- Cosmos sign Ecuadorian playmaker Josué Manzano and Italian center back Davide
Materazzi - Club also adds New Jersey natives Tino Puentes, a midfielder, and Nick Zielonka, a
striker - Cosmos are preparing for return to competition in 2026 as members of USL League
One
PATERSON, NJ (Dec. 3, 2025) — The New York Cosmos have added four emerging players with significant professional potential as the club accelerates its roster build ahead of a highly-anticipated return to competition in 2026.
Two new players hail from abroad but have significant U.S playing experience: midfielder/winger Josué Manzano and defender Davide Materazzi. The other two are New Jersey natives: midfielder Augustine ‘Tino ’Puentes and forward Nick Zielonka.
“We are excited to announce this group of players. Building a team from scratch is definitely a challenge, but we see each of these players fitting an important role within the club.Each one stood out in their own way during several tryouts. The one thing that they definitely had in common was their hunger and determination to join the Cosmos,” Vice Chairman and Head of Soccer Giuseppe Rossi said.
Materazzi, Manzano, Zielonka and Puentes join veteran forward Sebastián Guenzatti on the Cosmos’ first-team roster. Guenzatti, a Cosmos fan favorite and three-time NASL champion, is returning to the club after nine successful seasons in the USL Championship. Together, they will be part of the Cosmos’ new era in USL League One. The 2026 season, which will be the 21st in the club’s competitive outdoor history, kicks
off next March at historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ.
“These players have a dream to be playing soccer at the highest level and all they ask for is a chance. This is their chance,” Rossi said of the four new signings. “We are excited to work with them and help develop their mindset on how to approach their roles and this opportunity. This is why we started this project—to give players the chance to continue chasing their dream.”
See below for more on the Cosmos ’new additions, along with Head Coach Davide Corti’s thoughts on each player:
Josué Manzano
Manzano, 20, was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and moved to Orlando, Fla. as a 10- year-old. He spent most of his youth in Orlando City’s academy, where he was part of the U-17 team that won the MLS Next Cup crown in 2021 and then the U-23 side that competed in the UPSL.
A skillful attacking midfielder, winger or playmaker, Manzano spent part of 2024 back in Guayaquil with Club Atlético JBG, a second-tier club affiliated with Atlético Madrid. He also appeared for Ecuador’s U-17 national team in a pair of 2022 friendlies.
Manzano: “I’m simply grateful for this opportunity. I’ve worked really hard for a moment like this, and now I just want to keep proving myself, learning and giving my best every day for this team. The Cosmos changed the whole history of football in the USA, and it’s a team that has a lot of prestige worldwide. So to be part of that now is incredible.”
Corti: “Josué showed us some really good quality. He’s not a big guy, but he’s really good with his technique, really good shielding the ball, and he’s a very good player in 1 v. 1 situations. He plays with personality and excitement. We like players with his skill set and can see him growing very quickly within our club.”
Davide Materazzi
A native of Milan, Italy, Materazzi is a 24-year-old central defender who moved to the U.S. to play college soccer after spending time in the AC Perugia and Foligno Calcio academies. Materazzi played three seasons (2020-22) at Davis & Elkins College and then transferred to James Madison, where he played for an additional two years (2023- 24) while earning a Master’s in Sports and Recreation Leadership. The Dukes reached
the 2023 NCAA tournament’s round-of-16 after Materazzi scored the only goal of a 1-0 win over national power Georgetown.
Materazzi also played in 2022-25 for Lionsbridge FC of Newport News, Va., in USL League Two, a national summer semi-pro circuit. Lionsbridge made the playoffs all four seasons and reached the national final in 2023. Materazzi ranks third on the list of all-time appearances for the club.
He is the son of legendary Italian defender and 2006 FIFA World Cup champion Marco Materazzi.
Materazzi: “Coming to the Cosmos means that I’m going to grow a lot as a player and that’s one of the main reasons why I signed. I want to improve as a player. It’s an historic team. Great players played here. And what we want to do is take the Cosmos back to where they belong.”
Corti: “Davide is a young player that we want to help grow. He’s a big, strong defender that understands his position well. He’s a really good header of the ball and he can be dangerous on set pieces. We’re going to help him take the next step and get him some professional experience. We believe that he has the potential to be a good professional center back.”
Tino Puentes
Puentes, 23, is from Garwood, NJ, and played at Arthur L. Johnson High School and Drew University. A versatile, jack-of-all trades player who evolved into a tenacious box-to-box midfielder in college, Puentes was a four-year starter at Drew with multiple all-conference and all-region accolades. He can play several positions and tallied seven goals and five assists. Puentes also played varsity basketball for Drew.
Puentes spent the summers of 2023-25 with Morris Elite SC in USL League Two. Morris Elite is the Cosmos ’Official Affiliate for youth development.
Puentes: “When someone like Giuseppe Rossi tells you that he sees potential in you and that you have some talent, I don’t think there’s anything that can really stop me right now. It fills me with confidence in what I’m doing, and I can’t wait for the season. I’m really excited to play for the Cosmos. I’m going to give it my all because this is my chance to prove myself and I’m just so happy that this has happened in my life.”
Corti: “Tino is a ‘joker ’[card] who can play in different positions on the field, and he’s the sort of player that if you tell him to run through a wall, he’ll do it for you and the team. When building a team, you always need a guy like Tino on and off the field.”
Nick Zielonka
Zielonka, 23, hails from Wallington, NJ, and after starring for Wallington High School and the New Jersey Stallions, he played at both UMass Amherst and Kentucky. A strong, sturdy, two-footed striker, Zielonka tallied 13 goals and 14 assists for UMass in 2020-23 and another two (plus four assists) for Kentucky during a graduate school campaign in 2024.
Zielonka played in USL League Two for the Hudson Valley Hammers of Newburgh, NY and scored 31 goals across four summer seasons (2022-25), including nine in 2025. He also spent part of spring 2025 with renowned local amateur club New York Pancyprian Freedoms and started two U.S. Open Cup matches, including a first-round upset of MLS Next Pro side FC Cincinnati 2.
Zielonka: “Growing up and playing in New Jersey for most of my life, I feel honored to represent and fight for my friends and neighbors with an historic club like the Cosmos.”
Corti: “Nick has shown us really good quality as a striker. He can also play underneath the striker position. He’s a strong guy. He protects the ball properly and just needs to be put in a situation where he can really prove who he is. He can score with both feet and makes life miserable for defenders with his skill in tight spaces and his strength and tenacity.”
The Cosmos expect to announce additional player signings in the coming weeks, as well as news regarding the 2026 match kit and USL League One schedule. All transactions are pending league and federation approval.
For more information on the club, please visit https://www.nycosmos.com/. For information on season tickets and on how to be part of the unique match-day experience at iconic, refurbished Hinchliffe Stadium, please visit https://tickets.nycosmos.com/event/2026-cosmos-season-tickets-phase-2-kgwpa7.
About the New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were founded in 1971 with a mission to bring world-class soccer to the United States and inspire a new generation of fans. The club became a global icon through legends like Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto, who helped ignite America’s passion for the game. Now, the Cosmos are returning to the field in Paterson, NJ, as a community-driven club rooted in sports, culture and entertainment. Based at historic Hinchliffe Stadium, the Cosmos aim to create opportunity, celebrate heritage, and showcase the pride and passion of North Jersey through the world’s
game.