Andrea Mancini: “I am very happy to be rejoining a team with a winning mentality that has achieved so much in recent years,.” (Photo courtesy of the Cosmos)

By Michael Lewis

Editor

With the start of the North American Soccer League season only 46 days away, the Cosmos Tuesday re-signed
midfielder Andrea Mancini.

As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 24-year-old Mancini became the 16th player on the roster and 13th player to agree to terms in the past month.

“We expect Andrea to compete for playing time this season,” Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “He will add depth to our roster and will look into contributing to our overall progress throughout the season.”

A product of the Inter Milan and Manchester City academies and the son of former Inter coach Roberto Mancini, Mancini dressed for D.C. United in a Lamar Hunt/ U.S. Open Cup match against Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He also has played professionally in England, Spain and Hungary.

“I am very happy to be rejoining a team with a winning mentality that has achieved so much in recent years,” Mancini said. “I look forward to starting the preseason along with my former and new teammates.”

Since cable TV magnate Rocco B. Commisso purchased a majority share of the team earlier this month, the Cosmos have re-signed 11 players from the 2016 championship side.

Returnees included defenders Carlos Mendes, Ayoze, Jimmy Mulligan and Alexis Velela, midfielders Walter Restrepo, Andres Flores and Danny Szetela and goalkeepers Jimmy Maurer, Kyle Zobeck and Brian Holt.

Venezuelan international midfielder Juan Guerra and El Salvadoran international striker Irvin Herrera, who is on loan from Saint Louis (United Soccer League) also have joined the club.

Only three players remained with the team after the rest of the squad was released late last year. They were defender David Ochieng, defender Ryan Richter, who converted the game-winning penalty kick in the shootout to clinch the NASL title for the Cosmos, and Eric Carvilho.

The Cosmos open defense of their Soccer Bowl title at Puerto Rico FC March 25 before they host Miami FC in their home opener at MCU Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, N.Y. April 1 at 7 p.m.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.