By Jason Lind

New York Cosmos B head coach and first team assistant coach Alecko Eskandarian has been plenty busy in the offseason. Trips to Hong Kong, California, El Salvador and Florida with the top squad were supplemented by a player search that initially involved “over 400 names” to whittle down for a freshly-announced reserve side.

Sifting through Cosmos B applications in January, February and March yielded a two-day tryout at Hofstra Soccer Stadium and Mitchel Field on Long Island last weekend.

“It was a great opportunity to tap into the local talent,” Eskandarian told NYCosmos.com. “We’ve been successful in finding a good core of players.”

“We’re hoping to carry between 22-26 players on the Cosmos B roster,” added Cosmos assistant sporting director Luke Sassano. “Ideally this will be a squad that we use to elevate and develop our players for the first team. That’s our end goal.”

Day 2 of Cosmos B tryouts presented by @NYHospQueens are underway! pic.twitter.com/R1qHIadjyj

— New York Cosmos (@NYCosmos) March 29, 2015

That sort of player was on display in different forms last Sunday. Kaan Ilgin, a 17-year-old midfielder/forward born on Long Island but raised in Turkey, impressed with his vision and speed in scrimmages. Ilgin was an all-state selection for Mattituck High School in 2014. His coach reached out to John Fitzgerald, Director of New York Cosmos Training & Development, and helped him secure an audition for Cosmos B.

“I‘ve come to a few Cosmos games,” Ilgin said after the tryout Sunday. “It would mean a lot to be part of this organization.”

On the other end of the spectrum were players like Caleb Lewis, a 23-year-old Christopher Newport University graduate who has played professionally in Sweden. He also already has National Premier Soccer League (or NPSL, where Cosmos B will play) experience with Chesterfield United FC in his hometown of Richmond, Va.

“I have been trying this for a long time, and for it to pay off would be great,” Lewis said. “I am hoping to get that lucky shot to showcase my talent. It would be a dream come true to make a living playing soccer. To be able to support myself, my family – when I have a family – it would be awesome.”

Ilgin and Lewis are at different stages of their careers, but both are hoping to earn spots in the Cosmos B attack. One similarity between the two, though, is who inspires them on the pitch; both look up to Real Madrid stars. For Lewis it’s Gareth Bale, while Ilgun draws inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo. They agreed that working up to the first team and training alongside Raúl would be a transformational experience.

Cosmos B will not only be a side for procuring potential first team talent. It will also serve as a training ground for current first team players, giving those who aren’t in the rotation on match day a vehicle to stay fresh and improve.

“With this reserve side we want to make our first team better,” said Sassano. “We can make that happen a handful of ways.”

The inaugural NPSL season for Cosmos B is approaching quickly, and all the details surrounding it – roster, coaching staff, schedule and venue – are close to being ironed out.