By Peter Schwartz

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With Major League Soccer’s preseason underway and the North American Soccer League staying alive, two of our area’s top clubs have been busy getting ready the 2017 campaign.

The Red Bulls and Cosmos have had busy offseasons for a number of different reasons, but the focus for both is now firmly on soccer and competing for their respective league’s championship.

The Red Bulls went through some drama at the MLS SuperDraft in Los Angeles when a report surfaced saying head coach Jesse Marsch was leaving to become the new head coach of Red Bull Salzburg, and that assistant Chris Armas was going to take over. But a day later, Marsch arrived in Los Angeles and things got back to business as usual.

New York is now in the process of putting together its preseason roster. It has been a busy week in that regard, including the re-signing of center back Damien Perrinelle. The native of Suresnes, France missed the first half of last season because of an injury sustained during the 2015 playoffs.

“We are pleased to bring Damien back for 2017,” Marsch said. “Damien has been an important part of our back line for the last two years, and we think he can continue to play a big role for us this season.”

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The Red Bulls are not only making moves to shape their 2017 roster, but they also have their eyes on sustained success going forward.

The two-time defending Eastern Conference regular season champions signed a pair of homegrown players in academy product and Georgetown University midfielder Arun Basuljevic, a native of Mahopac, New York, and University of Michigan goalkeeper Evan Louro, also a product of the Red Bulls’ academy and a native of South River, New Jersey.

In addition, two players from defending USL champion New York Red Bulls II signed MLS contracts — goalkeeper Raphael Diaz, who is a native of Rockaway, New Jersey, and midfielder Dan Metzger, who hails from Holmdel, New Jersey.

While the Red Bulls have had to meander their way through some issues, the area club that featured the most offseason drama has been the Cosmos.

After winning back-to-back NASL titles and three championships in four years since their re-boot in 2013, the Cosmos entered the offseason in financial peril. Players, coaches, and staff were missing paychecks and the team was on the verge of ceasing operations. Most of the staff was let go and the players were released as the club appeared to be headed for extinction for the second time.

During the period of turmoil, several players signed with new teams, including midfielder Danny Szetela, who joined the expansion San Francisco Deltas.

But the Cosmos found a savior in Mediacom Communications Corporation chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso, who bought the team and made good on the back pay due the staff and the players. Once the team changed hands, head coach and sporting director Giovanni Savarese began re-signing players that were released, including defender and team captain Carlos Mendes, midfielder Andres Flores, and defender Ryan Richter, who scored the shootout goal that lifted the Cosmos to victory over Indy in the NASL championship final back in November.

Meanwhile Szetela, a Clifton, New Jersey native, was getting ready to leave for San Francisco, but his heart was clearly with the Cosmos. So he asked Deltas head coach Marc Dos Santos if there was a way to get him back to New York. On Thursday, the Cosmos announced his return after reportedly compensating the Deltas with what bigapplesoccer.com called “an undisclosed transfer fee.”

“I’m very pleased that we were able to bring Danny back to the team. He is an experienced player and has contributed a lot to this team over the last few years,” Savarese said. “I’d also like to thank the San Francisco Deltas for helping to make this transition seamless.”

At the end of the day, Szetela gets to stay with his hometown team, a club he helped raise three Soccer Bowl trophies.

“The Cosmos have been a big part of my life for a long time,” Szetela said. “I have many special memories here, including three title wins. I’m looking forward to another run for the championship and being around my family and friends who have been a huge support in my career.”

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