• Goalkeeper Derrek Chan, defender Marcelo Lage and playmaker Ajmeer
  Spengler have USL experience
• The Cosmos now have nine players under contract as club prepares for 2026 season

PATERSON, NJ (Dec. 12, 2025) — The New York Cosmos have finalized the acquisition of three additional players, all with meaningful professional experience, as the buildup toward the club’s 2026 return to competition intensifies.

The new Cosmos players are goalkeeper Derrek Chan, defender Marcelo Lage and playmaker Philip Ajmeer Spengler. Chan has experience with MLS reserve sides and has been called into camp by the Chinese Taipei national team. Both Lage and Spengler are veterans of USL League One. Their signings are subject to league and federation approval and will increase the Cosmos’ first-team roster to nine members.

“We are happy to bring on board players of this caliber to our team,” said Vice Chairman and Head of Soccer Giuseppe Rossi. “Veterans that have played many games and experienced what it means to be in high pressured situations. I believe in having a good mix of young players alongside vets that can lead as an example on and off the field. We know they will make an immediate impact for us.”

The Cosmos are preparing for their inaugural season in USL League One, which will kick off on Saturday, March 14, 2026, against Portland Hearts of Pine. Home matches will take place at historic, recently-renovated Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ.

“Having these three players gives us solid experience in important areas of the field, as well as role models for the younger players we intend to develop,” Cosmos Head Coach Davide Corti said. “We need players on the field who can transfer their attitudes and provide examples, and that is the reason we are trying to balance the team in this way.”

See below for more on the Cosmos ’newest players, along with Corti’s thoughts on each:

Derrek Chan
Chan, 27, is a goalkeeper hailing from Orange County, Calif., who has spent time with pro reserve squads at both the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake. He played collegiately at the University of California, Davis and in 2022 he signed with New York Red Bulls II of the USL Championship.

After five NYRBII starts and a short loan spell at Charlotte Independence in USL League One, Chan joined Real Monarchs of MLS Next Pro. He made four appearances and then spent the second half of 2024 with Mülheimer FC 97 in Germany. Chan was called into camp by Chinese Taipei for FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June 2024 and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in March 2025.

Corti: “Derrek has a great personality and is a very smart guy and we liked him from the beginning. He has enough experience to be a reliable goalkeeper at this level and we’re confident in what we’ve seen. His field distribution is very good, and that’s a skill we are looking for in a goalkeeper—someone who is confident dealing with the ball and being part of the buildup.”

Marcelo Lage
Lage, 25, is a center back from Middleton, Mass., who played college soccer at George Washington, Coastal Carolina and then Hofstra as a grad student. In 2023, he spent his rookie professional season with Las Vegas Lights in the USL Championship, making 25 appearances and 18 starts while scoring four goals (tied for third on the team).

Lage moved to Spokane Velocity of USL League One in early 2024 and was a regular for the expansion side over the next one and a half years. He started and played every minute of all three League One playoff games in 2024, including the final. Lage then left for the Richmond Kickers in July 2025 and was a regular starter for the remainder of the League One season.

Corti: “Marcelo was one of the first center backs we had our eyes on. We watched him [with Richmond] and he looked very confident, very good on headers and has very good technique. He’s confident in 1 v. 1 situations and with handling the ball in the buildup phase, which is something that we pay a lot of attention to.”

Ajmeer Spengler
A 25-year-old playmaker from Tampa, Fla., Spengler has enjoyed two productive years in USL League One. He spent one collegiate season at Stetson before transferring to South Florida, where he was first-team all conference and the men’s soccer scholar-athlete of the year in 2023.

Spengler signed with South Georgia Tormenta FC in 2024 and tallied two goals and six assists across 31 appearances. He then moved to expansion side Texoma FC and led the team in scoring with nine goals and four assists in 29 games.

Corti: “We’re very happy to have signed Ajmeer. We wanted someone who could play between the midfield and the strikers, and he played that position for Texoma. He’s very comfortable on the ball in tight spaces and he can play a very good through ball. He has a very high IQ and good soccer ideas. He’s a traditional number 10.”

The Cosmos expect to announce additional player signings in the coming weeks, in addition to news regarding the remainder of the 2026 USL League One schedule.

For more information on the club, please visit our website. For information on season tickets and on how to be part of the unique match-day experience at Hinchliffe Stadium, please visit our Season Tickets page