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Cosmos Affiliate Pride Day Set For This Sunday

Raúl spoke about his path to pro soccer at a special event for Cosmos Academy Affiliates Monday night.
Published Aug 29, 2015

Representatives from the 19 founding soccer clubs of the New York Cosmos Academy Affiliate Program gathered inside Adelphi University's Campbell Lounge on Monday night for an exclusive Q&A with Cosmos forward and Spanish legend Raúl. With help from head coach Giovanni Savarese and Affiliate Club Manager Joe Barone, the longtime captain of Real Madrid opened up about his experiences at the youth level of soccer and becoming a professional.

"In all the memories I have growing up, I was playing soccer," said Raúl. "I don't remember exactly when it started, but I always had a ball at my feet. If I wasn't playing with my friends I would bounce the ball against a wall for hours. I was 10 years old when I joined my first team in my hometown."

The youngest player to debut for Los Blancos  at the time of his first match - he was 17 years and 124 days old -  Raúl eventually led the club to multiple La Liga, Supercopa and UEFA Champions League titles. Upon his retirement as a Cosmos player he will assume a prominent, full-time role in the club's academy.

"I grew up watching someone like Raúl on Wednesday nights in the Champions League," said Brooklyn Italians Director of Coaching Dominic Casciato. "To hear him talking about all these stories - for us to have access to that is incredible."

"I was very excited to be contacted recently and asked to be one of the 19 affiliate clubs," Dix Hills SC President Martin Targett said. "And that was just weeks ago. One of the things about tonight is that it emphasizes how much the Cosmos have done for us in such a short span of time."

Raúl commended the work being done by Cosmos Affiliate clubs and youth soccer clubs around the country, and offered his perspective on the youth landscape. 

"I think that youth soccer in this country is growing up tremendously," Raúl said. "I can see it through my own kids' experiences playing and in school. It's not just football and basketball and baseball anymore. Kids, and even the teachers, talk about soccer in school."

The club also announced that the Cosmos' upcoming home match against the Carolina RailHawks will serve as Affiliate Pride Day. As part of honoring the founding affiliates each club will be gifted a customized banner, and four players from each club are invited to walk out onto the field to showcase the banner in a pregame ceremony.

There will also be a tifo contest amongst the clubs to come up with the most creative handmade banners, chants, songs and more. Players are encouraged to represent their clubs by wearing team uniforms or club colors. The contest will be judged by the Cosmos supporters, and Savarese will announce the winners after the game.

The winning club will receive:

  • An exclusive training session with the New York Cosmos first team to be held at winning team’s facility
  • Autograph opportunities at the conclusion of the Cosmos’ training session
  • Weeklong spotlight on Cosmos TV and social media

Be sure to use the hashtag #CosmosAffiliate when you post to social media on Sunday. The first 4,000 fans to arrive at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium will each receive a 2015 Team Poster courtesy of Peak Performance. See you there!