Michael Battista is a New Jersey-based writer who covers the Cosmos and other parts of the Tri-State soccer scene. His work appears in US Soccer, TheCup.US, and Protagonist Soccer. He was the NASL's last intern.
After going unbeaten in four, including the first three positive road results of the 2026 season, the Cosmos came back to earth by losing 2-1 at home to fellow USL League One expansion side Sarasota Paradise.
NYCFC and MLS now confirm Edison, New Jersey, and a soon-to-be-completed 6,500-seat multi-purpose stadium will become the new home for a relocated and rebranded version of New York City FC II as part of MLS Next Pro's new Hometown Soccer Holdings initiative.
The 2027 US Open Cup will mark the first time all the American teams in MLS compete in the tournament since 2023, with the 27 MLS sides set to enter next year's tournament in July during the Round of 64.
Beginning in September, 22 teams from across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will be competing for a spot in the tournament field.
The Cosmos are on a modest two-match winning streak, getting better results thanks to a flurry of mid-season signings and improvements made by some key season-long contributors.
New franchise USL Long Island plans to launch a third-division men's team at James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University, a direct competitor for nearby The Island FC launching in 2027 in MLS Next Pro.
New faces in defense helped the Cosmos keep a fourth clean sheet of the season, with Sebastián Guenzatti's sixth goal of the season enough to earn the home team a 1-0 win at Hinchliffe Stadium on Saturday night.
Veteran defensive midfielder Shamit Shome signed with the Cosmos after most recently playing with Canadian Premier League side Calvary FC.
The Hicksville-based amateur side travels to Los Angeles hoping to clinch a third straight US Open Cup appearance and to become just the second team in UPSL history to win back-to-back national titles.
The Burlington-based side continues to set the standard for amateur soccer in America on and off the field, beating Flint City Bucks to make it back-to-back USL 2 titles and cap off another unbeaten season.
Four local amateur teams — Lansdowne Yonkers FC, New Haven United FC, Metropolitan Oval Academy, and NY Renegades FC — face upcoming matches with huge Open Cup qualification ramifications.
La Roja silenced Lionel Messi and held Argentina's potent attack to just two shot attempts, with Spain ending Argentina's reign as World Cup champions thanks to a 106th-minute Ferran Torres goal.
Not even the 90-degree temperatures in East Rutherford, New Jersey could slow the France attack, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a brace to make more World Cup history in a 3-0 win in the Round of 32.
A crowd 1,036 assembled in Paterson, New Jersey to watch Liga MX's Santos Laguna beat the Cosmos 2-1 in a friendly, and while the light fan turnout was worrying, the performance represented an improvement for the Cosmos.
After a cagey and scoreless first half, England found two goals in quick succession to pull past Panama and win 2-0 on a rainy afternoon in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
With more reasonable get-in prices compared to other fixtures in Philadelphia and New Jersey, plus meaningful stakes for both teams, a lively crowd got to see Ivory Coast win 2-0 and advance to the knockouts for the first time ever.
