The rumors of a New York Cosmos revival have circulated for a better part of three decades, but the first real signs of a potential comeback for the storied club have emerged.
A group has purchased the rights to the New York Cosmos brand and stand poised to capitalize on Major League Soccer's desire to add a second New York team after announcing its return at a New York soccer event on Sunday.
“Our plan has several phases, but if you fast-forward, it’s our aspiration to play at the highest level in this country and that’s M.L.S.,” Joe Fraga, executive director of the Cosmos, told The New York Times. “And we are serious. We want to make it relevant again, we want kids to know what the Cosmos were and are, to bring the soccer dream back to the city.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber has repeated in recent weeks that MLS wants New York to be awarded the 20th MLS franchise after Portland, Vancouver and Montreal take the league's number of teams to 19.
The New York Red Bulls are in favor of the addition of a second team in its home market, with Red Bull global soccer chief Dietmar Beiersdorfer recently telling SBI that a second New York team would help MLS and give the Red Bulls a valuable rival.
So will the Cosmos be Major League Soccer's 20th team? It will if the new Cosmos ownership group can flex the financial muscle MLS likes to see from ownership groups, and if the team can secure a stadium, there is little doubt the Cosmos will be playing in MLS before long.
My thoughts on a Cosmos return? I wondered if Peppe Pinton would ever A) actually sell the team's naming rights and B) if anyone would ever pay the steep price for them. However the final deal came about, when viral marketing evidence started to pop up around New York with Cosmos logos emerging on stickers around the city, you knew something was afoot. A Cosmos return can succeed if the ownership group has the deep pockets and sharp leadership necessary to succed as a new team in MLS.
A second New York team can succeed, even though a less-than-soldout Red Bull Arena would suggest otherwise, but Red Bull has begun to flex its financial muscle and should establish a strong foothold before a Cosmos team would arrive in two or three years. Having two quality MLS teams in New York would tap into the strong soccer fanbase in the area as well as increase Major League Soccer's profile nationally and internationally.
What do you think of this development? Like the idea of the Cosmos returning to the American soccer landscape? Hate the idea of a second New York team?
Share your thoughts below.
+1.
The main obstacle here will be money. Building a stadium in NY will come at an astronomical cost, so it will take ownership and investors with very deep pockets. With the state of the economy, it would be several years before a NY Cosmos franchise with a new arena would be a profitable endeavor.
It would be great for MLS strictly from a fan/rivalry standpoint, but I’m not so sure about the finances on this one…
I’m a Redbulls fan and will stay one unless they put a new team in Brooklyn where I live. So I’m all for bringing back the Cosmos to play in Queens or LI.
That said, I watched the “special” announcement at the Copa NYC halftime and was not impressed with what seemed to me to be a very amateurish presentation. It looked like they spent all their budget on bringing in Pele and Carlos Alberto, who (bless them) barely managed to convey the “special announcement” due to old-age and language barriers. Other than “NY Cosmos is back,” it was totally unclear what they hoped to achieve or how. NY Cosmos should be thankful I was probably one of a handful of people watching and that the event reads better in print than it looked in person or on tv.
I am a RBNY fan and really dislike this idea. I really hate all the complaining about the trip. Granted, I do do live in NJ, but the ride isn’t the easiest for me either it takes about an hour and a half to get to RBA. I have to give credit to some DCU fans cuz while people in NY complain about the trip and refuse to take it, some DCU fans travel much longer. And what “history” would these Cosmos have? They are in no way but name connected to the Cosmos of old. If they do make the Cosmos, I would hope it becomes NJ RB because it seems like no NY fans would be left.
How excited would you be if there were a team in Florida 3 hours drive away? Or Atlanta? How many games would you go see then?
Unless you’re willing to see USL/NASL games, you’ll have to accept that there won’t be a team in every city.
The Stadium wil lbe in Uniondale next to Nassau Veterans Memirial Colisseum…that’s as close ot NYC that the Cosmos will get….mark my words!!!!!
seems like the Cosmos group is starting the right way. first by buying CopaNYC and starting a youth academy in Queens. looks good so far.
pleaase build the stadium in queens! or at least renovate icahn stadium on randalls island.
John, I play out at Randalls as well – and you sir must be crazy. There is NO subway access whatsoever, and only ONE public bus that goes out there, from Harlem – and it’s full of slightly disturbed mean heading to either the mental health facility or homeless shelter that constitute the islands primary institutions. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fields out there, but every player on my team is disgruntled when our schedule comes out and games are scheduled at Randalls. Given zoning restrictions, available land, and transportation options, the only viable options in NYC would be within Queens.
@RK — Shame you have that attitude. So, people in Portland shouldn’t follow baseball? People in Los Angeles shouldn’t watch NFL games? No NBA fans in Las Vegas?
Besides, MLS won’t stop at 20 teams forever…assuming there are better soccer fans that follow a league even when there is no local team. Eventually, MLS will expand….perhaps to Miami or Atlanta.
Yeah, it is a strawman. There’s zero chance of it happening (unless, of course, there were some sort of delay in construction, but that would just be temporary). Just think, two SSSs in NY and none south of Philly (at least for MLS).
NYC would absolutely get behind a team in Queens – I follow the Red Bulls and occasionally make it out to a game at the new stadium, but would prob spring for season tix if there was a team within the boroughs. For those of you who don’t live in the City, the Metros/Red Bull always suffered because there was no public transportation to Giants Stadium (the majority of New Yorkers don’t have cars, or for that matter, even know anyone who does). The new stadium is far more accessible, but a stadium in Flushing would take mere minutes for fans from much of Queens and Manhattan.
That said, I feel like the Cosmos name is a relic of the past – not sure what reserve of nostalgia they’ll really be tapping into. I saw the documentary about the team that came out a few years back, but the lesson I came away with was that they were a short-lived novelty. Not to mention that their name and logo are pretty generic – would look right at home with the old NPSL teams that had clip art masquerading as team crests. Not that some of the current teams are better, but really, it’s kind of weak.
Wow — talk about shooting down straw men… What a discussion. Who has floated the idea of sharing RBA? No one, except Pepe above.
The MLS is talking about having a team in New York City proper. Almost certainly, that team would locate in or around the Citi Field (Shea Stadium for old-timers) facility in Queens. The whole point would be to go after different fan base: the immigrants in Queens, and the soccer playing suburban families in Long Island and Westchester…as well as getting some New York City hipster cool and luxury box money.
Expensive to build a stadium there? Somewhat, though they could probably share parking with the Mets and Flushing isn’t exactly prime real estate. It’s mostly auto body shops.
Too bad the city fights their every move to get a stadium.
so you’re suggesting that it’s the euro-snobs that are waiting for a more glorious team?
i have doubts, but clearly (from the few that are commenting) there are some like that.
and i bet the euro-snobs are the same snobs that somehow assign a stench to anything based in jersey. (even though RBA is closer to the city than flushing, and the giants and jets are successful in the swamp)
Dude the Metros have sucked for years and their fans never abandoned them Like DC’s fans have. Never, i lived closer i would support Metro. They have had some of the worse Managment in the history of sports yet the fans never left.
DC sucks and so does the fans.
+1. I totally agree. It would have to be big, like Yankees big for it to work.
TWO NY teams that don’t play in NY? Now THAT’S comedy.
New Jersey is taking on your poor, huddled masses.
Atlanta and Miami? 10 hours apart. As close as Atlanta to DC. Everyone is just hung up on having to have multiple expansion teams in one area because that’s just what happened. It certainly didn’t matter before.
Umm, I have to disagree with that big time. I am a Galaxy supporter, but I have to give props to the DCU fans. They have a crappy team this year, and a horrible stadium situation, yet they still come out and support their team. They avg.14,949 fans a game this year despite being the worst team. They are ahead of Columbus, one of the best teams of the last 3 years with a SSS. They are also ahead of Chicago, Chivas USA, Dallas, and Colorado, all teams with new SSS. If DCU had a good stadium and a decent team, they would average 20k easily. So how is it that they don’t support their team?
What is the big deal about using the Cosmos name? Seriously, the other team in the city is called the Red Bulls and if somebody wants to resurrect the name of the biggest team in the city’s history of the sport then I say go ahead…
It is true that the team being in New Jersey makes it more of a Jersey/Westchester/Manhattan team. Same thing for the Giants/Jets fans that come from Long Island.
what is this guy talking about. completely nonsensical response…which is completely expected since it came from bigsoccer
You have point, two under-performing teams in NY metro area would be bad for MLS.
Also for those saying the Meadowlands are too far for a city team, please remind me where the original Cosmos played drawing huge crowds?
Oh yeah, Jersey Meadowlands.
Chattanooga FC drew a crowd of over 5,000 at their last regular season home game (attendence averaged over 4,000 per game). That is not 20,000, but Chattanooga is a small city, and CFC is only an NPSL team. There are fans in the south. $$$$$ is the issue.
This is a no brainer. Instant name recognition, instant rivalry, increased media attention and revenue for the league in the largest market, with resulting increase in foreign attention, good Queens location for a new stadium in an area itching for redevelopment, and another set of DP spots for stars who want to play based in NY. How many first division teams are in London? Sao Paulo? Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Munich, they all have in-city rivalries. As for the areas of the country left out, be patient. US-Canada is a massive region that will support a league with far more than 20 teams eventually. Better wait until Atlanta and Miami can come in close together (like Seattle, Portland, Vancouver) than leave one hanging there for years.
I go to 8-10 red bulls games each year including open
Cup playins and if there were a team in manhattan, Brooklyn, or queens I would definitely become a season ticket holder over the new jersey red
Bulls.
It’s not the sharing that’s a problem for me. But to put two teams in what amounts to a suburban location (talking distance from NYC) doesn’t make much sense to me. Especially when NYRB aren’t consistently drawing huge crowds (I’m not hating, but if they had season tickets sold out and a waiting list I would think differently).
Say it aint so….
Don’t turn the Cosmos into the equivalent of the Transformers movies, which took a fond memory from my youth and re-presented itself as something in-name only, watered it down, and took away the charm.
I’m a fan of MLS, a Red Bull Supporter, and in-favor of a 2nd area team. I just think the Cosmos is a name that should remain in the past.
I don’t live in the area, but my guess would be marketing. If I were a resident of NYC, I’d probably wait it out and be a Cosmos fan over being a Red Bulls fan. What the Cosmos have going for them is the history/tradition, big names involved (potentially), the sense of being a true NYC team as opposed to a New Jersey team trying to attract New Yorkers, and—most importantly—not being owned and sponsored by a terrible energy drink that I can’t stand. Frankly, there’s just a coolness factor to the Cosmos that the Red Bulls can’t harness. It’s Microsoft vs. Apple (but without no huge profits involved for either).
Itll be a complete waste of time if the Cosmos arent in New York. 15 years and the Red Bulls are JUST starting to sell tickets
If they cant get something in Queens or Brooklyn then give the 20th team to a city that can actually draw fans for teams which the Red Bulls couldnt until they got a huge name like Henry.
I was at the NY vs Juventus game and seeing the stadium half full was a depressing joke. No need to dilute the NY fans more so now both teams draw quarter-half filled stadiums for games.
The first, second and third most important things in getting an MLS franchise are the ownership. That’s it. Lament all you want about Atlanta or Florida or Raleigh or whatever (and throw in St. Louis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and a dozen other legitimate cities with big fan bases some of whom have great soccer trackrecords).
That’s why RSL has a team–ownership stepped up. That is why St. Louis doesn’t have a team. B/c if you were going by local soccer players, total size, fan attendance, soccer experience, RSL would be near the bottom of the list. But Checketts stepped forward and found a way to get the stadium done and suddenly you’ve got a city that has a winning team, a great stadium, a lovely place for USMNT games with an altitude advantage if we want it and a decent fan base.
If Salt Lake City and Columbus can get SSS and winning teams and build a fan base than there are about 50 cities in the US who are potential candidates (and I mean no insult to SLC or Columbus–only that 20 years ago no-one would have mentioned those cities as top candidates for soccer franchises in the US). Ownership has got to step up–it’s that simple. If a viable ownership team comes forward than the rest is manageable.
You’re right, which is why I don’t give a damn about MLS, or ever will. Americans abroad for me, then. If it’s going to be more than 600 miles away, it might as well be 6000.
Hear Hear…Red Bull season ticket holder and I can’t tell you how much I miss the MetroStar name. Throw a Red Bull logo on there, but let us call them something other then an energy drink.
+1
this is what nyc soccer needs: a team actually in the city. somewhere in queens off the 7 train is the best bet. i like the red bulls and all and am hoping for their success, but the bottom line is that they are a new jersey team. i live in western queens and to get to harrison it takes me two trains, plus the path, to get there in about an hour and a half. there for 90 mins, then back on three trains. i have done it 4 times this season, and i will continue to keep doing it and support the red bulls, but having a team in harrison, nj straight disenfranchises a whole lot of soccer fans in queens, bk, and long island who are hesitant to make a 3 hour rt commute to see a team that is owned by an austrian energy drink company. if the 20th team played in flushing, corona, or long island city i would be a season ticket holder and so would many of my friends who despise the trip to harrison.
so if they did enter MLS, we’d have the Galaxy vs. the Cosmos? Maybe MLS is trying to reach out to that all important Star Trek demographic.
Why does this have to be about whether people around the country will embrace the Cosmos or if this will be the REAL Cosmos?
This is about bringing back the brand and paying tribute to the history of the sport in the city. The New York Mets were a legacy name when they were brought back in the 1960s and I just have to wonder how many old timers then said, “They’re just not the same Mets…” And maybe more importantly does anyone care now? Absolutely not. Soccer is about tradition and while the Cosmos have been inactive for 30 years, I see nothing wrong with resurrecting their lineage.
As for a stadium, why not renovate Icahn stadium into a new, modern facility? Easy to access from all boroughs.
I don’t think the South East has done anything to warrant a team. Atlanta is literally the worst sports town in America. Their beloved Braves routinely had empty seats during the playoffs. The Hawks and Falcons…come on. I do believe in a promotion/relegation system with the second division and if a team like the Railhawks can make it…more power to the south east.
Atlanta keeps dancing around it. Blank was ready to step up during the last round, but backed down when they economy fell. The recently formed “Atlanta Soccer Cabinet” shows that, at least, city and business leaders are interested in MLS (yet not financially backing it). http://www.ajc.com/sports/business-group-looks-at-572467.html
“No one seemed to care about the Cosmos before there was a movie made about them”
…he must not have ever seen any of the games where 75k people came out to watch the team. Every soccer fan in America cared about the Cosmos, it was the rest of the league that no one cared about and that’s why the NASL folded. Bill Archer is waaaaay off on this topic.
Because New Yorkers will whine that it’s New Jersey and that it is too far.
If an owner steps up with deep pockets and will commit to making it work, the southeast will get a team. Until then, there isn’t anything to discuss.
As a Red Bull fan to attends all the home games, I’d welcome another team in the area.
I like the Red Bull team but I would much rather have a Cosmos jersey than a Red Bull jersey.
Why is sharing RBA bad?
San Siro, Stadio Olympico, HDC…are these all bad arrangements?
(and yes I know the financial pitfalls of Roman football)
Why are you watching European soccer? They don’t have any teams in the Southeast either. I guess I just don’t understand your logic.
…but Red Bull has stated that they would like this to happen as soon as possible.
I don’t think there is enough fans in the south (not Florida) to put 20,000 in the stands. The sport is just not big enough in the south. Most of the sports broadcasters just make fun of it.
It would be very strange hating a team using the moniker of the guys I worshiped as a little kid. But it wouldn’t be the same team in my heart and I’ll get used to it. Bring ’em on.
DC fans don’t suck and I’m unsure why your hating on a city that has a solid fan base but a struggling team with a stadium that is falling apart. I completely sympathize that you want your city to get a team, but don’t take that out on DC. The league would not be where it is today in terms of success at the gate or international reputation if it was not for the classy United teams in the leagues early years. Clearly, sad times have befallen the team over the last couple of years, but don’t blame the fans for the failures of management!
Not sure why you are, but while you’re asking the NHL about the Hurricanes, ask them about the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils.
I am also in the south and I am not sure it would succeed. I think there is a small nitch but not enought to get 20,000 in the stands. Florida may be different than the rest of the south.
I think Bill Archer at BigSoccer.com put it best:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?s=d1a59c058990fd0757710353ea36353b&b=9666
This is a poorly concoted pipe-dream at best. This is not a return of the Cosmos, but the return of a name, “The Cosmos.” Will they inspire the nation. No. Will they inspire NYC? Outside Queens, unless they rules, probably not. No one seemed to care about the Cosmos before there was a movie made about them, but now poeple just want a myth to follow. All 12 of the borough boys and Don Garber can wank themselves silly on this story, but it’s smells like total BS. If no one else smells it, there’s something wrong with your noses.