Cosmos Midfielder Juan Arango Named NASL Player of the Month

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Venezuelan playmaker heads into The Championship in sizzling form

The New York Cosmos captured the North American Soccer League (NASL) Fall Season title and finished atop the Combined Standings to earn the top seed in The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament. The club’s pursuit of a second straight NASL crown was galvanized in the final month of the 2016 season by veteran midfielder Juan Arango.

The native of Maracay, Venezuela, displayed his calm confidence in the middle of the field, directing the Cosmos attack in the month of October with performances that earned him the NASL’s Player of the Month award as voted by the media.

Arango, 36, finished the regular season with a team-high 15 goals and 7 assists, both of which tied him for second in each category in the NASL. The Cosmos finished strong in October, winning four games and tying one as Arango scored four goals (one a game-winner, against Jacksonville on Oct. 15) and dished out three assists over four games (he sat out the season finale at Minnesota). Also during the month, Arango was once named the league’s Player of the Week and was three times selected to the Team of the Week.

“This is a great honor for me and the organization because we have worked very hard to be where we are today,” Arango said. “We are staying focused on The Championship and we want to continue with the good run of results we had during October.”

Arango joined the Cosmos this year after a stellar career in Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and Germany. He burnished his credentials by playing 183 times and scoring 45 goals for Mallorca of La Liga and then moved to the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he made 154 appearances and scored 25 goals.

The challenge for Arango this year was to try and fill the void left by the retirement of Spanish star Marcos Senna, who helped the Cosmos win the Soccer Bowl Trophy twice, in 2013 and last year. He acquitted himself well.

“This is a very deserving award for Juan because he is having an outstanding season,” said Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese. “October was a good month for the team and Juan played a big role in most of the games. I look forward to The Championship and what he will be able to contribute.”

The Cosmos continue their quest for a third title in the NASL’s Modern Era when they host Rayo OKC in The Championship Semifinals at Shuart Stadium on Saturday. A victory would send the Cosmos to The Championship final against the winner of the Indy Eleven-FC Edmonton match.