Among the caddies at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, Donald Trump is nicknamed ‘Pele’, due to him frequently cheating by kicking his ball out of the rough and onto the fairway, mimicking the skills of the Brazil legend.
The nickname was also apt because, for decades, Pele was Trump’s only real footballing reference, having gone to Giants Stadium in neighbouring New Jersey in the ’70s to watch the forward run out for the New York Cosmos, back when the US president was working for his father’s real estate company.
Famous faces were regularly in the crowd watching Cosmos games – Mick Jagger, Muhammad Ali, Andy Warhol, Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford among them – before mingling with the players in the dressing room afterwards. Given that the squad also included Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia, making them football’s first Galacticos before the term had even been coined, the Cosmos were the hottest ticket in town.
Between 1972 and 1982, they won five North American Soccer League titles and were among the most famous names in American sport – at the height of their popularity in 1978, the Cosmos averaged crowds of 48,000. For 1979, fashion designer Ralph Lauren joined forces with British kit manufacturer Admiral to create the team’s kit.
But as quickly as they became popular, the decline was just as rapid. In 1982, when Colombia pulled out of hosting the 1986 World Cup for financial reasons, Steve Ross, the Cosmos’ owner and Warner Communications/Time Warner CEO, led the bid for the USA to replace them as hosts, believing it would boost the ailing NASL. FIFA opted for Mexico – in 1984, the NASL folded and the Cosmos were no longer; a star that burned brightly but died quickly.
That era of the Cosmos still lives on in the Big Apple today – in the heart of Times Square, the Pele Soccer shop sells retro Cosmos merchandise, alongside modern-day kits that bear the names of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.
In 2010, the Cosmos were reborn – three years later, they played their first competitive match in just shy of three decades when they took part in the reborn North American Soccer League, this time a second-tier competition sat beneath MLS. Cosmos won it three times, with Real Madrid great Raul and fellow Spaniard Marcos Senna among those to play for the club during that period.
In January 2021, having played half a season in a third-tier league, the Cosmos announced that they had “paused team operations”, and eventually the lights went out again. Even then, however, the name lived on. Last year, the Cosmos were brought back to life once more by real estate developer Baye Adofo-Wilson and Erik Stover, a former New York Red Bulls managing director responsible for signing Thierry Henry in 2010, and who worked as chief operating officer during the Cosmos’ second era.
Former Manchester United, Villarreal and Italy forward Giuseppe Rossi also invested in the club – becoming vice chairman and director of soccer. The club found a new home at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, which sits 15 miles north west of Manhattan, and announced that they would play in USL League One, a Division Three-level league in the USA. The third era of the Cosmos was born.
“This shirt weighs heavier”
The latest version of the Cosmos has put a focus on developing their own talent, rather than buying a team of stars. Rossi is the most famous name at the club – the 39-year-old was born and raised in New Jersey, but had an Italian passport and joined Parma aged 12. Five years later, Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for Manchester United.
Now, his aim is to give promising young footballers in the New Jersey area a pathway that others may not have had. “Not everyone has dual nationality, or a father, mother and sister sacrificing themselves in the way that mine did for me,” he tells FFT. “But kids need to feel as if they’re able to get there. How can they do that domestically and have the right mentorship? That’s what I’m trying to create here. I feel like the Cosmos is a stepping stone in their career, not the end goal. That should be playing at the highest level.”
Developing the next generation of stars is one thing, but the Cosmos were once a winning machine. How does Rossi balance the two? “It’s a great honour to be part of American soccer history, having this responsibility to continue to grow it and show respect to those who were here before us,” he says. “That’s something we’ve been very conscious of. We let the players understand what the Cosmos means, the history of the players who were here before them.
“Yes, we have our own philosophy, which is thinking about young players, getting local talent and helping them grow. But also paying respect to the winning culture that was created with the Cosmos. There’s a fine line and it’s a challenge, but a beautiful challenge.
“Not many clubs can say they’ve had Pele and Beckenbauer playing on the same team. We’ve had that, and not only that, but what the club did to grow the game, especially in the 1970s and ’80s. We have to continue to pay tribute to that. Because of that past, the Cosmos shirt weighs a bit heavier than others. These kids are realising that and have bought into it.”
Italian gaffer Davide Corti – formerly the manager of Milan’s women’s team – was appointed ahead of the club’s first game in USL League One this March. After a playing career that delivered 30 caps for Italy though, did Rossi consider going down the coaching route himself? “I don’t have the patience!” he smiles. “But I’m always on the field at training, I do what the coach needs me to do.
“Every morning I wake up aching, but I love just being there, giving them as much insight as possible: the way that I see the game, the way things should be done. They’re embracing it and they listen, which is great.
“I’m fully invested in the Cosmos. I’m invested mentally, emotionally, and invested pocket-wise too, so it’s a big part of my life. It’s something I really do care about – there’s just so much of what I wanted to do post-career in this project. We’re only a few months into it and success will be finding the balance between the development of young kids and a winning culture. Fans love to win – giving them the satisfaction of trophies is something I’d love to do.”
The next Messi or Mbappe
Having a bloodline that runs through the club, linking the past to the present, is important for the latest iteration of the Cosmos. In CEO Stover, as well as captain Sebastian Guenzatti, the club have precisely that.
Stover has spent more than 25 years working for sports teams and venues in the US, so a return to the Cosmos was too good an opportunity to miss. “What I learned when I was involved with the club the first time was that we have a global media reach,” he tells FFT. “We’re not on the same level as Real Madrid, but we are a very well-known sports brand. When I worked for The Meadowlands Sports Complex earlier in my career, there were photographs on the wall of everything that happened in the New York metropolitan area that was globally significant – Live Aid, Bruce Springsteen, and it all happened at Giants Stadium. But the thing people talked about the most was the Cosmos.
“When the club stopped last time, did I think the Cosmos would take to the field again? I’d say 80 per cent no. But there were five foundational pillars of bringing the club back – Hinchliffe Stadium and a place that we could call home, joining the USL and its upcoming promotion and relegation system, the 2026 World Cup, identifying local New Jersey and New York talent, and lastly the local community of Paterson.
“The big opportunity on the football side is around player development, to try to correct what we’re doing all wrong in this country, especially if you’re in an urban area. If you’re a talented player in an urban area, you have little to no chance of making it professionally. The system in the USA is set up all wrong. It’s pay to play, so largely it’s wealthier kids who have the opportunity to play, because they can pay for the kits, the boots, the travel and the coaches.
“We know there are players coming out of Paterson. But then in northern New Jersey, there are 4.5 million people, and that’s not counting New York City, upstate New York and southern New Jersey. Just within 10 miles of where we are, there are 4.5 million people. There are players here who have the potential to become the next Mbappe or Messi, but they’re not getting the opportunity. So our approach is, ‘Let’s stop complaining about it, let’s find these kids and give them opportunities, let’s break that cycle.’”
While Rossi grew up in New Jersey and forged a career in Europe, Cosmos head scout Jose Angulo was denied a similar pathway – the Colombian couldn’t move across the pond because of visa issues. “Giuseppe was a part of the New Jersey system, he was lucky enough to have an Italian passport and go to Italy at 12,” Stover explains. “Then we have Jose, who was a very gifted player and grew up here in Paterson, but didn’t have that opportunity. He went down the typical route for an urban kid in America – he went to the best soccer high school in the country, St Benedict’s in Newark, and won the national championship every other year, but that’s not a proper developmental path to get a player into a professional contract.
“These guys are running our football department and have two very similar but very different experiences – that was not by accident when we were building the club. We needed that experience – they understand it better than anybody because they’ve lived it.”
The relaunched club’s first signing was also important, to get fans excited to go and watch the team play again. That man was Guenzatti, who first joined the Cosmos in 2013, and played alongside Raul and Senna.
A Uruguayan who moved to Queens as a child and also played with Joe Cole at Tampa Bay Rowdies, he didn’t need a second invitation to return. “I’m 34, but I feel like I just started my career,” he says. “Coming back to the Cosmos and playing with a lot of young guys, it makes you feel young. I have to run a lot during training and games to try to be the guy they look up to. I want to be a mentor for players.
“I grew up in New York and New Jersey from when I was 10, so I know what the Cosmos means to people. Pele wore that shirt, Chinaglia, Beckenbauer and many other unbelievable players did too, so it does carry pressure. It’s like Manchester United and all the top teams in England – there’s a different pressure. It’s a new era now, with the younger players, but we have to keep that pressure going. You have to make yourself feel like you’re part of a top team.”
“Signing Raul? terrible!”
The rain is pouring down in Paterson as FourFourTwo head to Hinchliffe Stadium to see the Cosmos entertain Brooklyn FC in the USL Cup. The U-shaped venue also hosts baseball, American football and athletics, so the pitch has plenty of line markings, but there’s no roof covering any of the stands. Despite this being a new derby for the region, many fans have opted to stay at home. Football in America isn’t known for large amounts of travelling supporters – only 30 or so Brooklyn fans have made the hour-plus coach trip to Paterson from their team’s base on Coney Island.
Jairo Reyes, of Cosmos supporters’ group The Five Points, has driven from Long Island to support the team. He’s busy putting up banners and sorting out the drums in the section behind the goal. “It doesn’t matter if they’re playing in Paterson, Brooklyn or Long Island, to us it’s the Cosmos, and we’ll be here,” the 45-year-old enthuses with FFT. “I went to my first game in 2014 – they played 15 minutes from where I lived, so it was easy. I was just a casual fan back then. I knew of the history of the Cosmos and Pele playing for them, and I became hooked. I’ve always been a football fan and before that I watched Barcelona. I’ve been to Spain to watch them, even a Clasico.”
How did Reyes feel, as a Barça fan, when Real Madrid legend Raul arrived at the Cosmos in 2014? “It was terrible!” he jokes. “The Cosmos had always had Galacticos in the past – it was amazing to see Raul and Marcos Senna.”
Once upon a time, the Cosmos were keen to become the third franchise from the New York area to join MLS – New York Red Bulls and New York City FC both play in the league. Now the USL suits them just fine, with promotion and relegation due to be introduced in 2028 along with an extra tier, USL Premier, that would have Division One sanctioning from US Soccer – the same status as MLS.
Promotion and relegation is a first not just for football in America, but sport in America, and will give the Cosmos the possibility of climbing a new pyramid via success on the field. “As a fanbase, we believe in promotion and relegation,” Reyes says. “We don’t go and watch MLS games – we have New York Red Bulls and NYCFC on our doorstep, but they aren’t of interest to us. MLS doesn’t represent what we believe soccer culture should be. It’s a closed shop and uncompetitive. When promotion and relegation comes in, we’ll have a more exciting and more competitive league in the USL.
“Cosmos started in USL League One as the club is promoting themselves as being community based, so you want to grow the fanbase first, then move up the divisions with a solid foundation.”
Much like promotion and relegation, local derbies are few and far between in the States, but this inaugural Cosmos vs Brooklyn derby could be the start of something exciting. “Having this derby with Brooklyn is great for soccer culture in the area,” Reyes adds. “Just having something else other than NYCFC or Red Bulls will help create more of a fanbase. Brooklyn host games at Maimonides Park on Coney Island, where the Cosmos used to play a few years ago. There’s still a mural on a wall there that says ‘Coney Island is Cosmos country’.”
Hinchliffe Stadium is the ninth home stadium of Cosmos’ history – as well as Giants Stadium and Maimonides Park, they’ve also played in Queens, other venues on Long Island and at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
Paterson isn’t the easiest place to get to from Manhattan – around 15 miles as the crow flies, but by public transport it takes an hour-and-a-half via two buses. FFT’s bus driver has never even heard of Hinchliffe Stadium, so is unable to tell us where to get off.
Nevertheless, having a place that the Cosmos can call home is vital, even if today’s game doesn’t go brilliantly for them. Brooklyn play a division above the Cosmos, in the USL Championship, and go ahead when Honduran international Juan Carlos Obregon Jr nods home.
Brazilian Gabriel Alves soon makes it 2-0 with a powerful left-footed effort, and French midfielder Abdoulaye Kante puts the contest beyond the Cosmos’ reach before half-time. “We run New York,” is the message from Brooklyn on social media after a 3-0 win, although the Cosmos supporters never stopped singing throughout, accompanied by flares and banners.
“This should be a derby where we play at the same level as Brooklyn,” Cosmos boss Corti says post-match, emphasising the club’s ambition in the years to come. “We’ll take some time to get into the USL Championship, but we will make it and play these derby games in the league, not just the cup.”
On our way out of the stadium, we catch the eye of Rossi, who’s still wet from standing in the rain. “You picked the worst possible game to come to, but we’ll be back,” he smiles.
It’s hard not to believe him. A long road lies ahead for the Cosmos, and there will be more rainy days. But if they get their wish, a sunnier future is on the horizon.
Happy is the McBride
A former Fulham and Everton forward is the driving force behind New York’s other USL debutants
Brooklyn FC might not have the history of the Cosmos, but they also joined the USL this season – with Brian McBride as sporting director and general manager.
“I want to make the people of Brooklyn proud,” the ex-Fulham, Everton and USA striker tells FFT, having also previously worked as general manager of the national team. “But I also have to be the person who’s going to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and do it all within a budget. That part is really important. You can have a vision of what you want to do, then you have to have it fit into a structure financially. I’ve really enjoyed that process.”
Unlike the Cosmos, Brooklyn have started in the USL Championship, though a recent vote has ensured that there will be promotion and relegation between that division, the planned USL Premier above it, and League One below from 2028. “It was really courageous of the owners to vote yes on promotion and relegation – it’s a statement that they’re taking a chance, that they want it to work and be the difference between MLS and USL,” he says. “Every game matters – you hear stories from players who have been relegated and how half the staff were let go, so it’s a really big deal.”
Football clubs have existed in Brooklyn before, the Cosmos included, but the new club’s aim is to give locals a team they can call their own.
“We want to represent them in our work ethic and our impact, on and off the field,” McBride adds. “The World Cup has been a huge opportunity for us – the exposure for soccer in this country has been massive. Other sports fans have been realising, ‘Wait, soccer’s fun!’”
As someone who played in both Merseyside and West London derbies, how does McBride feel about the potential blossoming rivalry of Brooklyn and the Cosmos? “I played for the Cosmos!” the 54-year-old laughs. “When they came back in 2011, I played in a game for them against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Eric Cantona was our manager and we had players like Patrick Vieira, Fabio Cannavaro and Dwight Yorke. We lost 6-0 against a Manchester United side that had Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney in it.
“Growing up, I was a Chicago Sting fan and I saw them play the Cosmos, so I saw Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia play. I wore the No.9 shirt because of Chinaglia, even though I played at left-back then!
“Derbies are hugely important, especially for fans. It gives them a reason to go to games, to try to out-sing their rivals. Those rivalries help in any sport.”