Cosmos Add Journeyman Forward Vranjicán

In an apparent move to bolster their sputtering font line, the Cosmos yesterday announced the signing of itinerant forward Pablo Vranjicán. The Argentinian (who holds dual nationality with Croatia) made the trip to Saudi Arabia as a trialist with the team last month and signs through the end of the full season.

Vranjicán brings a burgeoning goalscoring record with him, which will certainly give Cosmos Country some hope. But that will be tempered by the fact that New York will be the seventh destination in five years for the journeyman forward. In fact, since leaving his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys in 2009, Vranjicán has averaged less than one season with each of his subsequent 10 clubs.

In a career employed mostly with a host of Chilean clubs, if nothing else Vranjicán has been a consistent goalscorer, tallying 162 goals in 235 league games across five countries and three continents. Since helping to fire Universidad Católica to the Chilean Primera División in 2010, Vranjicán has had spells in Greece with the now defunt AEK Kouklia and most recently in Malaysia’s Liga Super with Pahang FA.

Despite his goalscoring, Vranjicán’s resume doesn’t instil a huge amount of confidence. Perhaps he is a man who loves to travel and experience new places, but such an itinerant history can sometimes imply a lack of consistency on the field and perhaps an inability to gel with teammates. Of course, that is a weighty assumption to make of a player we have yet to really see in action. After all, the Cosmos have a hall of fame full beloved players with colourful careers. And, fellow Argentinian and current Cosmo Emanuel Ledesma also arrived with a C.V as long as his arm, but has since proved his worth in the spring season, today being named on the NASL Team of the Month.

With all that said, the Cosmos are bringing in a player mid-season who is very much accustomed to getting down to business in a new country or a new league and racking up the goals. Even if Vranjicán scores only a handful, he will be a welcome foil to a potent midfield that is lacking a consistent threat in front of goal.