OSNER’S FC Welcomes Mexican-Born Goalkeeper Dario Giovanni Cruz Sepulveda to the Lions of New York City

Guadalajara native, USCAA national champion, All-ECC goalkeeper & QC record-holder brings championship experience, leadership goalkeeping profile to Brooklyn.

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- OSNER’S FC is proud to announce the addition of Dario Giovanni Cruz Sepulveda, a Mexican-born goalkeeper whose journey from Guadalajara to collegiate and high-level amateur soccer in the United States has been defined by persistence, championships, record-setting performances and leadership.

Born October 14, 1999, and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Cruz arrives at OSNER’S FC with a résumé considerably deeper than his years suggest. His experience encompasses Mexican developmental football, a U.S. collegiate national championship, NCAA Division II competition, multiple New York-area clubs and, more recently, goalkeeper coaching.

For OSNER’S FC, his arrival also reflects the multicultural identity the Brooklyn club is building: Haitian-American roots strengthened by players from Mexico, the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, the United States and beyond.

“Giovanni represents the kind of player we want at OSNER’S FC, experienced, ambitious, educated in the game and still hungry to accomplish more,” said J. Ronald Nazaire, President and Acting General Manager of OSNER’S FC. “Goalkeeper is a position built on trust. His history demonstrates that he has repeatedly accepted responsibility in important moments, and we are excited to have him protecting our goal.”

FROM GUADALAJARA TO NEW YORK

Cruz's football education began long before his arrival in the United States.

His recruiting history shows that he started playing at approximately seven years old and accumulated extensive high-performance training in the Guadalajara region. His Mexican developmental résumé includes COFUT Thomas Jefferson, Club de Golf Santa Anita, Bari FC and Cordica, with several of those teams competing in lower-division developmental environments. He attended Instituto Thomas Jefferson Guadalajara and participated in competitions at venues including the historic Estadio Jalisco.

That background is important because Cruz did not develop exclusively as a traditional shot-stopper. His early experience playing different positions helped develop his comfort with the ball, a characteristic increasingly essential for the modern goalkeeper.

A goalkeeper in OSNER’S FC's possession-oriented system must do more than make saves. He must read the opposition press, provide an additional passing option during buildup, communicate defensive organization, recognize transition danger and initiate attacks through accurate distribution.

Cruz brings that profile to Brooklyn.

A NATIONAL CHAMPION AT BERKELEY COLLEGE

After coming to the United States, Cruz's collegiate journey included Berkeley College—and 2019 became a defining year.

Cruz was named HVIAC All-Conference as Berkeley captured the conference championship. In the championship match, he made six saves in a 1–0 victory over SUNY-ESF.

The season became even more memorable at the national level.

Cruz earned USCAA First Team All-American recognition as well as USCAA National All-Academic honors. Most importantly, Berkeley went on to capture its first USCAA men's soccer national championship. In the national championship match against Johnson & Wales University–Charlotte, Cruz stopped all six first-half shots on target as Berkeley built the foundation for its historic victory.

That achievement adds an important dimension to the goalkeeper OSNER’S FC is signing: he already understands the pressure of knockout soccer and what is required to finish a championship campaign.

RECORD-SETTING YEARS AT QUEENS COLLEGE

Cruz subsequently competed for Queens College in NCAA Division II after also spending time at Concordia College (N.Y.). His two seasons in goal for Queens established him in the program's record book.

In 2021, he started all 16 matches, made 73 saves, recorded four shutouts and earned ECC Defensive Player of the Week recognition.

His senior season in 2022 elevated his career further.

Cruz started all 20 matches, recorded 70 saves and six shutouts, and helped Queens College produce a then-program-best 13-win season, secure the No. 2 seed in the East Coast Conference playoffs and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. He was named Second Team All-East Coast Conference.

He completed his Queens College playing career as the program's all-time leader in saves (143), wins (21) and shutouts (11), while also establishing single-season records with 13 victories and six clean sheets in 2022.

Those numbers tell only part of the story.

Goalkeeping demands concentration, command of the penalty area, positional discipline and the ability to recover immediately after mistakes. Cruz's consistency across two seasons made him one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in Queens College history; a 2023 campus publication described the challenge facing the program as replacing “the best goalkeeper in program history.”

A GOALKEEPER SHAPED BY NEW YORK SOCCER

Away from college competition, Cruz continued developing through New York's demanding soccer landscape.

His club journey has included Doxa SC, the Westchester Flames, Greek American, Rosedale Soccer, Zum Schneider and, most recently, New York Braveheart, according to his playing history provided to OSNER’S FC.

Those environments exposed him to different styles of football and different competitive demands from established New York amateur competitions to UPSL and national-level aspirations.

His journey with New York Braveheart further demonstrated his ability to contribute to teams competing beyond their local environment, including national tournament runs.

Cruz has also transitioned naturally into goalkeeper development. He currently serves as an Assistant Coach/Goalkeeper Coach at Queens College. In his first season on staff in 2023, the Knights recorded five shutouts and 12 victories while winning their first ECC Championship and first NCAA Tournament match. In 2024, Cruz helped mentor Thanasis Shehadeh to ECC Goalkeeper of the Year, All-ECC First Team and All-East Region Second Team honors.

That coaching experience gives OSNER’S FC something particularly valuable: a goalkeeper who thinks about the position not only as a player, but as a student and teacher of it.

MEXICAN HERITAGE MEETS THE HAITIAN-AMERICAN VISION OF OSNER’S FC

Cruz's signing also tells a broader story about the identity of OSNER’S FC.

The club is proudly rooted in Haitian-American heritage, but its ambition is to represent the extraordinary diversity of Brooklyn and New York City.

Mexico and Haiti possess different football histories and cultures, but they share something fundamental: a profound emotional connection to the game.

“Our Haitian heritage is part of our foundation, but New York City teaches us that heritage becomes even more powerful when cultures come together,” Nazaire said. “Giovanni brings his Mexican heritage, his Guadalajara football education and his New York experience into a dressing room filled with players from different backgrounds. When everyone puts on the OSNER’S FC badge, those different stories become one team.”

For Cruz, that diversity is part of the attraction.

“New York football is special because you encounter so many different styles and cultures,” Cruz said. “I am proud of where I come from and everything Mexico gave me as a young player. Now I have an opportunity to bring that experience to OSNER’S FC and contribute to a club with its own strong heritage and a clear vision for the future.”

PROTECTING THE GOAL AND BUILDING SOMETHING LARGER

Cruz joins OSNER’S FC with the expectation of competing at the heart of a senior structure that includes NPSL, UPSL Premier and the U.S. Open Cup, while the organization continues developing its broader pathway through UPSL Division 1, Division 2 and the OSNER’S FC Academy.

He understands the responsibility.

“A goalkeeper sees the entire field, so leadership and communication are part of the position,” Cruz said. “I want to bring consistency, organization and confidence to the players in front of me. I also want to keep developing. My objective is to help OSNER’S FC win matches, compete for trophies and build something that lasts.”

For Nazaire, the signing is about both present performance and long-term culture.

“Giovanni has been a national champion, an All-American, an All-Conference goalkeeper and a collegiate record-holder. But what matters now is what comes next. We believe his best contribution to OSNER’S FC can still be ahead of him.”

“We welcome Dario Giovanni Cruz Sepulveda to the Lions of New York City. Different cultures. Different journeys. One badge, one family and one objective.”

OSNER’S FC — Respect All. Fear None.

ABOUT OSNER’S FC

OSNER’S FC is a Brooklyn-based New York City soccer club with strong Haitian-American roots and a commitment to competitive excellence, diversity, community engagement and player development. Its pathway connects the OSNER’S FC Academy with senior teams competing in UPSL Division 2, UPSL Division 1, UPSL Premier, NPSL and U.S. Open Cup.

The club's First Team plays its home matches at Floyd Bennett Sports Complex, 3159 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234, as OSNER’S FC continues establishing a permanent football home in Brooklyn.

OSNER’S FC official website

Believe in the Vision. Respect All. Fear None.

J Ronald Nazaire
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