDL Championship. In 2014 the Fusion became the first PDL club to win at least one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match four years in a row. The team hosts opponents at Ventura College Sportsplex in Ventura.

The Fusion has both a past and present day connection with the Cosmos  as current Cosmos midfielder Hagop Chirishian spent three seasons with the Fusion from 2007-09, while Fusion head coach Rudy Ybarra faced the Cosmos as a member of the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1977.

“The New York Cosmos are probably the most historic club in the United States,” Ybarra said, “The opportunity to play the Cosmos is huge for our franchise, and huge for our fan base.”

Founded in 2012, Sacramento Republic FC took the field for the first time in 2014 as part of USL PRO. The club defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders 2-0 in the league’s championship match to clinch a title in its inaugural season. Due to renovations and expansion of its current home site at Bonney Field, Republic FC will play the Cosmos at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Sacramento City College. Republic FC set a USL PRO attendance record of 20, 231 not once but three times during the 2014 regular season while playing temporarily at Hughes Stadium. The club will return to Bonney Field by the start of its regular season.

“The New York Cosmos is a name synonymous with North American soccer,” said Republic FC Technical Director Graham Smith. “In addition to their long history in the sport, their most recent accomplishments is why we look forward to facing them on the pitch. A matchup between these two championship clubs will not only provide fans with a potential new rivalry, but an opportunity for each club respectively to prepare for their upcoming season.”

The Cosmos will travel to California shortly after returning from the 2015 Lunar New Year AET Cup against South China Football Team on Thursday, Feb. 19 at Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong. 

The Cosmos’ 2015 North American Soccer League Season begins Saturday, April 4 on the road against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Spanish striker Raúl González Blanco will make his home debut against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, April 18.

Share this Article