 |
 |
Cosmopolitan
League
| Featured Content |
| About
First Touch The best soccer fanzine in the USA for the past ten years. |
| Archives Read all the articles from previous weeks' FirstTouch. |
|
Store |
| Photo
Gallery Our archive of footie fotos, available for stock and personal use. |
| Team
of the Week The best players in the world compete for a place in the First Touch starting eleven. |
| Broadcast
Schedule Listings of upcoming US broadcasts of live matches. |
| Where
to Watch Our complete list of area bars showing live matches! |
| FirstTouch
Desktops Show your allegiance with original FirstTouch desktop art! |
| Fantasy
League Sign up for our popular Premiership fantasy game! |
| Cosmopolitan
League This week's action in the NYC area's amateur league. |
|
Season
Preview 9/15/05 |
|
Standings, results and other stats
Lucio
Russo, New York Greek-American/Atlas' Italian coach, is feeling bullish
ahead of the Cosmopolitan League champions' 2005-2006 season opener against
Brooklyn Italians at the Verrazano Sports Complex this Sunday (kick-off
4 pm).
"I'm
confident that we'll be battling for the title again," he said in
midweek.
Russo's
confidence is well grounded. From all indications, the Greeks, 12-3-1
in the regular season during which they topped the western conference,
five points ahead of Manhattan Kickers, are about to get stronger.
Russo
has been recruiting and is later this week expected to bolster the team
that knocked off Pancyprian Freedoms 3-2 in a contentious 'Super Final'
last July -- amid cries by the vanquished of ringers in the Greek ranks
-- with several new signings.
"We're strengthening the side," Russo said, declining to divulge
names.
What he was able to disclose, though, was the return of practically the
entire first team, including talented midfielder Hemir Niebles, whose
brace held off Pancyprian in the title match.
Also returning are Geovanni Savarese, the former MetroStar and Venezuelan
international, forward Shaun Higgins, striker Paul Grafas and sweeper
Mirsad Huseinovic.
ROCKY PROSPECTS
Come Sunday and Pancyprian Freedoms would have undergone an extensive
makeover in advance of their season opener against CD Iberia.
Rocky Bojovic, one half of the Greek-Cypriots' lethal forwardline, is
back in his native Serbia and unlikely to return, while injury has indefinitely
sidelined veteran midfielder Ben Hickey.
One familiar name coming back is Julio DeSantos. The striker moved from
sister club New York Freedoms to Pancyprian together with Bojovic three
years ago and the duo proceeded to light up defenses in the First Division
while leading Pancyprians to two championships during a two and a half-year
unbeaten streak.
"I'm trying to get six to seven players right now," Pancyprian
GM Lefteris Eliades said in midweek. "This will be a new-look Pancyprian."
Eliades, who also couldn't give names, said the players were from other
clubs in the area. "I don't even know their names, but we have a
few good players," he added.
STAR SEARCH
Second Division outfit Astoria Gaels is in the hunt for new talent.
"With the start of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League fast
approaching Astoria Gaels are looking to strengthen their First Team and
Reserve Team squads for the upcoming season," said Niall Sugrue,
an official at the Queens Club.
"Gaels will be looking to build on their solid performance
in the Second Division last year and challenge for the title this year.
Anybody interested in playing for Astoria this season should contact the
club through the website www.astoriagaels.net or call Gerry at 917-517-4252"
Gaels finished a respectable fourth in Division with a 5-7-2 (17) record.
SEMIOLI READY
Defender Mark Semioli, another former MetroStar currently plying his trade
in the CSL, and Brendan Ready have taken over the reins at New York Athletic
Club.
Semioli and Ready assume the coaching responsibilities held by Jimmy Wurster
last season. Wurster has been forced to take a sabbatical of sorts to
fulfill the more pressing demands of fatherhood, but hopes to continue
turning for NYAC's reserves.
"(NYAC) is in good hands," the new dad noted.
WEEK ONE SCHEDULE
Following is the CSL's opening week schedule (9/18/05). Home teams are
listed first. Reserve games kick-off two hours before the times listed.
FIRST
DIVISION
Manhattan Kickers vs. Barnstonworth Rovers Grand Street Field 11am
CD Iberia vs. Pancyprian Freedoms TBD
Lansdowne Bhoys vs. NY Fury
Tibbet's
Brook Park 12pm
Brooklyn Italians vs NY Greek-Am./Atlas
Verrazano SC 4pm
Athletic Club vs. Polonia SC
Travers Island 12pm
Kandia vs. NY Albanians
Evander Childs HS 5pm
SECOND DIVISION
Astoria Gaels vs. FC Japan TBD
Banatul vs. Roosevelt Isl. Inter.
Metro Oval 7pm
CPR "White" vs. Manhattan Celtics
Metro Oval
3pm
Koha vs. CPR "Red" TBD
METRO DIV. 1
Clarkstown vs. NY Wanderers
Kennedy/Zukor 12pm
BW Gottschee vs. Ridgewood Romac
Queens Child. Hosp. TBD
ASA McCarthy vs. NY Ukrainian
Wards 'C' 11am
Stal Mielec vs. Bergen Kickers
Wards
'C' 3pm
Homenetmen vs FC Bulgaria
Wards 'C' 1pm
METRO DIV. 2 EAST
FC Partizani vs. NY Wanderers
Randalls #15 10am
Sporting Astoria vs. Guyana Juniors
Long Isl. City HS TBD
TAMEF SC vs. Quash FC
Newtown HS 9am
METRO DIV. 2 WEST
SC Eintracht vs. CD Iberia
Metro Oval 11am
8 Mile Creek vs. Shamrock
Red Hook #2 11am
OMM SC vs. NYC Infinity All Stars
Dimeola Field 2pm
'B' DIVISION EAST
Barnstonworth 'A' vs. BW Gottschee
Red Hook #2 9am
Westchester FC vs. SC Gjoa
Wards Island 'C' 9am
Guyana Vets. 'B' vs. H Metros
TBD
Pele Masters on bye
'B'
DIVISION WEST
Guyana Vets. 'A' vs. Shamrock TBD
Eintracht vs. Barnstonworth 'B'
Metro Oval 9am
NY Greek-Am./Atlas vs. Brasil SC
Cardoza HS 12pm
FirstTouch is published weekly by David Witchard
©2005, David Witchard/FirstTouch OnlineFirstTouch Online is best viewed with Apple's Safari 1.x or Internet Explorer 5.x, at a minimum screen resolution of 800x600 dpi
