A rumor is afoot. And we all know that once there is a rumor, the most sensible thing to do is spread it and speculate on it.
So, a few news outlets of varying degrees of trustworthiness –the most important one being the Spanish newspaper Marca– are reporting that the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League might be adding a new player to their roster over the summer. And that player is current Al Saad SC of Doha striker Raúl González.
If that name does not ring a bell, lets see:
Raúl González Blanco is almost 37 years old. He’s been playing in Qatar since 2012 and is perhaps most known for his two hundred and twenty something goals with Real Madrid. And, to be fair, let’s add his two “Pichichi” trophies, his three Champions League Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and six La Liga titles. Not bad.
Raúl, as he is known, had quite a career with La Roja as well. He is the second most selected player in the history of the national side, and scored a fair amount –more than forty times. Unfortunately, most of those goals came when the Spanish side struggled to cement their place as international football contenders. He was not on Luis Aragones’ squad for the FIFA World Cup 2010.
As a consummate finisher, this Spaniard with the face of a grinning granny took over La Liga and was perhaps, for a time during the late 90s and early 2000s, the most dominant striker; a classic 9 –although he almost always wore #7. He had the talent to find the tiniest of space in between defenders and the uncanny ability to decide the best way to put the ball past the keeper and into the net. Raúl was, for example, a master of the chip shot.
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So, if the rumor is true, Marcos Senna, current Cosmos midfielder, will have a compatriot in the field of the James M. Shuart Stadium at Hempstead.