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76-473: The Express were formed in late 1985, and played an exhibition schedule in the winter of 1986. The Express featured Messing in goal and former Cosmos star and U.S. National Team player Rick Davis , as well as Iranian national team star Andranik Eskandarian . New York won all five games it played (all held at the Nassau Coliseum), against such competition as Arsenal and Red Star Belgrade as well as

152-577: A Major League Soccer (MLS) club. Pinton refused to sell the name and image rights, believing that MLS would not honor the club's heritage. Following the revival of several former NASL names in MLS, Pinton sold the rights for $ 2 million to an international, English-based consortium in August 2009. That group ultimately chose not to join MLS, and the new Cosmos team played parts of five seasons in second- and third-tier leagues before suspending operations. The club

228-567: A $ 5.2 million public stock offering. MISL commissioner Bill Kentling, unhappy to see its New York team fail so spectacularly, threatened to sue the Express for fraud and breach of contract. The 37-year-old Messing also retired as a player after the death of the Express. The Express were the fourth and final attempt by the MISL to establish itself in the New York market, after previously failing with

304-463: A capacity crowd at Giants Stadium: in an exhibition match between New York and his former club Santos , Pelé appeared for both sides, playing one half for each. The Cosmos won the game 2–1. Pelé's compatriot, former Brazil captain Carlos Alberto was signed in 1977, at the same time as Franz Beckenbauer , who had captained the 1974 FIFA World Cup -winning West Germany national team . On

380-531: A huge commercial presence. The club's groundsman, on hearing that the Brazilian's début for New York was to be broadcast on CBS , spray-painted the pitch green to disguise how little grass was on it: the match, against the Dallas Tornado , was broadcast to 22 countries and covered by more than 300 journalists from all over the world. Although New York finished third at season end, it was still too low

456-885: A magazine in December 1974, then brought back two years later on Pelé's insistence. The Cosmos also fielded Werner Roth , a Yugoslavian-born U.S. international defender, from 1972 to 1979. A number of Cosmos players were named in the NASL all-star teams selected by the league at the end of each season. No NASL all-star from the Cosmos was born in the United States or Canada, where all of the league's teams were based; apart from Roth, both North Americans selected— Siegfried Stritzl and John Kerr —were born in Yugoslavia and Scotland respectively. The New York Cosmos' first head coach

532-564: A new team with the Cosmos' name in August 2010. Kemsley put the original club's trophies on display in the new club's office in SoHo . He and the other owners initially intended to become an MLS expansion franchise, but ultimately turned down the invitation to apply. Kemsley's team instead joined the new second-tier incarnation of the North American Soccer League , starting play in its 2013 Fall season. It played for

608-407: A placing to reach the post-season. Bradley was replaced for the 1976 season by another Englishman, Ken Furphy , who paired Pelé up front with Italian international forward Giorgio Chinaglia , a new arrival from S.S. Lazio . He had been so popular at Lazio that when his move to New York was announced, supporters "threatened to throw themselves beneath the wheels of the plane". By contrast to most of

684-406: A single season and the club finally folded. Former club employee Peppe Pinton, who started with the Cosmos as Giorgio Chinaglia's personal assistant and was promoted to General Manager when Chinaglia assumed control, ended up with the club's assets largely because he was the only one at the time who felt they had any value. Pinton put the trophies, uniforms, and equipment into storage and took over

760-501: A slow, painful and largely unnoticed death". The sport was not taken seriously by the bulk of the American media, and was of little interest to the public. Matches were often played in front of almost-empty stands, receiving modest press coverage. The signing of Pelé by the Cosmos transformed soccer across the country almost immediately, lending credibility not only to the Cosmos, but also to the NASL and soccer in general. Within days of

836-472: A theme song for the Cosmos. The resulting "The Cosmos Theme" was written by band members Alan Gorrie and Steve Ferrone , and recorded by the band under the pseudonym "The Cosmic Highlanders". Team management originally wanted to use " We Are the Champions " by Queen as the club's theme, but were convinced to use The Cosmos Theme in part by the cheerleaders, who enjoyed dancing to it. The Cosmos Theme

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912-491: A trip to Europe as a prize. The team name was officially unveiled on February 4, 1971. The New York Cosmos entered the 1968-founded North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1970 and made their field debut in the league's fourth season in 1971. The first roster signing of the club was Gordon Bradley , an English professional who had moved to North America in 1963 and played for the New York Generals in 1968. He

988-412: The 1972 season to the 15,000-seater Hofstra Stadium , on the campus of the namesake university 25 miles (40 km) east of metropolitan New York. After two seasons of continuing low crowds at this out-of-town location, the Cosmos moved again, relocating to the 22,500-capacity Downing Stadium before the 1974 season. It was at Downing Stadium that attendances started to rise significantly, buoyed by

1064-662: The 1983 season. In 1983, the St. Louis Steamers of the Major Indoor Soccer League signed Davis away from the Cosmos. Davis moved just in time to avoid the collapse of the Cosmos. Despite numerous nagging injuries, Davis led the Steamers in scoring and was an integral part of the team's run to the MISL championship series which the Steamers lost to the Baltimore Blast . He played one more season with

1140-490: The 1983 seasonal average. The largest crowd to attend a Cosmos home game was set in 1977, when the Fort Lauderdale Strikers visited for a playoff match. The game was attended by 77,691 fans, which, at the time, was a record for American soccer. The lowest average attendance for a season was 3,578, in 1974. As of 2011, only Hofstra Stadium remains, now renamed James M. Shuart Stadium. Downing Stadium,

1216-547: The Los Angeles Aztecs , for example, signed George Best and Johan Cruyff in 1976 and 1979 respectively. Cosmos road trips, described by traveling secretary Steve Marshall as "like traveling with the Rolling Stones ", saw the team pack out each stadium it visited, while at home, the team attracted numerous high-profile supporters. While soccer had previously been largely ignored by the American press,

1292-429: The Major Indoor Soccer League for the 1984–85 season, but was fired in early December, halfway through the season, and replaced by Klivecka, who returned after two games under the caretaker management of goalkeeper Hubert Birkenmeier . Klivecka was retained until the team ceased competitive play. With five championships and seven first-place finishes, the Cosmos still rank as tied for the most successful franchise in

1368-532: The New York Arrows (1978–1984), who also played at Nassau Coliseum, the New Jersey Rockets (1981–1982), and the post-NASL New York Cosmos (1984–1985). Rick Davis Richard Dean Davis (born November 24, 1958) is an American former soccer midfielder , and former captain of the U.S. National Team for much of the 1980s. He is considered by fans the best U.S.-born player of

1444-581: The Portuguese and Irish national teams, drawing about 6,000 fans per contest. Finally, on May 15, 1986, the Express were accepted as an expansion franchise by the MISL. Things did not go nearly as well for the club once they joined the MISL; in fact, it quickly turned into a disaster. Despite drawing a decent crowd of 10,577 for their home opener on November 21, 1986, attendance quickly dropped as New York lost their first ten games, costing coach Ray Klivecka his job on December 23. After three more defeats,

1520-510: The Western Soccer Alliance . In 1990, he retired from playing professional soccer. Davis became an integral part of the U.S. national team in 1977, first with the U.S. Olympic team and U20 teams, then the senior national team. Between September 11 and October 4, 1976, the U.S. U-20 national team played the qualifying games for the 1977 FIFA World U-20 Championship . While the team went 5–2, it failed to qualify. Davis led

1596-577: The Yankees and bigger than the Giants . We had our own tables at all the clubs. But we weren't any more decadent than players today. Shep Messing on the Cosmos' cultural stature The Cosmos, as the flagship team of the NASL, embodied what Hirshey labeled the "nexus of soccer and showbiz", and became Warner Communications ' most culturally visible asset. After Pelé signed for New York, many other European and South American stars joined NASL teams;

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1672-483: The 1974 season, the Cosmos moved again, settling at Downing Stadium on Randall's Island . In their first year at their new base, they finished bottom of their division. Horton top scored for the Cosmos in every season before he was traded in 1975 to the Washington Diplomats . It was during the 1975 season that the Cosmos acquired the Brazilian star Pelé , whom they had been attempting to sign since

1748-620: The 1977 season, to the newly constructed Giants Stadium in New Jersey , and at the same time dropped the prefix "New York" and played simply as "the Cosmos", without a geographical name. The city name was restored in 1979. Bradley returned as coach for the 1977 season in place of the dismissed Furphy, but was removed after half of the season to become the club's vice-president of player personnel. South African-born former Italy international Eddie Firmani took his place. Pelé played his last professional match on October 1, 1977, in front of

1824-409: The 1983 season became for many fans and the media proof positive of the grave condition of the whole NASL. Following the collapse of the NASL, the team competed in the Major Indoor Soccer League during the 1984–85 season, with Klivecka briefly returning as coach, but withdrew after 33 games due to low attendance. The organization tried to operate as an independent team in 1985, but could not finish

1900-544: The Brazilian's arrival, the increased media attention had caused the Cosmos' office staff to increase from five people to more than 50. Soccer became seen as a viable alternative to more traditional "American" sports such as basketball, baseball and American football. The Cosmos, in particular, became an internationally famous club – "the most glamorous team in world football", in Newsham's words, or "soccer demigods" in those of ESPN writer David Hirshey. We were as big as

1976-517: The Bronx. We were everything to everybody." The New York Cosmos are famous for having fielded numerous well-known players, almost all of whom were from outside the United States: examples include Pelé , Franz Beckenbauer , Giorgio Chinaglia from S.S. Lazio and Carlos Alberto . American players of note include goalkeeper Shep Messing  – who was notoriously sold after posing nude for

2052-398: The Cosmos and other NASL teams now became regular fixtures on the back pages. However, just as Pelé had kick-started the development of soccer in the U.S., his retirement in 1977 would mark the start of a decline. With nobody of the same stature to personify the sport, the popularity that had been built up nosedived just as quickly as it had appeared. The league's television deal with ABC

2128-458: The Cosmos declined following Pelé's retirement, so did the NASL. Attendances fell, the league's television deal was lost, and it finally folded in 1985 after playing its last season in 1984. The Cosmos attempted to continue operations in the Major Indoor Soccer League , but attendances were so low that the club withdrew without completing a season. The team attempted an independent schedule in 1985, but also canceled that because of low attendance, and

2204-434: The Cosmos folded. Former club employee Peppe Pinton assumed the trademarks and property of the club when it was dissolved, in part because nobody else thought they had any value at that point. Pinton put the trophies, uniforms, and equipment into storage and operated a New Jersey day camp for children under the name "Cosmos Soccer Camp". Attempts were made to revive the Cosmos name during the 1990s and 2000s, most notably as

2280-421: The Cosmos' ability to attract the well-known overseas players it had acquired was due to the financial resources of parent company Warner Communications . In the early 1980s, Warner was the target of a hostile takeover bid by Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch ; although this attempt did not succeed, Warner sold off several of its assets, among them Atari and Global Soccer, Inc., the subsidiary that operated

2356-568: The Cosmos, called Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos , was released in theaters in 2006. The film, narrated by Matt Dillon , featured interviews with many of the players and personalities involved with the team. For the team's initial uniform Cosmos general manager Clive Toye chose the green and yellow of the Brazil national team as part of his strategy to lure Pelé, one of that country's star players, to

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2432-414: The Cosmos. Chinaglia bought Global Soccer, and thus controlled the team. His group did not have the capital necessary to keep all of the players signed on expensive contracts by Warner, which resulted in many of the stars being sold. The club won its last title in 1982, and by the last season of the NASL, 1984, had missed the play-offs for the first time since 1975. The precipitous decline of the Cosmos after

2508-687: The Express hired ex-Arrows coach Don Popovic , who led them to a their first-ever win on January 7, 1987, 6-4 over the Chicago Sting , in front of 3,106 on Long Island. New York would make it two in a row with a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Comets two nights later at the Coliseum; however, another slump gave the Express a putrid 2-22 record at the All-Star break. (Defender Chris Whyte and midfielder Michael Collins were selected for

2584-639: The Express were actually leading the defending champion Sockers , 2-1, at halftime in San Diego (with Njego Pesa getting both New York tallies). However, a flurry of San Diego goals in the second half made the final score 6-2, dropping the Express' record to 3-23. It would be the last game the New York Express would ever play: two days later, on February 17, the club announced it was bankrupt. Messing blamed poor attendance (an average of 5,212 for 13 home games) and an inability to sell sufficient shares in

2660-548: The National Conference championship game in 1979. Firmani lost his job after falling out with Giorgio Chinaglia , a favorite of the Cosmos hierarchy. His assistant, Ray Klivecka, who was born in Lithuania, became the team's first American head coach when he took Firmani's place midway through 1979. Klivecka was replaced before the 1980 season by Brazilian coach Júlio Mazzei , who won the Cosmos' fourth title at

2736-755: The North American Soccer League era and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame . Davis was born in Denver , Colorado , and began playing soccer at the age of seven for an AYSO soccer team in Claremont, California . He was an All-American high school player at Damien High School in La Verne, California . In 1977, he played a single season of college soccer at Santa Clara University While at Santa Clara, he

2812-533: The Steamers before moving to the New York Express , an MISL expansion team heavily staffed by former Cosmos players. The team lasted until the 1986-1987 All-Star break when it folded. In March 1987, Davis moved to the Tacoma Stars for the remainder of the 1986–1987 season. In January 1989, Davis injured his knee, requiring multiple surgeries. He was on the roster for the 1989 Seattle Storm of

2888-515: The United States. The club's initial uniform was all green with yellow trim, with the colors reversed on the road uniform. Coincidentally, the colors were the same as those of the previous New York NASL team, the New York Generals, which had folded after the 1968 season. When Pelé did come on board in 1975, the uniform was changed to all-white in imitation of his club in Brazil, Santos FC . The green and yellow elements were relegated to

2964-498: The acquisition of the Cosmos name. Pinton refused to sell to an MLS team, believing that the league would not acknowledge the Cosmos' legacy. However, when old NASL names such as the San Jose Earthquakes , Seattle Sounders , Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps were revived as MLS franchises, he reconsidered. He sold the Cosmos name and brand to English businessman Paul Kemsley in 2009, whose group announced

3040-415: The arrival of stars such as Pelé , who arrived in 1975 . For the Brazilian's first match, the stadium was full; "there must have been another 50,000 turned away", coach Gordon Bradley later claimed. These larger attendances necessitated another move, which occurred in 1976 , when the Cosmos returned to Yankee Stadium. This time the team averaged 18,227 fans over the course of the season, over four times

3116-479: The arrival of these and other European and South American international players, resulting in a move back to Yankee Stadium for the 1976 season. With numerous foreign stars arriving at the Cosmos, the team's competitive performance improved, as New York reached the play-offs at the end of the season, but lost in the divisional championship match to the Tampa Bay Rowdies . The Cosmos relocated again before

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3192-424: The average 1971 gate. The team then moved yet again before the 1977 season, to the newly built Giants Stadium , where attendances skyrocketed; crowds peaked at an average of 47,856 during 1978 . The Cosmos remained at Giants Stadium for the rest of their time in the NASL. Attendances gradually fell as the league declined during the early 1980s, then finally slumped in 1984 , when they dropped by more than half from

3268-457: The club remained for the rest of its history. Founded in December 1970, the team competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) until 1984 and was the strongest franchise in that league, both competitively and financially – based largely around its backing by Warner Communications President Steve Ross , which enabled it to sign internationally famous stars such as the late Brazilian forward Pelé , Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia ,

3344-560: The club's day camp for children at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey changing the name from "Pele Soccer Camps" to "Cosmos Soccer Camp". Since the original New York Cosmos club's demise in 1985, there had been attempts to revive it. With the rise of Major League Soccer (MLS), various New York area entities—including two different ownership groups from the Metrostars/New York Red Bulls —lobbied Pinton for

3420-589: The coaching staff for the Salina Central Men's Soccer Team. Davis has also had a long career in soccer broadcasting. In 1989, he and JP Dellacamera provided live commentary for the match pitting the champions of the Western Soccer Alliance and the American Soccer League . He would provide television commentary at both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups for ABC. He continues to work as a commentator for Los Angeles Galaxy games. Davis

3496-403: The end of that campaign before being succeeded by two joint head coaches, Hennes Weisweiler & Yasin Özdenak , in 1980. This duo's team came second in the 1981 NASL before Mazzei returned in 1982 and won his second championship with the Cosmos during that year. Firmani returned in 1984, the NASL's final year, in which the Cosmos failed to make the playoffs. Firmani remained as the team entered

3572-424: The field, New York won three out of four championships, in 1977, 1978 and 1980. A playoff game against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1977 drew a crowd of 77,691, a record for American club soccer. The team's average attendances, regularly over 40,000 during the late 1970s, were the biggest in the league; this helped it to become regarded as the league's "marquee club", both commercially and competitively. Firmani

3648-749: The game, played at the Los Angeles Forum and won by the East over the West, 6-5, in overtime.) On February 14, 1987, the Express got their third (and final) win of the season when Mark Liveric's goal gave New York a 6-5 overtime win over the Lazers in Los Angeles. (It was the Lazers' ninth straight loss en route to a 16-36 record, worst in the West.) The next day, in a game carried nationally on ESPN ,

3724-406: The late West German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer , and famous late Brazilian rightback Carlos Alberto Torres . The acquisition of these foreign players, particularly Pelé, made the Cosmos into what journalist Gavin Newsham called "the most glamorous team in world football", and contributed to the development of soccer across the United States, a country where it had previously been largely ignored. As

3800-568: The logo purposefully avoided the standard American red, white and blue. In this the Cosmos succeeded, attracting noticeable support from local Europeans, Middle-Easterners and South Americans. The association of the team with the city's high society in both social and sporting contexts led to it becoming very popular among celebrities, both American and international. "We transcended everything, every culture, every socio-economic boundary," goalkeeper Shep Messing said in 2006. "We were international, we were European, we were cool, we were Americans from

3876-439: The lowest amount of tax possible, including one as a "recording artist" with Warner subsidiary Atlantic Records . "We owned him lock, stock and barrel," Toye retrospectively boasted. They also signed Mike Dillon in 1975. The Pelé deal was later described by Gavin Newsham, an English writer, as "the transfer coup of the century". His arrival turned the Cosmos from a motley crew of foreigners, semi-professionals and students into

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3952-581: The name "New York Lovers". Toye then staged a rigged "name the team" contest, receiving 3,000 entries and selecting one that just happened to match his pre-determined winner. Two NYC teachers, Meyer Diller and Al Capelli, from Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, entered the contest and submitted the name "Cosmos". The two physical education teachers had independently used Toye's method of deriving it from "cosmopolitan". The two men were awarded

4028-487: The new team's ambitions within its name, and reasoned that he could outdo the "Metropolitans" label referenced by the then-nine-year-old New York Mets baseball team by calling his team the "Cosmos", shortened from "Cosmopolitans". However, the owners preferred other possible names: the Erteguns wished to use the name originally suggested by Nesuhi, the "New York Blues"; and another part of the ownership group wanted to adopt

4104-541: The next four seasons before the league folded. The Cosmos then joined the third-tier National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), but played only half a season before going on hiatus. Sometimes, in the dressing room, I think I am in Hollywood. Franz Beckenbauer on the atmosphere surrounding the Cosmos When Pelé arrived at the Cosmos in 1975, American soccer was, in Newsham's phrase, "dying

4180-581: The original Yankee Stadium and Giants Stadium were demolished in 2002, 2008 and 2010 respectively. While playing indoor soccer , the Cosmos' home arenas were the Brendan Byrne Arena (now the Meadowlands Arena) and Madison Square Garden . The Cosmos sought to maximize their fanbase by appealing to as wide a demographic as possible. The club's name and badge were designed to be inclusive of New York's many immigrant communities;

4256-405: The overseas stars bought by NASL teams, Chinaglia was signed in his prime. He played for the Cosmos for the rest of their history, scoring a record number of goals and points not only for the Cosmos, but for the entire league. He shared an unusual personal bond with the club's ultimate controller, Ross, and was therefore treated differently from the other players, including Pelé. Crowds rose with

4332-445: The second game 2-1 despite Pelé scoring a free kick. After the retirement of Pelé in 1977, much of the progress that American soccer had made during his stay was lost; there was no star at the same level to replace him as the NASL's headline act. After enduring briefly during the late 1970s, attendances dropped after 1980. The sport's popularity fell and the media lost interest. The deal with broadcaster ABC to broadcast NASL matches

4408-573: The senior national team. After his retirement from playing, Davis became the head coach and general manager of the Los Angeles Salsa of the American Professional Soccer League . In 2004, he was named Director of Programs for AYSO , and in 2006, he was named its National Executive Director. On March 9, 2010, AYSO announced the resignation of Davis effective May 11, 2010. In the fall of 2018 Rick joined

4484-533: The team during 1988, and was looking forward to the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying games in 1989. However, he suffered a serious knee injury in January 1989. Although he tried to work himself back into shape in order to make the World Cup roster, U.S. coach Bob Gansler never called him back to the team, and Davis retired from playing. Overall, he earned 36 caps (a record at the time), scoring nine goals for

4560-453: The team from competing. Davis played for the U.S. in the 1984 Olympics , where he scored two goals in the U.S. victory over Costa Rica . In 1984, he was also named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year , the first year of the award. He played again at the 1988 Summer Olympics . Davis' experience and leadership led him to being named captain of the U.S. national team. In this capacity, he led

4636-603: The team moved to Hofstra Stadium where they won their first league title with a 2–1 victory over the St. Louis Stars . Horton was the league's top scorer and Most Valuable Player , with 9 goals and 22 points from the 14 regular-season games and two post-season matches. The Cosmos reached the play-offs once more in 1973, but were knocked out at the semi-final stage. Bradley coached the United States national team for six games during 1973—picking himself in one, despite not being an American citizen—but lost them all. Before

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4712-581: The team scoring with eight goals. When he was 18 years old, he made his senior national team debut in a September 15, 1977 match against El Salvador . Even more, he scored his first international goal in that game. He became a regular on the team, playing in all eight U.S. matches in 1977. Davis continued to play for the Olympic team, which qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics . However, President Carter 's boycott of those games, held in Moscow , stopped

4788-480: The team was created. Ross had apparently not heard of him before getting involved in soccer, but agreed to finance the transfer when Toye compared the Brazilian's popularity to that of the Pope . Pelé joined the Cosmos on June 10, 1975, on a salary of $ 1.4 million per year, an enormous wage for an athlete at that time. A number of contracts—only one of which mentioned soccer—were set up for Pelé to ensure that he paid

4864-455: The team's logo was Wayland Moore, a sports artist from Atlanta who had already worked on the logo, uniform and program covers of that city's soccer team, the Chiefs . Moore attempted to create a design that was simple, recognizable and inclusive of New York's many nationalities. The three colored "blades" surrounding the soccer ball in the center represent movement, while the font originally used

4940-510: The trim. The green shirt was concurrently matched with white shorts to become the new away uniform. Uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren were used from 1979 to the end; the home uniform remained all-white, though with navy and yellow trim replacing the green and white trim of the previous outfit. The away uniform became navy shirts and shorts with yellow trim, paired with unusual yellow-and-navy hooped socks, which were later replaced with plain navy blue ones. The artist commissioned by Toye to design

5016-656: Was a member of the Broncos team which took the U-19 National Open Championship (McGuire Cup). An American on a team of international superstars with the New York Cosmos , he helped the team to three NASL league titles in 1978 , 1980 and 1982 . He began playing with the team during the 1978 season and was selected as the 1979 North American Player of the Year in his second season. He was selected as an NASL all-star Honorable Mention in

5092-406: Was also lost in 1980, and the 1981 Soccer Bowl was only shown on tape delay . All of the franchises quickly became unprofitable, and a salary cap enforced before the 1984 season only delayed the inevitable. The league folded at the end of 1984, following the loss of most of its franchises. The Cosmos had financial problems of their own, on top of those affecting the league in general. Much of

5168-557: Was another Englishman, Ken Furphy . His Cosmos succeeded in reaching the post-season, but lost the divisional championship game to Vancouver , prompting Furphy's own departure in favor of a return for Bradley, whose second spell lasted only half a season before he was promoted to an advisory role. Eddie Firmani , the South African-born former Italy forward, took over midway through the 1977 season. His star-studded team won two consecutive Soccer Bowls —1977 and 1978—but lost

5244-478: Was chosen simply because it was easily legible on the uniform. The text on the logo was shortened to "Cosmos" in 1977, concurrently with the team's dropping of the "New York" label. The city name was restored two years later, but the badge remained unchanged. Uniform suppliers used by the team: Ahmet Ertegun used his connections to recruit Atlantic Records artists the Average White Band to create

5320-560: Was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001. New York Cosmos (1971%E2%80%931985) The New York Cosmos (simply the Cosmos in 1977–1978) were an American professional soccer club based in New York City and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York, including Yankee Stadium in the Bronx , before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium in nearby East Rutherford, New Jersey , where

5396-542: Was fired in 1979; he claimed, after falling out with Chinaglia. His assistant, Ray Klivecka , replaced him, becoming the team's first American-born coach. He lasted a season before himself being replaced by Júlio Mazzei . On Pelé's farewell tour in 1977, the Cosmos made history by becoming the first Western professional sports team to play in China. They drew their opening match with the Chinese national team 1-1, and lost

5472-557: Was founded in December 1970 by Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun , renowned executives at Atlantic Records , whose parent company Warner Communications acquired the Cosmos in April 1972. The team's first recruit was the Englishman Clive Toye , a former sportswriter who had moved to the United States in 1967 to become general manager of the short-lived Baltimore Bays ; he was given the same post in New York. Toye sought to convey

5548-459: Was lost at the end of 1980 and a salary cap, enforced before the 1984 season, caused many of the remaining overseas stars—lured to America by fat pay packets—to return to the European and South American leagues. The NASL collapsed abruptly in late 1984, and was not replaced by a new professional soccer league until Major League Soccer 's first season in 1996. A feature-length documentary about

5624-529: Was made player-coach , a position he would hold until 1975. Bradley's team finished second in its division in its first year, playing at Yankee Stadium , home of the New York Yankees baseball team and the New York Giants football team. Randy Horton , from Bermuda , was named the league's Rookie of the Year after scoring 16 goals and 37 points, the most by any New York player. In 1972,

5700-447: Was played extensively at Giants Stadium, and on television broadcasts of Cosmos games. The Cosmos' first home stadium was Yankee Stadium , home to both the New York Yankees baseball team and the New York Giants football team, where they played throughout the 1971 season. Attendances during the club's first year averaged at 4,517, less than 7% of the stadium's capacity, which was at that time 65,010. The Cosmos therefore moved before

5776-570: Was the English-American professional Gordon Bradley , who had played in the English Football League 's lower divisions during the 1950s before moving to America in 1963. Bradley came out of retirement to become player-coach , a role he retained until his departure in 1975. Bradley's team won the league championship in 1972, but after it failed to reach the playoffs in both 1974 and 1975, he was dismissed. His replacement

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