Junior Rosero Puts NYC On Notice With A Striker Story Only This City Could Build
New York Soccer Ledger tracked down Long Island–born striker Junior Rosero to understand how a kid who grew up tearing up CHSAA defenses became a multi-league scoring machine and a symbol of NYC’s gritty, global football identity. His résumé already reads like a tour of every level of the game, from Albertson to Cosmos Academy, from Södertälje FK in Sweden to Haringey Borough in England, and now back home where he’s joint top scorer for the NY Renegades in the UPSL Premier, top scorer for upstarts Leros SC in the APSL, and fresh off a 13-goal season for the NY Pancyprian Freedoms in the Metropolitan Conference of the APSL.
His path is stamped with accolades, scars, and the kind of football education that only a kid raised in the pressure cooker of New York can survive. And according to Junior, that’s exactly the point.
This city doesn’t give you goals. It tests whether you deserve them.
The NYC Edge You Can’t Fake
Junior grew up in the heart of Long Island’s soccer scene, starring at St. John the Baptist, stacking awards like League MVP, CHSAA Player of the Year, Newsday Best XI and 19 goals in one high-school season. Then came the grind: Albertson Academy, Cosmos Academy, Red Bulls Pre-Academy, ODP, Siena College, and eventually a jump to Sweden and England.
Across all those miles, one lesson stuck. Center backs everywhere have their own dark arts. In England, defenders literally pinched him to throw him off. In Sweden, they tugged, elbowed and whispered to get in his head. By the time he returned to New York, nothing could shake him.
“NYC is as diverse as it gets,” he tells us. “You see all nationalities and some of the best teams in the Northeast. All those experiences shaped me. There’s nothing a defender can do now that rattles me.”
That composure is exactly why he’s torching New York defenses today.
The Clubs That Built His Killer Instinct
Junior refuses to credit one club for his transformation. Instead, he talks about a mosaic of influence: every teammate, coach, country and chaotic away day adding another weapon to his arsenal.
His resume backs the story.
In Sweden, he dropped 12 goals in 14 matches for Södertälje FK.
In England, he put up five goals in five.
With Long Island Rough Riders, he cracked defenses for eight goals, then six more the next season.
With Oyster Bay United, he put up video-game numbers: 10, 18, then 25 goals across consecutive UPSL seasons.
Each stop hardened his movement, composure and hunger. And all of it prepared him for what came next: dominating the most unpredictable, chaotic, beautiful battleground in U.S. semi-pro soccer.
What He Wants NYC’s Next-Gen Players To Understand
Junior is now one of the most respected vets in the city. Young players see the goals and assume swagger. He’s quick to correct that assumption.
“One of my biggest pieces of advice is humbleness,” he says. “Very different from confidence. Growing up, I played with older guys and had the utmost respect for them. You earn respect with how you play and who you are.”
He’s adamant that professionalism off the pitch matters as much as the work on it.
“You have to live your life like a pro. That’s why I can still keep up with these younger guys,” he adds. “Take care of yourself the right way.”
In other words: New York might test you, but it also rewards the ones who stay grounded, stay ready and stay grateful.
