Tag Archives: New York City

When ever The New York Cosmos showed up on the door step of soccer they turned heads. People were watching. That was certainly true the first time around, in the 70′s and 80′s, and it is still true now. For many, the Cosmos are the birth giver for American soccer and a look at American soccer history clearly confirms that view. While there has been soccer before the Cosmos, the club created a major buzz in the 70′s when a number of super stars in Cosmos colors roamed the fields in the United States and stunned the masses. Pele, Beckenbauer, the late Giorgio Chinaglia and many others that played for the club are unforgotten heroes for New York City soccer fans and the entire soccer world.

Read Also: Remember the Cosmos, From July 2011

Today, things for the history rich soccer club are different. After disappearing in the mid 80′s, the club and brand rested in a drawer. Other new soccer clubs tried to step in and help the sport thrive in the United States. A couple of years back, an English business man bought the rights and attempted to bring the Cosmos back into professional soccer and the MLS. While the soccer part of the attempt more or less failed, it created considerable buzz and indeed brought the brand back to life. The Englishman sold the club to new ownership and since then new signs of life can be registered. This time, the signs show the necessary seriousness and means.

Read Also: From The Irish Examiner 07/2011 – How Cosmos Could Conquer The World

On November 8th, Erik Stover was introduced as the club’s new COO. Erik Stover is a long time professional in the industries of sports and soccer and has shown his abilities before with the other New York soccer club, Red Bull New York. Listening to Stover’s words and looking at the activities around the club, there is no doubt that this time the Cosmos will re-emerge and take an important part in American soccer. This might not be a process of a year or two, but the  club now has the means to create a major U.S. soccer and business force.

The New York Cosmos are not only a soccer club. Also unforgotten are the pictures of the 70′s and 80′s super stars of all ways of life associating themselves with the Cosmos. The club stands for entertainment, multi cultural life, business, global flair and doing things the New York City and American way. Without denying the accomplishments of other sports franchises, there is just no other that can match its characteristics and opportunity better to New York City and America. A fact that was true 30 years ago, and still is.

The New York Cosmos, Stover and his staff will have their hands full in dealing with the expectations, opportunity and the responsibilities this club has. There is much more behind this  than just revitalizing a soccer club. Good luck, the soccer world is watching, again.