Interview: Ozzie Ramos (NY Cosmos #15)
Updated: 5 days ago
September 18, 2026 Paterson, NJ
On August 3, 2026, the Cosmos announced the signing of former Texoma FC central midfielder Ozzie Ramos. We sat down with the Modesto, California native to discuss his career, his move to the Cosmos, the team's recent surge, and a wide range of other topics.
The 30-year-old Mexican-American is an experienced central midfielder who has plied his trade at various levels in the United States, with a brief spell in Mexico. Ozzie is known for being a disciplined player, who provides tactical stability, leadership, and defensive cover in central midfield. He has added a new dimension that was missing in the early going for the Cosmos.
Ozzie comes across as a passionate student of the game, a player who makes an impact on the pitch and will continue to make an impact on the game once his playing days are over.
Beginnings:
Ozzie who comes from a Mexican background, shared how his background played a decisive role in his interest and passion for the game.
I asked Ozzie about his begginnings in the sport.
"I mean, from a young age, obviously. My dad played in the lower divisions in Mexico, so that comes from him, certainly. And then apart from that, where I'm from, Modesto, California, there's a big Mexican-American community. So you go left, there's football. You go right, there's football. There's football everywhere. It's deeply ingrained in the culture of our area, the 209 area. And it's just something that, again, I have a deep passion for from a playing perspective. From a fan perspective, I would say that's how I started. I think as a young boy, a lot of it was Liga MX because, again, that's my background. Then, as you get older, you start to play at higher levels, professional academies. I spent a bit of time at Pachuca's youth academy and also San Luis's academy."
Collegiate Soccer:
Ozzie's play in California earned him the attention of many top Division 1 programs in the United States. From 2014-2015, he played for the San Diego State Aztecs, appearing in 38 matches and scoring 2 goals. He transferred to Seattle, playing with the Redhawks in 39 matches with one goal.
Ozzie spoke about his experiences in the collegiate game.
"I played college at two different schools, San Diego State and then Seattle U. At both schools, I got a little bit of something different in everything from a football perspective and from a life perspective. At San Diego State, it was a bit more, if we're speaking football, direct. It was a bit like Pac-12 football. So, again, you have the Stanfords, you have the UWs; it's a bit more direct, with more second balls and more physical play. So, I mean, you adapt, you have to adapt, or you get phased out. That's what I learned there. Then at Seattle U, Nate Daligcon, who I think is absolutely brilliant in how he coaches and delivers his messages, was very clear, not so emotional, just very, very clear with the message he sends. And there, it was more of a, you know, we respected a build-out, and it's something that I felt I identified more with."
Ozzie also played for FC Tucson in the Premier Development League during his collegiate years.
He shared his thoughts on playing for Tucson and if it was a step up from the college game.
"I wouldn't say step up. I would say it's different. You go into an environment where, again, it's a quote unquote summer league. But what I do respect and love and enjoy about having been going to Tucson, I went there all my summers during college. I went there three summers, and what kept me going back there is the mentality, really, the mentality that Jon Pearlman, Rick Shantz, what they had there, it was, yeah, you're coming to prepare yourself for a college season, but we're here to win games and nothing else. We're here to win games and enjoy winning games and really focus on what we can, the football style that we can play. Because again, I think in the USL2 season, it's not so much you can't really propose a playing style. It's really, it's a very constraints-led approach where what players do you have and how can we maximize that? And to be fair, Jon Pearlman, what a GM, my days, he got a lot of top players from different places. Guys that I would say a very high percentage, I don't know the percentage, but a high percentage 10 years later, they're still playing. So fantastic, hats off to them."
Pro Beginnings:
Following his collegiate career, Ozzie pursued a professional career. In 2019, he signed with San Diego 1904 in NISA.
I asked Ozzie how the move came about:
"I was in the San Diego area already. So, at the time when I graduated college, the NASL folded. There was a massive amount of players that were left without a job. They flooded the USL Championship. There was no USL One at the time. There was no MLS Next Pro at the time, so the USL Championship was difficult. I would say it was difficult, trying to be as objective as possible, for a young player to break into. That was the opportunity that came for me, and I took it."
"I played half a season, or around half a season, of NPSL with another San Diego side, with which we made a decent run. We ended up playing the Cosmos in the semi-final. We lost there, unfortunately. I don't think we need to talk about that anymore. But... From there, Alex Gontran, who was the director and head coach there, liked my profile. I was his captain from the get-go. It was a younger team, but definitely a talented team. I want to say, from our starting 11, 8 or 9 were youth national team players. So, I would say it was a very good team, to be fair. And just again, them taking me as a captain from the get-go, it was more about not just myself, but how I could support the staff, how I could support the players, and how I could not just think about myself, but think about my relationship with the players and make sure the environment was at its highest possible level, day in and day out."
Brief stay in Mexico:
Having grown up watching Mexican soccer, Ozzie had the opportunity to play in Mexico in August 2020, signing with Atletico Jalisco, a team in the Liga de Balompié Mexicano.
I asked Ozzie to discuss his experience in Mexico, which was cut short after a promising start due to the club folding.
"Yeah, like I said earlier, I mean, I always had that itch to go back to Mexico. When I was 17, I trained with San Luis's first team, and I had a contract offer. Because of decisions I made, I decided to opt for the college route because education is super important. It's a super important pillar for me, having three younger siblings. I think it was important for me, and it's a decision that, I mean, you can look back and think "what ifs," but you make decisions and you roll with them. I decided to go the college route, but I always had that itch to go back to Mexico and play there. That opportunity came about. The head coach, Eduardo Lillingston, was a player that I grew up watching, and I learned a ton from him. For me, again, it was a couple of months that I was there, but not only from the staff there. Also, I mean, when your locker partner is Johnny Magallon, an ex-Chivas legend, he's a leader, he's a guy with experience. You pick up a thing or two. You pick up a thing or two from other players. You pick up a thing or two from a different football culture. And there's that side of it where, again, because of reasons outside of football, which happen, and again, it is what it is."
Return to San Diego:
After Jalisco folded, Ozzie returned to the United States and signed back with San Diego 1904. I asked Ozzie about adjusting to coming back to play in the US.
"Returning to 1904, I think there was obviously a different expectation. You've gone outside the country, you've played at a good level. So, I guess it was similar. It was similar in that you're expected to be that leader. You're expected to not just play your role, but support the role of other players, support the role of what was NISA at the time, again, a young league, and support the role of players that are maybe in their first professional season. They're still adapting."
I asked Ozzie about the difference between the level in NISA and when he played in Mexico.
"Different, I think it's different, different footballs. I think at least certainly you get a big wave of the collegiate game where, again, it's like I mentioned earlier, actual football where it's very physical, very transitional. In my experience in Mexico, it was more mid-blocks where teams are a bit more organized. They pick and choose their moments to press and where to press. And definitely in attacking transition, you have to be organized. You have to have a good rest defense structure. So it's just a bit different."
Move to Central Valley Fuego FC:
In 2022, Ozzie joined USL League One side Central Valley Fuego FC. The move was a sort of return home for the Modesto, California, native.
"I think returning to or going to Fuego for me felt like home because Fresno is maybe an hour, a little more than an hour away from my hometown. I've been out of my hometown for seven, eight, nine years, I don't know. So going back to Fresno represented almost like a homecoming for me. So for me, I took a lot of pride in it. I took a lot of pride in being able to play for the club, the USL One club closest to home for me."
He also recalled playing under former United States and Mexico international Martín Vásquez and the lessons learned during that period of his career.
"And obviously, playing for Martin Vasquez, for me, I can openly say it, it's been one of the biggest honors in my career. He's a guy I respect a lot, a guy from whom I learned so much as a coach, as a leader, as a man, on and off the field. I learned a lot from him, especially how he structured his training. I learned a ton from Martin Vasquez. And then, again, going into that USL ecosystem environment, I felt the transition was pretty smooth. I've always taken pride in staying ready for when an opportunity comes about. So when that opportunity knocked, I felt ready. And I think my game has never relied too much on the change in physical demands. My game has mostly required me to think a bit faster than the rest. I don't consider myself a fast player by any means, but I think football is not just physical; sometimes it's about thinking faster up here too, you know."
Move to Forward Madison FC:
After almost two seasons of being an important play for CV Fuego, Ozzie moved to Forward Madison FC during the 2023 campaign.
I asked Ozzie if the move was a surprise to him and if he was dissapointed to leave Fuego.
"Not a surprise, it was something that, to be fair, Madison had requested, and they were in a position where they were fighting for a playoff spot. Obviously, for me, like I said earlier, I took a lot of pride. I took a lot of pride in representing Fuego, but I think my cycle there was done, and I gave my absolute everything to the club, and it was time for me to move on in the most professional way. And no, nothing. I mean, I was very grateful for my time at Fuego, for everyone there, the staff, my teammates, ownership, everything. But for me, I think that was, at the time, the right move, with the objective of supporting Madison's push for a playoff spot, and that we did. It hadn't been done in five years, and that we did, so I'm part of that too."
Move to Carolina Core (MLS Next Pro):
Ozzie's nomadic career led him to MLS Next Pro in 2024, where he signed with the independent club Carolina Core.
We talked about the differences between MLS Next Pro and USL League One, and the struggles some players coming from MLSNP face when joining the USL League system.
"It's different, but these are different, I think, where the USL ecosystem is more. I would say it's more of a mature game. In the US, the MLS Next Pro environment, I feel that it's very tactical. It's definitely why I feel that the MLS Next Pro ecosystem as a whole is, it's a lot of, apart from like Carolina Core, now Connecticut, Chattanooga, the independent clubs, you have a lot of two sides that are looking to mimic, replicate the game model, the game identity of first teams. So I feel that a lot of the times if you study an MLS Next Pro match, if you analyze it, most of the matches, teams look to respect the build-out, they look to play in a similar fashion identity as the first team. So the lineups change a lot, obviously, because of first team players dropping, academy players being bumped up. So obviously, I think preparing for those types of matches, it's not so much about what individual players you're playing against. It's more so what structures, what identities, what are the teams playing like generally. So it's different."
We also addressed what his biggest challenge was while playing in the league?
"It's definitely a league, in my opinion, that was made for younger profile players. But I think the adjustment there was, again, maybe not taking so much of a role on the field, but taking that role off the field, maybe mentoring some of the younger guys, supporting them in their development. Again, something similar to what my career has led to: mentoring younger players and just supporting my teammates, not only as a teammate but sometimes as a friend if need be. I think I took it more as a learning experience, not so much from the playing side of things, but more so from understanding the next generation of players. How are they thinking? How are they learning? What works? What doesn't?."
Return to USL League One with Texoma FC:
After a brief stay with Carolina Core, Ozzie returned to USL League One, signing with newcomers Texoma FC. He quickly established himself as one of the key players on Adrian Forbes squad.
"Forbes was brilliant, our head coach Forbes at Texoma. I think in the beginning, it's a new club that's adjusting to different challenges on and off the field, and certainly, we felt that at Texoma in the beginning. I think at some point after the 4th or 5th match, after match week five or match week six, we want to comfortably say we were one of the maybe more consistent teams for a good stretch. But for me individually, I think it was now I have to, again, lead on the field with my experience, with maybe my traits, my profile as a player where I get to, and I feel the need within myself that I have to organize the team around me, the players behind me, the players in front of me, just making sure that the team is connected. So for me, that was good. Forbes gave me a lot of leeway, you know, we had a lot of conversations about the club, about the team, about our tactical identity, and he would give us a specific structure, and from there, he would allow me to support it as much as possible. So I felt very important playing for Forbes, and he does a brilliant job of managing players, so I learned that from him as well. So no, great experience, great experience. And from there, obviously, I met and got to play with, got to work with a lot of the guys that are, or a good handful of guys that are now here at Cosmos."
Time away from the Game:
At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Texoma FC chose to step down to USL2. During this time, Ozzie took a break from his playing career to consider his next steps. We spoke with Ozzie about this phase and plans for when his playing career is over.
"One of my biggest strengths, I think, is mentally staying engaged, really controlling the controllables. That's a big thing that my father and I have. My father's one of my best friends, if not my best friend. We always have conversations, real objective conversations, and it's brilliant. They're about the game, about life, about everything. And again, one of those is controlling what you can control. You can't control the team folding or moving down a division. You can't control things not being perfect, as it happens often, a lot of the times. In first-year clubs, things are not perfect. That's to be expected. So you have to go into things, again, focusing on what is in your control. And with that, I think, in the meantime, I stay ready physically. I stay ready apart from that. I know that when I'm done playing, I know that time is closer. It's closer than further. I'm 30 now, so I'm not 19, I'm not 20 anymore. Definitely closer to the end than to the beginning. But when that time does come that I'm done playing, I know I will make the transition to the coaching side of things."
"So I've continued to prepare myself. I finished my B license in the off-season. And apart from that, I began to do a scouting role at San Jose Earthquakes with their academy. And other than that, I did a bit of a player-coach role at a USL 2 side, Academica SC, which was brilliant too. It reminded me a bit of my time at Carolina Core where, again, you're seeing things a bit from the outside, but also ultimately managing two different roles, you know, managing the player role and the coaching role."
Future as a Coach:
I commented to Ozzie: "It's interesting because as you were talking, I was thinking to ask you about if you saw yourself coaching in the future because you seem like that type of guy that has those characteristics for a coaching role. Yes."
"Yeah, without a doubt. I don't feel like it's something that I'm choosing or something. I feel that it's my true calling. It's something that I've done since maybe I was 17 or 18, where you begin to take on U7, U8 teams, young teams, and you learn from those experiences, and I think it's something within my family as well. I have four other siblings, and three of them coach. So it's something that maybe it's in my calling, I guess, and something that I feel is different. It's so different from the playing side. Certainly, you pick up so much from the playing side. There's nothing, nothing that can replicate the playing side of it. And it's the best thing in the world. Playing, I'll never say that coaching is better than playing. Playing is the best thing in the world. But I know that coaching is different. Coaching is not, now it's not just as a player, it's just about you. It's just about you performing and executing your role to the best of your ability. As a coach, now you're in charge of guiding 30-plus players and guiding the people above you, guiding the people below you, the people to the side of you. It's big, it's a role that I think I can take. So it's something that I know, I guess over the last, I don't know, 10 years, I've looked to little by little prepare myself, do my badges as they come and just again, learn, learn from the coaches that I've had. I've had some top coaches, maybe I've had some coaches I don't fully agree with on everything, but even there, those are learning moments, you know."
Joining New York Cosmos:
We spoke about how the move to Cosmos came about and his training stint with the club before putting pen to paper.
"Yeah, I guess they needed a player of my profile, or they were looking for a player of my profile, and I guess my name came up. Like you said, I mean, trialing with them for a bit, and I guess I was the right profile for them. I think it made sense. Like I said earlier, I knew and I know the environment that I'm getting myself into. It's a first-year club. It's going to come with some things that are not perfect. I think a lot of the time people expect things to go seamlessly, when the reality is it's difficult. There are so many things that come into play, especially with a first-year club. For me, it was just about coming into this environment and seeing how I can add value. How can I add 1%? Because I felt that there were a lot of pieces that were very good. For me, it was evident that the club is in a position, from a results perspective, that it doesn't deserve to be in. So for me, it was just that. It was, how can I add the 1%? How can I add value wherever it is needed?"
With the new players signed, the club, while not always getting results, has improved its competitiveness on the field. I ask Ozzie if he feels the Cosmos have a solid core of players and if that group remains together if they can be a contender during the 2027 season.
"Yeah, I don't know. I mean, that's obviously a decision for the club to make about who they keep and who they don't. But certainly, I do believe that there is a good core. There's a good core of players. I think if you track back to clubs that have progressed and improved from year one to year two, it's been in this league where you keep a good core of the players that you feel can continue to impact your club, and after that, you make additions."
I asked Ozzie what the most significant change in the team has been since he began training with them.
"I can't speak too much about before, because, I mean, I was not here yet, but I can speak about the group as of the last six, seven weeks. It's a group that, day in, day out, is doing absolutely everything in their power to earn the results, really earn the results that we feel we deserve. I know ultimately, I mean, the results are not going to come from the sky. I think we have to respect the specific process, and I mean, you see it day in, day out. If anybody went out to watch us train on the day-to-day, you'd see guys there, I mean, it's a grind. They are fighting for spots, guys that are pushing each other, guys who are looking to do their very best on the day-to-day. And you see guys, you see a big number of guys staying after to do the extras. I think it's a good group. It's a very good group. You go into environments where those relationships are just as strong off the field. And it's something that I feel here from the youngest players to the oldest players. I think we all have a good relationship. We have a relationship comfortable and strong enough to be able to really dig in and push each other on the day-to-day. And then, after when it's done, it's done, and we can go off to the lunch table and eat like if nothing happened and continue to have conversations, you know."
The significance of playing for New York Cosmos, and what that means for his career:
"Like I said earlier, when I first started playing the game, when I first started kicking the ball, like everyone else, you're a fan. You're a fan first. That's how you fall in love with the game. And see, growing up, you hear these names. You hear the big names that have represented the Cosmos, and for me, obviously, it's an honor, it's a privilege to represent and play with and for this brand, this club, you know. So it's something I don't take lightly. It's something I definitely take personally. I think the club, I like the direction that it's continuing to head in regards to how it's continuing to progress. The Cosmos brand deserves to be respected, it's one of the biggest brands in the world. In world football, in American football, certainly, so I think we need to represent it well, and again, it's not something to take lightly at all."
The teams's goals for the rest of the season and what the fans can expect from them:
"Yeah, I mean, you said there are seven games left, and I think it's a far stretch. It's difficult. It's very difficult for us to think too far ahead. I think something that I've tried, I've really tried to send a message, I guess unconsciously, I would say, to the group is to be very present, to not think so far ahead. We have so many matches to catch up to. I think when we are in the situation that we are in, you have to be where your feet are. And you have to take it game by game. You have to take it in, I always say it before the match to the guys. Let's take it action by action. Let's take it minute by minute. Let's take it play by play. If you win your duels, if you compete in your actions, and if you win more of those than not, you're not guaranteed to win, but you put yourself in a better position. And ultimately, yes, obviously, you go into every match, whether it's the top team in the league or whether it's not the top team in the league, especially a derby, a local derby, you go in it with the mindset that, yes, you want to get the result, but the reality is, again, like we said earlier, you don't control so many things. So you control every action as much as you possibly can, individually, collectively, and you hope that your game plan and your actions were better than the opponent's. You hope that by the end of the match you get the result that you deserved."
We discussed his current coach, Davide Corti, and I asked if he is the type of coach that fits the type of player he is, and if he could talk about their relationship.
"I'm grateful for Corti, first of all, because he took a chance on me mid-season. He saw something in me, so I'm very grateful for him giving me this opportunity. As for how he supported me and the group, I think he's brilliant. I think that technically he supports us a ton. And he's, I mean, he knows when to push buttons. He definitely knows when the group needs to be pushed extra, even when we had won back-to-back matches. I remember that the following week he was still looking to keep the group up, keep the group on their feet, really. So, certainly, I think Corti has done well to support our group, really."
Future with Cosmos:
I asked Ozzie about his contractual situation with Cosmos and if he would like to return in 2027: "As far as your future with the cosmos, is returning something that you would be interested in and your contractual status for next year?"
"My contract finishes at the end of the year. But certainly, I think if the club would like to keep me here, I would be delighted. I would be delighted, obviously, to support the club and to represent the club. So, yeah, without a doubt."
Career Influences:
Ozzie discussed the biggest influences on his career and those who helped him throughout his professional career.
"There's a lot, I think, at different points in your career, different people impact you. Obviously, at the very foundation, at the very beginning, it's how you fall in love with the game, how you enjoy the game. For me, I always say it's my father. After that, I would say a big one that I have to attribute to is two other guys. Alex Gontran. Gontran was my head coach at 1904. We would do film sessions that were three hours long. I'm not exaggerating, but three hours. Not just the film sessions, but the conversations I had with him really opened my eyes about the game, thinking about the game, and being more of a critical thinker about the game. Not just taking yes as an answer, but more so understanding the why behind a lot of tactical principles. The second one, I would say, is Martin Vasquez. I played against him when he was at the RSL Academy in my youth days. When you have a Mexican-American, someone who you feel identified with, someone who has represented both national teams when he played, and from a coaching perspective, I mean, I don't think it's an accident that you become the assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann on the full national team. It's not an accident. The way he prepares his training week, the way he prepares teams, I mean, I'm always thinking, I'm so grateful, so grateful for him, for Alex, for my father, and really for all my experiences. I talk about those two that for me are phenomenal, that stand out a lot to me, but I'm also grateful to all the other coaches that I've had because they've also supported me in one way, shape, or form as well."
Defining Moment/Prodest Moment:
I asked Ozzie if he could talk about his finest moment in the sport, or something about his career that made him the proudest.
"That's to come. I think that's to come. It's been the journey. I think the journey as a whole has been rewarding. I think it's far from over, but it's been rewarding. It's been rewarding to experience some highs, experience some lows as well. Because I know football, like life, like anything, it's not always sunshine and rainbows, you know? You have to go through some moments that can sometimes make you, they can sometimes break you, but people have more choice, more autonomy towards their life than they think."
Ozzie Ramos, The Coach:
I asked Ozzie to describe the kind of coach he aspires to be. What characteristics and style of play would define an Ozzie Ramos team?
"For me, I mean, I want to be a protagonist on the ball, certainly respecting a build-out. I see a team that has variety as well and can not only break through teams but can play around teams, can play over teams when it's on and it's on. But also a team that, for me, a big thing is rest defense. Rest defense for me is, it's been my, maybe my football, my career ever since, since forever, since I've played center-mid all my life. I think the teams have to represent a bit of me. So that rest defense, being able to have some structure, some shape when you do lose the ball, because you're going to lose the ball, especially if you're a team that wants to propose your football, because there are teams that are reactive and that's again, it's completely okay. Maybe there's a time and place to be reactive, to play reactive football where you're playing based on what the opponent does as opposed to playing your style, your identity. But for me, I think I want to be more of a protagonist on the ball than not. But also I think I definitely know that my teams will be, I'll take a, I guess, a constraints-led approach where I have to understand what type of players I have and what type of players I don't have. So I definitely know that I won't just shove down my, it's my team, so we're going to do it my way. I think part of leadership, part of me as a person, I think I want to be able to have objective conversations. Doesn't necessarily mean that it's conversations that are putting down a player or a conversation that has to light up a player. No, I think that there are things that have to be addressed and certainly it's a team that is hungry to compete because that's also I think that's part of my DNA. That's part of my DNA that takes me back to why I began to play the game."
"People have to be passionate, people have to feel the game, because football is, I think, a balance for me. It's a balance of, yes, the X's and the O's, but there's also that, in Spanish, in Mexico, we call it "garra"."
Ramos off the field:
I asked Ramos how would he define himself as a person off of the field and if he would like to share something about himself that the fans may not be aware of.
"I'm calm. I think I'm calm. I think what they see on the field is different from what I am outside. I think on the field, a different version of me comes out. The words I speak maybe on game day and in training are 10 times more than what I say outside the field. I think I'm more reserved, but definitely, I think I'm a guy that wants to get to know my teammates, wants to get to know the staff, wants to get to know the people I'm working with and the people that I'm around. More than anything, I would say I'm a person that wants to learn. I'm a person that always jokes with the guys. I tell them, when they see my point is correct, I tell them, hey man, the only thing I know is that I know nothing. So stay curious. Definitely, I'm curious, and I want to learn not just about football, but again about people, about everything really."
Vision for the Cosmos:
I spoke to Ozzie about the Cosmos winning history and the fans expectations and asked him what he envisioned for the future of the club.
"The team is working. The team is working to get the brand where it deserves to be. I think that certainly, a strong offseason is important. We're not there yet. First, before we even think about the offseason, I think we have to think about finishing the next seven matches very strong, so we can really set the tone, set the tempo for what is to come here at the Cosmos. But like I said, we can't think about the offseason yet. We can't think about the next seven seasons, the next seven games yet. We can think about the first action that happens tomorrow night. That's it."
"I think when you go into an organization, especially the Cosmos, you go into an organization where you have to represent not just yourself, not the club alone, but also the fans, its people, the people that are going to be there supporting the club. Again, it's a brand. Cosmos is not just any team; it's a brand. So the people that are Cosmos fans, you have to represent them."
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