The New York Cosmos announced on Friday that the team has signed midfielder Leo Fernandes on loan from the Philadelphia Union. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I’m excited to play in New York, I went to school there and have a lot of friends in the area,” Fernandes said. “This is a great opportunity for me to play with a team that has an attacking philosophy and the Cosmos really impressed me when we [the Union] faced them in the Open Cup.”
Fernandes, 23, was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Soccer Supplemental draft by Philadelphia and earned his first start with the Union on July 3, 2013 against Real Salt Lake. Through his two years in MLS, the Brazilian-born attacking midfielder has appeared in 20 matches, scoring two goals and adding an assist in 978 minutes on the pitch. He scored his first league goal at Columbus on March 22, 2014.
“Leo is a good addition to our squad,” Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “He’s been training with a lot of our players throughout the offseason and we expect him to fit right in as a good attacking option for us.”
Fernandes was born in São Paulo but raised in North Babylon, N.Y., and played at Stony Brook University from 2009-2012. In his senior season at Long Island’s Stony Brook University, Fernandes started all 18 matches and led his team in goals (9) and assists (7). He was selected to the 2012 All-America East first team and named America East Midfielder of the Year for the third consecutive season. Fernandes left Stony Brook as the team’s all-time leader in points scored. In 2012 he appeared in 10 matches for USL Premier Development League side Reading United and in 2013 was loaned by Philadelphia to the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL Pro, where he scored once in two appearances.
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