Soccer is heading to the USA in the biggest possible way this summer. They’ve always had a weird relationship with it, never fully embracing the beautiful game, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a history, though.

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By Alex Roberts

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Back in the 70s, they went all in, really threw money at it with clubs across the country signing the game’s biggest names. Johann Cryuff found himself in LA for a short time, while Pelé and Franz Bekenbauer headed to New York. It was all very… USA USA USA.

Playing for New York ‘The Cosmos’ Cosmos the latter two stars were at the centre of American soccer’s universe. But then the money dried up, and all those played lured in by those riches left. Fans stopped turning up, and the project was dead.

The original New York Cosmos folded in 1985 following the collapse of the North American Soccer League (NASL). They tried to stick it out, transitioning into indoor soccer, but simply put, no one cared.

Both the club and the NASL were revived in the 2010s, keeping up with tradition, they made a couple of superstar signings, Real Madrid legend Raúl and the most underrated member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup winning squad, Marcos Senna.

Again, it all went up in stardust. The NASL lost its second-division status in 2018, which sparked an antitrust lawsuit by the league, and the club ceased operations. A federal jury dismissed the NASL’s antitrust suit against U.S. Soccer and MLS in 2025.

The United Soccer League (USL) has since taken over as America’s alternative to MLS. It’s like MLS, but the clubs have better names and their badges are cooler. There are three divisions, and most importantly, there will be promotion and relegation from the 2027/28 season.

Now there’s a new New York Cosmos in town, it’s just not the Big Apple. The club now call the newly restored Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey their home, nestled above the Great Falls of the Passaic River. It’s a lovely part of the world.

Despite all the false dawns and stuttering starts, The Cosmos have something very few American football clubs do; legacy. They’re still a global brand, thanks to the likes of Pelé and Beckenbauer, they wouldn’t be out of place with the big boys in MLS.

But this latest version is different, they’ve started out in USL Division One, the third and lowest tier in US professional soccer. Some of that was by choice, but mostly necessity. It’s not easy, and it costs a LOT of money to become an MLS franchise. Not everyone has a David Beckham or a Lionel Messi knocking about.

Being in the USL has its advantages, though. It’s proper grassroots football, which makes it so much easier to build communities. The likes of Vermont Green, New Mexico United, and Sacramento Republic FC have established and incredibly dedicated fanbases despite not being relatively new clubs.

Now that Cosmos have a proper home, they can find their community, and they’ve got big plans. In the long run, they want a professional women’s side, as well as spaces for other sports, like the South American and European clubs of old.

“This is the perfect community for it,” CEO Erik Stover told the Guardian. “It’s so diverse, with people from all over the world and diverse interests, so it makes perfect sense here.

“Proper clubs have multiple sports. People from the community are volunteering, helping with the cricket club, the track club, the tennis club, whatever it is.

“For us, professional soccer will be at the top of the pyramid. But what really matters is that grassroots foundation.”

First though, they need to make sure they get things right on the pitch. That starts with the staff, and it wouldn’t be Cosmos without at least one familiar face. Former Man United striker Giuseppe Rossi is their Vice Chairman and Head of Soccer. This is how I found out he was born in New Jersey.

Italian Davide Corti is the man tasked with leading Cosmos’ new team. He came through AC Milan’s academy as a youngster, and although he never made an appearance, had the chance to train under Fabio Capello and the great Arrigo Sacchi, so there is certainly some pedigree there.

Considering Corti’s country of origin, it should come as no surprise that Cosmos play with a back three, often deploying a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2. They’re happy to sit back and give up possession of the ball, averaging 46.5%.

They play very direct, averaging 293.1 passes per 90 minutes, with 140 touches in the opposition box across their seven USL League One games so far this season. In all honesty, it’s an antiquated way of playing football, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Cosmos score, 12 to be exact, at an average of 1.7 goals per match, which is the fifth highest in the league. Their issue is they’re conceding sloppy goals, there is a clear lack of communication between defenders, and then the goalkeeper.

Looking at their most recent game, a 3-1 defeat to the brilliantly named Portland Hearts of Pine, Cosmos were carved open far too easily. The first goal they conceded was a wonderful effort from Jay Tee Kamara; there was nothing they could do about it.

The second though? Cosmos defender William Noecker was completely lost at sea, a simple through ball caught him off guard, he missed the chance to clear it, instead taking Ollie Wright out, only for the Portland man to get back up, and lob the ‘keeper, who was inexplicably about 10 yards off his line.

For context, USL League One is perhaps at a similar level to the National League in the UK, so these mistakes happen, and considering this is technically Cosmos’ first year in existence, we’ll let them off the hook. You can’t blame a baby for crying.

Whatever happens this season, or the next, or the one after that, the Cosmos are back. It’s a little different, they’re not filled with super stars, but maybe that’s a good thing. Now, they can build organically.

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(Images from IMAGO)

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