As one of the squad's younger members, Giuseppe Barone is soaking in the time he's spent with the New York Cosmos thus far. 

 

"It's been great," Barone said. "The group is definitely merging together and looking better every day. Happy to be here, being one of the younger guys. It's great being in the locker room, listening to everybody, just trying to take all the information in from everybody, being the young one. Guys have been playing for multiple years. Trying to take everything in, learn as much as possible and then go out there and perform every day, give it my best."

 

Barone knows something about the Cosmos, having played against them as a member of the Brooklyn Italians last season. In fact, he felt the team is improved over the 2018 squad.

 

"This year, the level is much higher," he said. "There's more depth in each spot where there's quality. As you go deeper into the bench. Just overall a team that's full of talent. Everyone's got a good mentality when we step onto the field, much better than I could say from last year."

 

The Cosmos also remember Barone quite well. He tallied the first goal of the Italians' 3-2 victory over them in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last year.

 

"Brooklyn plays a style that they sit in and they counter and they're very hard to break down," head coach Carlos Mendes said. "He took advantage, countering with speed. He's very good going forward and going one-on-one. That obviously hurt us. He can play different systems. Playing against him last year we knew what he was all about. He fits in nicely with the group.

 

"He's very good on the ball," he said. "One-on-one he's very clever. He'll find space. He still has to grow into what we expect and the tempo and pace of the professional game; all those things that come with time. I think he'll bring us something different. He'll have his opportunities, done well in the preseason. He goes at people and when he is on the ball, he is difficult to bring down. And that's very good."

 

The 5-7, 160-lb. Barone said that his experience with the Cosmos has been “definitely different."

 

"But I think that whatever jersey or badge that I have on, I give 100 percent and I play for the club," he said. "So, I'm excited to be here with the Cosmos."

 

He has seen some familiar faces. His older brother Salvatore is a midfielder on the club, and his father Joe is the senior vice president. Both men attended St. Francis Brooklyn while Giuseppe decided to attend LIU Brooklyn.

 

"I was the odd one out," he quipped, before explaining his decision-making process.

 

"It was a combination of everything, between location, campus, scholarship," he said. "I enjoyed my time there, good choice, made some great friends and even better memories."

 

In fact, Barone still attends LIU. He commutes to training here every weekday and attends night classes in Brooklyn.

 

"Full day. It keeps you busy, but I'm ready for it," he said.

 

Despite going to rival Northeast Conference schools, older brother Salvatore has been a role model.

 

"For sure," Giuseppe said. "He was older than me and when he got to college there were some decisions that he made that I was like, 'OK, I want to follow these steps.' It was really good having someone like him who was older and look at the steps he took, see his success and try and get the same success as him."

 

Mendes stressed that Giuseppe has won a spot on the roster due to his own merits, not because of any relationship.

 

"I've said it from day one. He has to come in and prove himself," he said. "He's going to have to fight for minutes. We have a competitive group. We give everybody opportunities and whoever is playing best and in rhythm an and come game time, we make the decisions on who deserves to be on the field. So, he's done well. He deserves to be here as part of the team, but now he's going to have to keep improving and try to get the minutes on the field."