Brooklyn Homecoming: Following Savarese Visit to LIU, Cosmos Announce November Playoff Game at MCU Park

One-time LIU Brooklyn star Gio Savarese is always welcome back in Brooklyn, and now his new team will play its first-ever home playoff game there on November 7 in Coney Island.

Head coach of the New York Cosmos since the franchise’s rebirth in 2012, on Thursday the former Blackbird spoke on LIU’s home turf with summer campers, none of whom knew of his outstanding career at the downtown Brooklyn university. From 1990 – 93, Savarese tallied 50 goals for LIU, including 21 in 1992, when he was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year and a First Team Academic All-American.

But the Cosmo coach’s visit with young fans was secondary to news far more important to local soccer fans. At an afternoon press conference, Savarese — joined by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Cosmos COO Erik Stover, former Cosmos goalkeeper Shep Messing and MCU Park Vice President Steve Cohen — announced that the Cosmos’ opening game of the 2015 North American Soccer League (NASL) postseason Championship will be played at MCU Park.

Savarese was excited by the opportunity to bring championship soccer to the borough where his career began.

“Brooklyn being a borough that’s interested in soccer, there’s so much diversity… it’s a great opportunity for many people to see our team who haven’t had a chance to see us,” Savarese said.

“We should enjoy the fact that we’ll be playing in Brooklyn, that we’re going to play again at MCU Park in a playoff match, which is very important for us.”

Prior to the press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Savarese schooled young fans gathered at LIU Field about how the Cosmos had beaten local rivals from the Major League Soccer: New York Red Bulls in the 2014 U.S. Open Cup and New York City FC last month in Open Cup play.

When quizzed about their favorite players, campers cited Pele, who played for the Cosmos from 1975 – 77, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, and Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning FIFA Player of the Year who plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish Football League. Savarese took the opportunity to educate his young audience about his team’s roster.

“Can I tell you one fact?” he said. “A player on our team, called Raúl, has more goals scored for Real Madrid, then Cristiano Ronaldo. Did you know that fact?” the Cosmos coach added, to “oohs” and “ahs.”

At the mention of Leo Fernandez, a 23 year-old striker who played for Stony Brook and has scored three goals this season for the Cosmos, Saravese plugged his squad’s homegrown talent.

“We have a lot of players who are from New York, they grew up like you,” Saravese said. “They were your age, they grew up and developed, and now they are playing professionally.”

Joe Barone, a former St. Francis Brooklyn star who is Vice President for the Brooklyn Italians, a youth soccer program that his son Sal —now a junior midfielder for the Terriers — once played for, cited how the Cosmos playing in the borough that he calls home will benefit local soccer.

“I’m a Brooklyn guy, I’m working in the turf to grow the sport here,” said Barone. “Having the Cosmos in Brooklyn will inspire local players to play at the sport’s highest level.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Cosmos’ Coach Gio Savarese meets with campers on LIU Field in downtown Brooklyn
PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Randazzo for Patch