Carlos Mendes:  “We have guys at different points right now. Some guys have been very fit in training, other guys are coming off maybe a longer break.” (Andy Mead/YCJ Photo)

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — With Cosmos B’s season opener barely a week away, head coach Carlos Mendes realizes what his top priority is: fitness.

The National Premier Soccer League team will get a test about that and other aspects of the game Saturday when its plays a preseason scrimmage at LIU Post in Brookville, N.Y. at 1 p.m.

“No. 1, our fitness level as a team has to go [up],” Mendes said earlier this week. “We have guys at different points right now. Some guys have been very fit in training, other guys are coming off maybe a longer break. That’s the balance, the fitness level.”

And, there’s more.

“Just getting to know each other and tactically learning a system, what your teammates’ tendencies are, what they’re good at, what their weaknesses are,” Mendes said. “That’s how you play as a unit, play together. That takes time. Those things we’ll continue to work on. The fitness level, if we do that, we’ll be OK for the start of the season.”

Cosmos B kicks off its NPSL season at Boston City FC Sunday, April 29.

The team is 1-1-1 in its preseason scrimmages, losing to Hofstra University, 3-1, tying LIU Brooklyn, 1-1, and defeating Columbia University, 3-0.

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.