Coaches are a crucial part of any team. They devise the tactics that a team will use during a match and choose the training that the players engage in. But for the Cosmos, the Coaches are more involved than in your average team.

Head Coach and Sporting Director, Giovanni Savarese, occasionally takes part in practice, tossing on a penny and jumping into small sided and full-size games. As a former player, he is always moving around the pitch, in perpetual motion. When he steps over the sideline, he is no different than most players, and expects them to treat him like another player.

Savarese gets more than a good workout from his participation. Being alongside the players gives him that extra motivation. “They are very competitive, and they push us to work hard,” Cosmos midfielder, Juan Guerra, said, when asked about the Coaches’ participation in practices. “Sometimes they are more competitive than us,” he says with a laugh.

The players definitely work hard under the guidance of Savarese. When he joins in on a game, players often see the work ethic that Guerra talked about taking effect. While the players always work hard, the extra effort to use that second wind is clearly on display when competing with their Coach.

Savarese’s commitment to the game helps him gain insight as a Coach. Guerra noticed “they can see things that you usually can’t see when you are not taking part. Gio [Saverese] used to be a forward, so he sees every movement we make.” 

Cosmos goalkeeper, Kyle Zobeck, sees similar benefits. “You are playing with your Coaches, and it adds motivation to make sure you make the right pass every time.” The goalkeeper went on to remark, “I think that our Coaches are very good tactically, and it’s always positive to be able to learn from their expertise.”

“I think they can see where guys struggle, and shape our training sessions better based on those remarks,” Zobeck added. 

That specific focus can be seen at the beginning of practice, with different players doing slightly different drills before joining together to train as a team. The Cosmos Coaches are more than just a stern voice and a tactician telling them what to do. 

While a lot of soccer Coaches prefer to keep a lengthy distance from their players, Savarese and his coaching staff have a very close relationship with the players. Taking part in training lets the Head Coach know exactly what his lineup should be. It must be said that Savarese does an excellent job of walking the line between being a Coach and a fellow player, which definitely contributes to him being #17 Coach in America, according to FourFourTwo magazine.

The Cosmos close out the 2017 NASL Spring Season with a road game against FC Edmonton. The action kicks off on Saturday, July 15 at 9:00 pm, EST. Tune in on ESPN3.