The New York Cosmos announced on Thursday, Feb. 7, that Carlos Llamosa has joined the club as an assistant coach.
“Adding Carlos as an assistant immediately strengthens our backroom staff,” Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “With his wealth of professional and international experience in both Major League Soccer and with the U.S. national team, he is the perfect complement to Alecko [Eskandarian], Memo [Valencia] and myself. He also brings that top-level coaching experience and defensive tactical awareness which will be key for our team.”
Llamosa most recently served as an assistant coach for Chivas USA in MLS where he coached since the 2008/09 season.
“This is a great moment for my family and I,” Llamosa said. “Not many coaches get this chance, to work with such a great staff and for a legendary club in the city I grew up. This team has so much potential that I’m excited to help develop.”
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, the native of Colombia enjoyed a decade-long playing career 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.
Llamosa began his professional career in New York, with the now-defunct A-League’s New York Centaurs and New York Fever in 1996. In addition to his extensive pro 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.
About the New York Cosmos
The Cosmos began play in 1971, spending 14 seasons in the earlier NASL, winning five Soccer Bowl trophies and bringing some of the biggest names in world soccer history to North America including Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Neeskens and Giorgio Chinaglia. The Cosmos last won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1982. It‘s been nearly 30 years since the Cosmos, an iconic global soccer club, have played in a professional league. Yet throughout their absence, the club has maintained a loyal and dedicated fan following.
On July 12, 2012, it was announced that the New York Cosmos will return to the NASL, beginning play at James M. Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University in the 2013 NASL Fall Championship and the club is currently taking deposits on season tickets. The Cosmos also recently submitted a privately-funded economic development proposal to the State of New York to build a world-class 25,000-seat professional soccer stadium at Belmont Park. More information about the proposal and renderings can be found at www.newcosmosstadium.com.
For more information on the New York Cosmos, please visit the club‘s official website at www.newyorkcosmos.com.
