Interview: Stalyn Acosta (#3 NY Cosmos)
- Emilio Lopez
- Aug 15
- 9 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
August 14, 2026 (Paterson, NJ)
On August 7, 2026, the Cosmos announced the signing of former Ponce FC left-back Stalyn Acosta. We sat down with the Brentwood, New York product to discuss his career and his move to the Cosmos.
The story of Stalyn Acosta is a story of perseverance and inspiration. Acosta has overcome adversity as he pursued his dreams of being a professional footballer. Acosta is a natural left-back who is known for his defensive skills and attacking abilities going forward.
Stalyn Acosta comes across as a humble individual who is appreciative of where he is and who takes nothing for granted. Coming off a championship season with Ponce FC, Acosta hopes to be an influential player in turning the club's fortunes around.
Early Career:
Stalyn Acosta began his soccer journey at a young age with local clubs in Long Island. He began playing with Roosevelt Soccer Club before moving to Brentwood Soccer Club during his 5th-grade year. He remained at the club up until the U18 level. Acosta also played high school soccer with perennial New York power Brentwood High School, joining the varsity side during his sophomore season. During this time, Acosta faced a major challenge as he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. Acosta had to endure nine months of chemotherapy before beating the disease and returning to competitive soccer. During his senior season, a recovered Acosta led his school to a 22-0 record, a New York State title, and received All-American accolades.
I asked Stalyn about his biggest challenge when facing his battle with cancer.
"The mental battle of like, why me? Thinking am I going to come back the same? How much is this going to affect me on the field?"
"Five days stuck in a room with no light and just getting medicine. It would just be tough, you know, just like trying to act normal about it was tough, you know, you lose your hair, you lose everything, you gain weight, you don't look the same. So it's just more of that, trying to still be confident. Trying to keep your head up."
I also asked Stalyn if his time away from the sport pushed him to take his game to another level.
"When I got diagnosed, I was in the room and the first question I generally asked was, how long am I going to sit out for? Nothing hit me until they told me I had around a year off of soccer and that's when I really started crying."
"It did mature me a lot and it did like open up my eyes. I say it did help, I would watch a lot of soccer, so it did help me like really study the game, as you can say. So I feel like, I came back a lot better than what I was."
Positive Influence:
Despite facing adversity during his high school career, Stalyn credits his High School coach, the late Ron Eden for his success.
"A person that always has inspired me, that made me the person who I am today is my high school coach, Ron Eden, who passed away. I mean, he was my backbone. He put that chip in me about the importance of working hard. He always told me, no coach is going to like a person that's lazy. If you want to be liked by a coach, you have to work hard. You have to be that person that puts that extra work in and that will run all day. He was also really big on fitness, being able to run those 90 minutes."
"I'm grateful for him. I landed on a special person, he basically built me. Everything I am today, I truly believe it's because of him."
College Soccer:
Following his senior year, Stalyn committed to SUNY Cortland, playing for the school during the 2024 fall semester. Stalyn was a regular starter for Cortland as a freshman, playing over 1,000 minutes. Playing at a D3 school, he had aspirations for greater things, but after the season, he did not feel he received the recognition he was expecting.
Stalyn commented on his decision to leave college and pursue a professional career:
"My dream was always to become a professional soccer player, and I knew staying there wasn't going to do me any good in that aspect. It was a great experience, though, don't get me wrong. I loved Cortland, I loved the coaches and the people there, my teammates, they did a mature me a lot as well. It taught me a lot of right things, you know, right and wrongs"
"I wanted to reach the pro level. I knew if I stayed there, I don't think I was going to do that."
Next Steps:
Stalyn decided to end his college career after one semester and would take steps in the hopes of becoming a professional footballer. He initially played in Sunday leagues before joining the NY Cosmos affiliate side American Soccer Club-NY to play for the club in their inaugural NPSL season in 2025. Stalyn's mentor once again played a big part, helping him connect with John Fitzgerald when American Soccer Club was in the process of being created.
"Coach John Fitzgerald was a good friend of my high school coach, Ron Eden. He basically connected us. He introduced me to John and I got his phone number and he told me the plan, they were building a team that was going to be based over here on Long Island. He sent me the tryout information, and then I eventually signed with them."
After his stint with American Soccer Club, Stalyn played for East Coast UPSL and caught the attention of his future agent, Nico Serolini of Next Play Soccer, in a match against New York Renegades. This led to a professional opportunity in Puerto Rico for Stalyn.
"He saw me play against New York Renegades. I was playing left back, and then he told me, that he saw something in me that made him think I should try the professional route. I said, yes, of course, because that's always been my goal. He got me the opportunity to go play in Puerto Rico for Ponce. I went on a trial. They liked me and I stayed there for six months. We won the championship in Puerto Rico."
Opportunity in Puerto Rico:
Next Play Soccer initially had plans of sending Stalyn to Uruguay on a trial, but that opportunity never materialized due to his lack of experience at a professional level. However, an opportunity arose with Ponce FC due to his agent's connections with Ponce's Argentine coach Fabián Zermatten. Stalyn went to Puerto Rico on a three-day trial and was soon after signed by the top-flight side.
I asked Stalyn about his time with Ponce FC and his experiences in Puerto Rican football.
"The level, I'll say it's very technical, teams like to build out. In the US its more of a kick and run. I've played college ball, everything is long ball, win the second ball. In Puerto Rico its trying to really play, keep the ball, possession style. It was a great experience with Ponce.
"It was my first professional contract. I learned a lot of things, like the pro world isn't what everybody makes it seem like. I lived with ten guys, four in one room, cooking for myself, nine pm practices. It was a great experience and it taught me a lot."
Stalyn got off to a great start in his professional career with Ponce FC, becoming an instant starter with the Liga Puerto Rico Pro side. He appeared in 17 matches and scored 3 goals as Ponce won its first league title.
Off-Season with American Soccer Club-NY (ASCNY) and Signing with Cosmos:
In early 2026, Stalyn returned home to Long Island fresh off a successful first professional season. Always looking to remain sharp and get better as a player, Stalyn joined American Soccer Club during the offseason. As part of a collaboration between the two clubs, ASCNY would face New York Cosmos in an exhibition game on June 24, 2026, at LaValle Stadium on the campus of Stony Brook University.
Stalyn's performance in the match would not go unnoticed by Cosmos head coach Davide Corti. After the match, assistant coach Mike Gravinese complimented Stalyn on his performance and had him speak to Corti, who also complimented him on his display during the match. Stalyn provided his information to the Cosmos brass but did not hear from them for over a month. Eventually, Cosmos contacted his representatives at Next Play Soccer, and Stalyn agreed to terms with the club.
"I came back here with American Soccer Club. We had a scrimmage against Cosmos. I played well enough to get the coaches' attention, and yeah, now I'm here with the Cosmos."
Cosmos:
I asked Stalyn what it means for a Long Island guy to sign for the New York Cosmos.
"I knew the history, you know, big names played there like Pele, you know, it's for me, it's a dream, of course. You know, it's always been my dream and it feels great. It feels great, knowing I signed for a team Pele used to play on. Cosmos has always been big here."
"It really is a blessing that I get an opportunity like this."
With last weekend's match being canceled due to travel issues for the visiting side, Stalyn was afforded another week to train with the club as he hopes to make his Cosmos debut this weekend against AV Alta. I asked the left-back if he thinks it was a benefit for him that the match was canceled so he could get more training sessions in with his new squad.
"Yeah, so I really think it happened for a reason. I knew, I was telling my parents and my friends, not thanking God it got canceled, but like I'm grateful it did because coming from one practice straight into a game isn't the best thing to do. I wouldn't be as confident as if I had a whole week of training with the team. I'm glad I get a full week of training and now I'm heading into tomorrow's (Saturday) game."
I asked Stalyn how he is acclimating himself to the club and his new teammates, having joined the club just two weeks ago.
"It's been good. I'm a person that likes new environments, so I I'm enjoying it so far. You know, everything, I've never had this. I'm grateful for everything. I can't complain about anything."
"My teammates are awesome, the coaching staff is great, very professional, so just taking everything in."
Stalyn also addressed the differences between his new situation with Cosmos and his past experience in Puerto Rico.
"It's a big difference. That's why I'm not complaining about anything because now I have my own room. I don't have to cook for myself anymore. The training sessions, the equipment you get, everything is just way better. It's very professional."
Stalyn discussed what the Cosmos fans can expect from him and what he is noted for on the field.
"I would say my work rate. I feel like I put in extra for my team. I put defending before attacking. I'm always mindful on, you know, always defending first before going up. I'm just a simple player, team player. As long as we get those three points, I don't worry about anything else."
"Just the grit, you know, working hard on the field, pushing my teammates, you know, and then just that, just keeping it simple, do my left back roll and then that's it."
Stalyn discussed the teams mood and the the goal for the last 14 games of the season.
"We are attacking every game with a great mindset of getting those three points. We've been practicing high level this whole week. Our practice has been really good.The goal is just to turn this around and finish the season off strong. I say just finish this off strong. And so we have something to look forward to next season."
Position on the field:
Stalyn addressed the positions he played throughout his youth career and when he moved to a left-back role.
"In high school I actually was selected All-American at the center defensive mid. With club teams I played right wing, striker and left wing. I didn't turn into a left back until I joined American Soccer Club."
"In college I was playing mostly CDM. I also played left back, left center back, and right back."
Message to Fans:
"I hope to make everybody proud, of course. Thank you for bringing me in to this family. And yeah, I say expect the tables to turn these next 14 games because we're going, we're going at it."
Aspirations with Honduras:
Stalyn Acosta has a Honduran background, I asked him if he has ever heard from the Honduran youth national teams and if he has any aspirations to represent Honduras.
"Yeah, that's like a dream to get recognized from Honduras, I would love to play for the national team. They never got in contact with me, but hopefully."
Thoughts on Next Play Soccer:
Stalyn discussed the role his representatives at Next Play Soccer (Jorge Gonzalez and Nico Serolini) have played in bringing him to the professional game.
"The best in the game. They've helped me a lot. They helped me keep my head straight, keep my head on my shoulders. The resources they've given me, very great. You know, we're always in contact. They're always helping me, asking me if I need help."
"Very good people. They've been nothing but the best to me. They're a very good agency and I hope their business grows a lot. So I wish nothing but the best for them as well. I'll always be with them."
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