APSL and CSL kick off 2026-27 seasons with a thrilling weekend of action!

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The New York Greek Americans cruised to a 7-0 win to open play in the 2026-27 APSL Metropolitan Division season as they defend last year’s regular season title and hunt a second National Amateur Cup championship in three years.

The Greeks are hungry and have powered up over the offseason. They brought in a number of top players from local rivals, including goalkeeper Josh Levine from the NY Pancyprian Freedoms and brothers Cameron and Coby McGregor from Hoboken FC 1912. Even without their squad at full strength on Sunday, they cruised to victory.

Sandzak fought bravely in the first half, only trailing 1-0 heading into the break. Their first taste of APSL soccer couldn’t have been any more difficult, taking on one of the premier semi-professional teams in the country.

The difference in stamina and skill showed in the second half, as the Greeks sent six more goals into the net. Still, it was an important test for Sandzak as they felt out their new league after going without defeat in their 2025-26 Cosmopolitan Soccer League-winning season.

Brian Saramago finished off most of the Greek American goals, starting the season off with four. He scored from a header 19 minutes in, heading home his second in the 56th minute and completing his hat trick in the 60th and finding the net for the fourth time six minutes later.

This weekend the Greek Americans head into a heated Hellenic Derby against the rival NY Pancyprian Freedoms. They kick off at Queens College at 2pm. Sandzak faces another tough test against second-year APSL side Leros SC, who won their opening match 6-1 against Richmond County FC.

Cosmoleague kicks off

Also beginning play in the 2026-27 season over the weekend was the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, with a brand new top division seeing some wild results to start the year. Four of the division’s five new teams were in action, with three picking up wins and one earning a hard-fought draw.

Braza Futbol set the tone for their first Division 1 season, thrashing Hoboken FC 1912’s second team 9-2. Last year’s Division III winners are eager to make a statement at the CSL’s top level. Also earning wins were NY International FC (who returned to Division I after playing in the APSL with a second team in CSL Division II last year) and NY Galicia (who got a pre-season shoutout from Fabrizio Romano). 

NYIFC came back from a 1-0 deficit to beat the NY Ukrainians, while Galicia cruised to a 3-1 win over Manhattan Celtic. The other newcomer in action was Brooklyn City FC, who earned promotion from Division II alongside Galicia. They earned a point in a 1-1 draw against Central Park Rangers’ second team.

The final new Division I squad is New Amsterdam FC SBU, who play their first match this Sunday against Brooklyn City. A few more eye-turning matchups are slated for Saturday, with Polonia SC looking to bounce back from a Week 1 loss to Manhattan Kickers against Braza and NY International taking on Laberia FC.