The New York Cosmos, winding up for their 2013 launch in the North American Soccer League (NASL), named Carlos Llamosa assistant coach and signed Spanish midfielder Ayoze on Feb. 8.
The Cosmos also recently proposed a $400 million 25,000 seat soccer stadium at Belmont Park on Staten Island.
Carlos Llamosa
Llamosa joins Alecko Eskandarian, also an assistant coach, to support head Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese.
"With [Llamosa's] wealth of professional and international experience in both Major League Soccer and with the US national team, he is the perfect complement to Alecko [Eskandarian], Memo [Valencia] and myself," said Savarese.
Llamosa most recently served as an assistant coach for Chivas USA in MLS where he coached since the 2008/09 season. The Colombia native played for a decade in MLS, suiting up for DC United, Miami Fusion, New England Revolution, and Chivas USA, before retiring after the 2007 season. After DC United selected him in the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft, he helped lead the team to championships in ’97 and ’99.
In addition to his MLS experience, Llamosa appeared in 29 games for the U.S. Men’s National Team from 1998-2002 including matches at the 1999 Confederations Cup and 2002 World Cup.
Ayoze
Spanish midfielder Ayoze is the New York Cosmos' fourth signing this offseason. Ayoze, 27, is a left-sided midfielder/winger who joins the Cosmos from Sporting Gijón where he had played since 2010.
A native of the Canary Islands, Ayoze debuted for his hometown club, CD Tenerife, in 2004. After a spell on loan at Las Palmas in Spains third division during the 2004/2005 season, Ayoze returned to Tenerife where he was a fixture until 2010. In the 2008/2009 season, Ayoze made 30 appearances and helped his club achieve promotion to Spain's top flight. The following season, he made 25 appearances in La Liga and scored two goals.
In May 2010, after CD Tenerife suffered relegation, Ayoze signed for Spains Sporting Gijón. During the 2010/2011 season, he helped his new club maintain its La Liga status, making 13 appearances and scoring a goal in the process. In the 2011/2012 Primera División season, Ayoze made another 15 appearances for Sporting Gijón.
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