Giddy-Up! The Cosmos Come Back

I have been keeping a close eye on the "Name the NYC FC" poll on the sidebar and the New York Cosmos are making a comeback after a slow start. Even though I am anti-Cosmos for personal reasons (they abused the 1982 Peruvian National Team by a score of 5-1 in my first live soccer match), I feel that the Cosmos are worth discussing because their legacy will likely be linked to any NYC FC.

So why should we keep the Cosmos memories alive? Mainly because the team history is a storied one. They had some all-time soccer greats on the roster (Pele, Beckenbaur, Chinaglia) and they won. They won a lot. They were four-time North American Soccer League (NASL) champions and had an impressive international record.

At a time when the Major League Soccer is trying to make the leap internationally with the Super Liga and other tournaments, the Cosmos legacy can give a NYC club instant credibility. I read somewhere that worldwide the Cosmos have remained the most famous team from New York... I believe it.

Of course these positives can hurt a new New York franchise by placing undo hardship on the club. Any MLS team cannot spend the type of unregulated money that the Cosmos did to obtain their star players. Also many blame this out of control spending for killing the NASL. Without the NASL, soccer's popularity in America decreased dramatically. No one wants to see that happen again.

A New York City FC should have its own identity that hopefully will be as prestigious as the Cosmos. This identity should be tied to the current state of NYC/American soccer and be formed by the ownership group, players and club supporters.

I would like to see a compromise. Do not name the New York City franchise after the Cosmos, but show respect for what the Cosmos meant to the city by honoring its accomplishments. I think that is what will happen if Wilpon owns the team. He has already shown a desire to link the current Mets with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

With all of that said, if the Cosmos do make a real-life comeback I will be wearing the Green & White... but can Peru get an apology for 1982?

Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

Any talk about a professional football club in New York eventually leads to a discussion about the Cosmos. Every NY soccer fanatic has their opinion about the Cosmos and their impact on the North American Soccer League (NASL) and all of American soccer. Before writing anything extensive on the Cosmos, I though it would be better to give out some homework. Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos is a great movie that provides a lot of background on the team and the personalities, like all-time great Pele. It also gives insight into what New York City could be like when NYC FC finally arrives. Check out the trailer above and if you find it interesting go get the DVD or the book it is based on.

A People's History of New York City FC

Like the Bible, maybe we should start at the beginning. This story begins in East Rutherford, NJ (aka "The Meadowlands"), where Major League Soccer decide to place their "New York" team, the NY/NJ MetroStars (now called Red Bulls New York or RBNY, for short). Although the Red Bulls have supporters on both sides of the Hudson, many New Yorkers still yearn for a soccer club to call their own. Over the years, rumors of an MLS franchise to NYC have led to false hope. Some interested rumored parties have included Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, and most recently the Mets' owner Fred Wilpon.

Which leads us to today. Rumors of Wilpon's interest in the MLS have been confirmed by MLS commissioner, Don Garber, in his State of the League address. Various construction projects in Flushing and Willets Point are being supported by New York City Mayor Bloomberg and the city's abundant cash flow. This includes a new stadium, Citi Field, for Wilpon's Mets. A supporter group, The Borough Boys, has formed to voice their desire for a NYC FC. Special shout out to QueensNick for getting that ball rolling. We even have our own Big Soccer forum... our biggest victory to date! So does the story have a happy ending? Who knows, but this is a great time to dream.

Some "facts" for the newbie:
* RBNY owns terrotorial rights for the NY/NJ area until 2010, so no NYC FC can play until then unless the unexpected happens.
* Fred Wilpon and MLS have only begun to talk and nothing is definite. With that said there have already been discussions about building a multi-purpose stadium near the currently under-construction Citi Field.
* MLS has stated that a second New York has always been part of their expansion plans.
* RBNY is said to be supportive of a Hudson River rivalry with a NYC FC. They must have seen the excitment caused bythe Super Clasíco between CD Chivas USA and LA Galaxy.
* For Cosmos fans, the right to use the name "Cosmos" will cost any NYC FC ownership group a few million dollars... contact G. Peppe Pinton for prices.