Q&A With Spanish Great And Cosmos Forward Raúl

Raúl has featured for the New York Cosmos in 27 matches (26 starts) with one more game to play in the regular season, plus potentially two additional games in The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament. Starting out at Real Madrid, then in Germany with Schalke 04, in Qatar with Al-Sadd, and ultimately to the Cosmos in 2015, Raúl will hang up his boots after an illustrious career.

The Spanish superstar spoke with Matthew Levine of NASL.com about playing in the league this season.

Levine: What has impressed you the most about the NASL?

Raúl: I have a good impression. We competed in the U.S. Open Cup with teams from the MLS and I don’t think there was a big difference between the teams. Also, I think the soccer here is growing every year. It’s physical, technical, and the teams are more tactical than before.

In this year, teams like Ottawa and Minnesota – we may have to play against them [in the postseason] – they are very difficult games. In this league every game is difficult. Every game here is very competitive and you need to be ready, focused, and concentrated for 90 minutes or otherwise you can’t win.

Q: What was the most challenging aspect of the competition for you this season in the league?

A: Every game was very difficult. I had a few problems with the first games with my hamstring. You have to be ready and you have to be physical in the right way. All the games were very tough and had good intensity. I’m happy after six, seven months I could play in [almost] all the games. Overall I had a very good performance and I tried to help the team.

Q: The league is in its fifth season now, but how much stronger do you think the NASL can be as it continues to grow?

A: I think it’s good that the next season there will be two more teams. Every day the soccer in the league is going up and this is good. I also hope that there will be more fans in the stadium and that will be great.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about the passion from the fans not just in New York but around the league?

A: I enjoyed the fans a lot in Hofstra, but I felt very good at the other fields – Indianapolis, Minnesota, Carolina, and Ottawa. All the games had a very good atmosphere and it’s good for the players. It’s nice to see the passion from the people for the clubs.

Q: Why do you think playing in the NASL and with the Cosmos was the right place to test yourself before retirement?

A: It was perfect for me. I enjoyed it a lot and I’m very happy to be a part of the Cosmos and this league. It’s only one year – of course I’m 38 – but I’d have liked to be 30, 32 to play more years. I feel that one year is enough, but I wish all the best for the league, the teams, and that they continue in this way and get even stronger than they are today.

Q: You have a passion for youth development, why is the NASL a great place for young players to develop?

A: The league is a great platform. All the clubs have to have good academies and I encourage them to invest in young kids. It’s very nice to work with them and in this country they need to start with the kids at 10, 11, and 12 to do positive things in soccer. It’s important in the future and also to play for the national team.

Q: Is there one game that you enjoyed the most this season?

A: I hope the final. In Carolina, the second half was very nice and we dominated most of the game. I hope that the ones I enjoy the most are the semifinal and the final.

Q: You’ve played almost a full season now and if other players asked you about the league, what would you say? Why would you recommend the NASL to them?

A: It’s a very good league. It’s very competitive. To come here is a good opportunity. For me, I’m very happy to play in this league, to learn another city and its culture and another stadium.

Of course I’d recommend players to come here. If they asked me, ‘I’d say go!’

Q: There are several players from Spain in the Cosmos lineup, do you see more from the country coming to the NASL?

A: Why not? I think the players in Spain are more open to going outside the country. The last 10 or 15 years ago it was difficult, but now they are starting to go to England and there are a lot of players here from Spain.

I’m going to speak very well about this league and I hope to bring some good players for the Cosmos and for the league.