New York Cosmos Honored at Press Conference
Soccer News: Raúl and Marcos Senna took the stage together at the Hispanic Federation in Manhattan’s Financial District Tuesday afternoon for a press conference touching on their decorated careers in soccer and final competitive matches with the New York Cosmos in the coming weeks. Both players are set to retire at the end of this season.
“I thought this year felt like the right year to finish,” Raúl told the media. “I thought it was time to invest in new projects and spend more time with my family. But I’m hoping these next three weeks will finish what we set out to accomplish at the beginning of the season. We’ll work hard to try to win The Championship.”
Senna, who is in his third season with the club, spoke highly of his experiences stateside.
“These past three years with the Cosmos have surpassed my greatest expectations,” he said. “Everything that was said about the club and the project at the onset, I’ve been convinced of it in my time here. Once I got here, it was better than I imagined. I couldn’t be happier.”
After a brief Q&A, the Spanish greats were presented with a series of gifts. New York State Assembly Member Francisco Moya was on hand with a proclamation decreeing this Saturday, Oct. 31 as Raúl and Marcos Senna Appreciation Day.
“There are certain sports figures that transcend the sphere of sports,” said Moya. “They’re not only athletes, but they’re role models in how they conduct themselves on and off the pitch. The two soccer players we are honoring today are two such men.”
Then former New York Giants punter and two-time Super Bowl champion Sean Landeta took to the podium, ready to hand over personalized Giants jerseys and team-autographed footballs. Landeta said he was a longtime admirer of the players he came to recognize.
“When I was asked if I could be here, I couldn’t wait to come because I’ve watched these guys play for years,” he said. “I’m a huge soccer fan. In my position I was a punter in the NFL, so I kicked the ball. Didn’t kick it as well as them but I kicked it.”
“I’m a lucky man,” Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said before handing his players jerseys autographed by their teammates. “Two of the best players in the history of the game decided to play with the New York Cosmos.”
The Cosmos stars have at least home two matches remaining in their careers: this Saturday, Oct. 31 in the team’s North American Soccer League (NASL) regular season finale and Nov. 7 in The Championship Semifinals. If New York wins its semifinal match, it will advance to The Championship Final the following weekend.
