Brooklyn, April 21, 2017 – New York Dutch Lions FC is very pleased to announce that a team of former Dutch National team players will play for New York Dutch Lions FC in an exhibition game vs New York Cosmos B on June 16 at 6pm. The game is part of a double header with the New York Cosmos playing Puerto Rico FC in the NASL. For New York Dutch Lions FC, the game is part of several soccer activities such as camps and clinics with high level Dutch players and coaches that will be offered this summer.
The team is coached by former New York Cosmos player Wim Rijsbergen, who played for the New York Cosmos from 1979 to 1983. Rijsbergen was a key part of Holland's World Cup finalist teams in 1974 and 1978. He played every game in the 1974 tournament, which saw them advance to the final against host Germany before losing 2-1. He played in every game of the 1978 World Cup other than the final, missing that game against Argentina due to an injury. He played 28 games for the Dutch National Team. Rijsbergen was awarded “NASL Best Defender” in 1981 while playing for the Cosmos. He had this to say about returning to New York: “I am excited to come back to the place of which I have so many good memories. I recall Steve Marshall, who arranged everything for us, flying with the private jets of Warner Brothers to the away games, the training camps in the Bahama’s where Steve Ross joined the team and of course the great crowds and after game events. I look forward to the game and being back in New York”. Rijsbergen will be assisted by John de Wolf, a former player of Feyenoord, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Dutch National team (6 caps) and Erik Tammer (also co-founder Dutch Lions FC).
Simon Hochstenbach, GM of New York Dutch Lions FC, is excited about the upcoming game: “The game vs the New York Cosmos is the start of an annual series of activities bringing high level soccer with a historic flavor to New York by organizing exhibition games, camps and clinics. With the history of several former Dutch legends such as Wim Rijsbergen, Johan Neeskens and Johan Cruijff wearing the Cosmos jersey, we could not ask for a better partner than the New York Cosmos. We ask the whole Dutch community but also every soccer fan to come out and attend two fantastic games with everything soccer has to offer.”
Erik Stover, Chief Operating Officer of the New York Cosmos, commented on the new partnership: "This will be a fun and exciting night of soccer for New Yorkers, Dutch expats and all of Cosmos Country. Our young players will have great opportunity to play against some Dutch legends and it will also be great to have Wim Rijsbergen back with us."
Tickets for the game can be purchased here.
New York Dutch Lions FC will announce all the 2017 players the coming weeks as well as the camp and clinic dates.
For more information please contact:
New York Dutch Lions FC
Simon Hochstenbach
E: s.hochstenbach@nydlfc.com
C: 646-675-1602
About the New York Dutch Lions FC
The New York Dutch Lions FC is a professional soccer club in New York with a Men’s team playing annual exhibition games in June and offering exhibition games, camps and clinics based on the Dutch development philosophy. The club was founded in 2015 and is currently owned by three members including DL Consulting Group BV, International Soccer Group BV and Dutch Lions Capital Group USA LLC. New York Dutch Lions FC is one of the five Dutch Lions FC clubs in the USA, with other clubs in Dayton, Cincinnati, Houston and Cape Coral.