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Pelé, Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto to be honored at Cosmos opening match

PeleCosmos (AP)

By JUSTIN FERGUSON

The New York Cosmos will kick off their new era in August with a flashback to their legendary past.

The club announced Tuesday that it will honor former players Pelé, Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia before its first match against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Aug. 3. The living Brazilian legends will be joined by family members of the late Chinaglia, who passed away in April 2012, prior to kickoff at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium.

“We can never forget the great memories of playing for the Cosmos,” Pelé said. “It’s good to have the team back, and to involve my friend and captain Carlos Alberto along with the family of Giorgio Chinaglia.”

The three legends played for the Cosmos at different stages of their careers, but they were all teammates in 1977, Pelé’s final season.

Pelé, who is also the club’s honorary president, will take part in a special ceremony two days before the match. The Empire State Building will be lit in Cosmos green in honor of the club’s return to action on Aug. 1.

What do you make of this news? Excited to see these former Cosmos legends honored before the club’s first competitive match?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I understand it costs money, but keeping the names the fans (well the old ones like me ) alive would have been much better for MLS…examples Sounders Timbers Whitecaps all have a buzz many teams would love to have.

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    • The suits don’t get it. They wanted something stupid like “Seattle Republic” or Alliance or some other god-awful names instead of Seattle Sounders, forcing us to do a write-in campaign on the name the team poll. Without fan-generated supporter culture, MLS would be dead. Holding on to the classic names may be derided as “nostalgia” but it makes more sense than constantly burying our past and starting over from scratch.

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  2. Some people must really need attention. The constant trolling of Cosmos articles is out of control. I dont see the problem with a revived team with strong American roots celebrating their history. Its worked well for the Sounders and Timbers, both ex NASL brands. I for one am interested in seeing how the Cosmos develop. They have a$$embled a pretty good squad and are building well from the ground up with staff that have been involved in the game for a while. I can take the Cosmos much more seriously than the Red Bulls or Man City 2.0. Your team is named after an energy drink that only fat kids drink and you think the Cosmos cant compete with it. Hahaha the Cosmos brand still holds weight decades later. Ive seen people whereing Cosmos jerseys in Costa Rica. Ill take the Cosmos approach over the Red Bulls any given day

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  3. bring the cosmos and i want them to win the open cup and nasl!!!!!!!!! cant wait for the red bull vs cosmos

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  4. So much hate for the Cosmos.

    Can’t a team just play and be done with it? If internet-tough-guys ruled the world we would just ride with the status-quo for eternity. We all want the growth of US soccer but at the same time laugh and harass a now honest club trying to coming up from the bottom. They’re not trying to do it like the Cosmos of the 70’s did… they will start from square one.

    Stop harping over what happened in the 70’s, that was decades ago.

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  5. To all those who feel bashful for being outed as the brandwhores that they are, the New York Cosmos were the sole purpose for the NASL’s demise. Thus the reason why we had to not only start from scratch, but start with NEGATIVE credibility. I get it, you guys like the pageantry, the idea, the Netflix movie…. Just find a way to get the nuts and bolts of the Cosmos, the original cosmos, you’ll be unpleasantly surprised… Keep in mind, this modern day cosmos is a licensed out name. Don’t be fooled by the “fly emirates” sponsor, as soccer-y as it may be.

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  6. Unless they’re going to bus people in (and pay them to be there), safe to say this will be the smallest crowd Pele has waved to ever.

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    • Doubt it. Having a chance to see Pele in the flesh, probably only a few yards away from where you’re sitting is once in a lifetime. For most soccer fans in general, that’s an opportunity hard to pass up.

      I say they sell out their first game based on nostalgia and Pele.

      But teams are never rated on the first game’s attendance. It’s halfway through the season before you can truly understand your pull.

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  7. Well that is going to cost some serious coin to bring Pele in. Between ‘free’ and ‘extortion’, he is closer to ‘extortion.’

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  8. I hear they are also going to be handing out free disco balls, and giving free admission to any fans wearing bell bottoms.

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    • You deserve a pet rock my friend.

      Welcome back Cosmos.

      Ives, when is the next readers poll? Can someone refresh me on how long this site, and it’s former selves have been around? I feel like its been 8 years now.

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  9. I’m a Cosmos supporter, and I hope this is the last time we see Pele for a long, long time. With respect to his achievements, the sooner we break our dependence on him and the other 70s guys the better.

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    • What more do you need? He supports a club that a) once existed in his area b) has local ties beyond a first team c) IS coming back.

      Literally, what more do you need?

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      • Over/under he was alive during the Cosmos’ strategic dismantling of US insane soccer craze in 70’s? And If he’s one of these new York snobs, what’s the odds that he even realizes that titles and hysteria was all taking place in Rutherford New Jersey

      • So what if he wasn’t alive then, say his family or father or anyone in his past was a fan. Can he not be because he missed it? Why is that logical? Or, if he has no connection, isn’t a new team in the New York area (where I assume he lives) enough of a reason to like that team?

        Get off your high horse, he’s made no reference of being a New York snob, you’re looking for reasons to be upset. What someone else supports is none of your business.

      • So you have created this Cosmos-fan boogey-man and superimpose it on anyone who claims to be a Cosmos fan. That’s exactly how stereotypes survive and thrive.

      • also…the Cosmos had nothing to do with the implosion of the old NASL. The league went under because the fact was they didn’t have enough domestic players to fill the league.

    • not a cosmos support, and I agree here. Time to move on. Even though these guys are being paid handsomely I am sure, it just doesn’t make sense to fly these guys in.

      how is is supposed to get people excited…25 years ago when we existed we had big names…now you’ve got MLS/USL washouts and way over the hill Euro players, who were never superstars even in their day.

      Aside from Shep Messing, I dont think anyone loves the Cosmos enough to put the nostalgia above what they will actually be able to watch and experience now. Put all the time and effort into pumping up the current team. Just my 2 cents.

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      • I think what people need to realize is that the Cosmos aren’t coming back and expecting to be #1 right away. This is as much of a start-up club as anyone else, we’re no different than Orlando City, or San Antonio, or any other team aspiring to be at the top level. The difference is that the Cosmos have a rich history to draw some attention from so that it’s not all really from scratch, and why not, everyone knows the Cosmos.

        However, the signings are modest, they’re enough to CONTEND in the NASL, this isn’t an instant win roster but I see it doing very well. This is a plan with an incredible five and ten year plan, the world wants to see them selling out Giants stadium again at the word of their return, it doesn’t work like that, nothing works like that.

        In the end, this is an experiment. It’s one I personally have faith in, if people don’t want to support it that’s fine, but there’s no doubt it’s going to be in the American soccer conscious again.

        Obviously Emirates has faith in the team, that’s a sponsor no MLS team can currently match. We will see, and at the end of the day it’s soccer, enjoy it the way you want to. I’ll personally be in the Cosmos corner.

      • But isn’t Emirates actually paying LESS than most MLS shirt sponsors? I was under the impression that Emirates was paying $1 million a year; 7 of the 8 disclosed MLS shirt sponsor deals are currently paying more than that.

      • It is an NASL side after all, compare the sponsor not to MLS but to the other NASL teams and then tell me if it’s a big deal. You’re absolutely right, but look at in context, in comparison to the league there isn’t a need for much more than that right now.

      • I was as big a fan of the Cosmos as anyone, but I have moved on. There is already an MLS team in this area, and I support it. The Cosmos are now a brand and a memory. I wish them no ill will, but I remain puzzled by people’s continuing fascination with them, especially (as I said) when there’s been an MLS team around here for 17 years. For comparison, the “rich history” to which PatrickVT refers lasted (if you count from Pele’s arrival) exactly 10 years.

      • Brain guy,

        This is America. We don’t need no stinking reason to root for the Cosmos, if that’s what we want to do.

        Who died and put you in charge of sensible fan affiliation?

    • Wooo, we have an internet tough guy ladies and gentlemen.

      There are plenty of reasons why some person might be a fan of the Cosmos. If you really can’t think of any on you own, I’d suggest you are not the person to be poking holes in anyone’s logic about anything.

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    • I like this Jersey2Colorado guy. He’s the only one on here talking sense about Hempstead Cosmos. Other than me of course.

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      • I’ll say this ONE time to both you AND anyone else who is guilty of it. Consistent trolling of any sort, be it Cosmos bashing or bashing of any team, will lead to the yanking of your ability to comment on this site. You’ve consistently trolled every Cosmos-related post we’ve had, but now you know the deal, so I suggest you act accordingly.

    • The same way we’re all fans of the teams we support: he’s from the area or he likes them. Who cares when he was born? Who cares if he ever saw them in the 70s? People idolize teams and players they’ve never seen. YouTube is a great resource, as are books, articles, and hearsay.

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    • Wow, geez since some of you seem to be so fascinated with me, I guess I’ll say that no, I was not alive in the 1970s. I was also not alive in 1969 or 1986, but I’m still a Mets fan too, I’m sorry if that breaks one of your arbitrary rules about who I’m allowed to support.

      I am a New Yorker but not a “New York snob”, my problem with Red Bull has nothing to do with their geography, it’s that they’re called Red Bull. Just as my support for the Cosmos is not diminished by the fact that they play on Long Island. If I were a New York snob I would just support NYCFC, wouldn’t I?

      I’m well aware that these aren’t my father’s Cosmos. It’s a new era. We’re a startup team right now. I’m perfectly ok with that. I want to be a part of the next step on the Cosmos journey. I’m so sorry that some of you seem to find that so grossly offensive.

      Reply
  10. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of Beckenbauer being attached to any of these

    reunion things over the years.

    Did I miss it?

    Is this just a function of his busy life (dude’s always had a real job) or is there some beef there?

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    • It’s possible I suppose. I heard an interview with Stover about a month ago where he implied that Beckenbauer would be there too but it looks like that didn’t work out.

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    • He’s had a strong working relationship with Red Bull hierarchy in Austria. Maybe that’s the hold up. “Conflict of interest”

      Beckenbauer, who acts as an advisor to Red Bulls owner Dieter Mateschitz, advised him on his entry into soccer, first with Austria Salzburg and then with the purchase of the former MetroStars.

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  11. A bit like my Mariner’s attract fans talking about the great ole days. Only the great old days were 1995, not 1978.

    Anyway not trying to rip on anyone’s team, hope the fans enjoy the heck out of it. Just saying it isn’t going to be the 1970s….

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