Translators are common in sports, especially when new players come in from different countries around the globe. Although the Cosmos have players from many different backgrounds, they have no trouble communicating as they use whichever means are necessary to get their thoughts across, both on and off the pitch.

 

Several Cosmos players are from Spanish speaking countries such as El Salavdor, Argentina, Colombia and Spain. Because of the language demographics, coaches and players speaking Spanish during practice is a common occurrence. For some players, hearing the language spoken has been the impetus to learn the language themselves.

 

“I am definitely trying to learn Spanish,” said Ukrainian forward, Eugene Starikov. The Cosmos attacker thinks the culture of language around the Cosmos is really unique. “It’s much easier to learn the language when you speak it every day, and it’s fun to have the coaches switch in between English and Spanish.”

 

To Cosmos defender, Ryan Richter, the Cosmos coaches and their various languages present a fun challenge to someone trying to learn Spanish. “Learning more about someone’s language and culture is a great way to learn about people. Learning the language also helps me gain my teammates' trust, and that allows me to earn their trust on the field.”

 

Even though many of the Cosmos players work towards understanding another language in an effort to better understand their teammates, playing soccer does not always require words. Some of them get to understand their teammates by signaling one another.  

“Yeah, soccer is a universal language,” said Cosmos striker, Irvin Herrera, a native Spanish speaker from El Salvador. “When you are on the field, it all comes to hand signs.”

 

Herrera described how putting his hand in different positions could signal for different types of passes, explaining, “If you raise up your hand, you know you are asking for the ball, you point where you want the ball and hope your teammates give it to you.”

 

Playing along teammates in practice every day is also a big help for players like Herrera. “It comes down to being on the field with your teammates and knowing how everyone plays,” he said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what language you speak, but rather that you understand your teammates’ game.”

 

“So much of it is expressions and body language,” Richter agrees. “Having a relationship with someone even if you don’t speak their language means that you can play with them.”

 

For the New York Cosmos, communication is key, whether it is the goalkeeper arranging his defense, a midfielder looking to carve open the opposition’s formation or the Head Coach planning the team’s next move.

 

But as Richter and Herrera said, there is more to soccer then just telling your teammates what to do or how to play a ball. The Cosmos certainly honor their name and heritage not only by having more than ten different nationalities in one team, but also by working hard every day towards one common purpose: the NASL Championship.  

 

The multilingual New York Cosmos are heading out to California to face the San Francisco Deltas on Saturday. Kickoff at Kezar Stadium is set for 8:00 pm, ET. The game will be broadcast live on MSG Networks.

 

The team will return to MCU Park to face Indy Eleven on Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, click here.