It’s great ball movement.
Long Island-based American Soccer Club of the NPSL has entered into a development partnership with the newly reformed New York Cosmos of USL League One to give local stars a better shot at the pros.
“This area used to be an absolute powerhouse in building top-tier talent, and we’ve gotten away from that,” ASC general manager Jim Kilmeade told The Post.
“It’s time we get back to that, and programs like this are a major step.”
The Cosmos, who will play at the iconic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, N.J., are opening a pipeline from the LI squad to identify youth who are ready for a shot at a higher tier of competition.
“We want to see these players get a chance to grow so they don’t get frozen out or locked out in their critical ages from 15, 16 and 17 years old,” said Cosmos CEO Erik Stover.
“Often, it gets too expensive to play.”
Both teams just launched tryouts, where the top of the top may get the chance of a lifetime fresh out of the gate.
Stover has realistic expectations, however.
“We know we’re not going to be a team of superstar 18-year-olds overnight, nor do we want to be,” he said.
“We will have balance across the roster, very talented, veteran professional players, and we also think that’s important for this kind of development.”
The two teams will also have a match from time to time to get a sense of where things stand in their collaborative efforts, which take a boots-on-the-ground approach.
“You’ll see our coaches at your practices. You’ll be invited to our tryouts and our practices,” Stover said.
“It gives a lot of kids opportunities that they didn’t have in the past.”
