THE FAMED NEW YORK COSMOS RETURN TO HONG KONG
Christopher KL Lau
The New York Cosmos, the by word for cool, multiculturalism and flair have finally returned to Hong Kong for the first time since 1979. Their last trip to the then colony ended in a 6-0 win to the Cosmos but this time around it would be a much tighter contest as Hong Kong giants South China gave them a very close match.
The New York Cosmos were one of the most popular soccer teams in the seventies and eighties and were a pivotal part of the North American Soccer League which bloomed and flourished and generated a new level of interest in the beautiful game in a nation which had little to no interest previously. Soccer in America had to compete with more established sports such as baseball, basketball and American football.
The Cosmos truly gained global prominence when they pulled off an amazing transfer by persuading Pele to join the team in a move which garnered huge publicity all around the world.
Soon, the Cosmos were playing to huge crowds at the Giants stadium and Yankee stadium. Pele was joined by his compatriot Carlos Alberto and the former German captain Franz Beckenbauer and soon the Cosmos were the hottest ticket in town and definitely the most glamorous and trendy team in the entire world.
With hotshot Giorgio Chinaglia firing in the goals, the Cosmos went onto win the NASL several times over. Unfortunately, all great things have to come to an end and when Pele left the team, interest began to drop and fans drifted away to the point that both the NASL and the New York Cosmos folded in 1985.
Fast forward to 2010 and the newly revamped and smoothly run Cosmos are back and their global fan base are delighted. To coincide with the Chinese New Year Celebrations in Hong Kong, the Cosmos were invited to play in the Annual Lunar New Year AET Cup.
This was held on February 19th at the swish Hong Kong Stadium. Tickets were marked down and some tickets were given to low income families for free in order to boost the number of attendees and the marketing idea worked as nearly 20,000 people came through the gates.
There were many youngsters in attendance and they were very enthusiastic about the Cosmos, who were in Hong Kong not only to partake in the game but also to win over new friends and a whole generation of fans.
There were also many older faces in the crowd, who no doubt were in attendance at the Cosmos game in 1979. Raul and Senna, both ex-Spanish internationals, were the star names to draw in the crowds and Raul accommodated fans at the end of the match by signing autographs and taking pictures.
The close game saw South China take the lead twice, first through Chan Siu-Ki in the 19th minute and then Awal Mahama in the 67th minute. Cosmos fought back on both occasions with equalizers from Sebastian Guenzatti (23 mins) and Andres Flores (88 mins). The Cosmos went onto win the tightly contested game 4-2 on penalties with Raul scoring his first goal for the Cosmos. The Cosmos continue their pre-season until the new season of the NASL begins again.
Hong Kong was fortunate to see the Cosmos up close and personal so to delve further into the Cosmos and their legacy, here is an exclusive interview with Cesar Trelles, a contributor and editor to the New York Cosmos fan website - www.thefivepointspress.com (no longer accessible)
Cesar shares his opinions on the Cosmos, their history, global following and their current teams and of course, Raul.
What is the appeal of the Cosmos? Why are they so popular globally after so many years?
There is no question that a large part of the appeal globally for the Cosmos is because of the legacy they created many years ago in the same manner that they did in Hong Kong. Soccer fans around the world vividly recall when the team would take global tours to different parts of the world. While they are not back to those levels today, the club has continuously express their desire to be a global brand once again. The fact that they have obtained globally recognized players such as Marcos Senna and now Raul speaks to that desire.
Another reason why I firmly believe that they are gaining popularity is because of the way that they are conducting their future. Today, they are strongly against the principles that Major League Soccer stands for in the United States. To a certain extent, I look at them as the rebels of US Soccer. Sure they could easily conform to the standards of MLS and become a team in MLS if they really wanted to but there is so much that the Cosmos would have to conform to that would take away from the true spirit of what a soccer club should be when compared to others around the world.
When Raul signed for the Cosmos, how did you and other Cosmos fans react?
Man, Raul's courtship was a LOOONNNNGGG process. It literally started when the team went to Dubai for preseason in March 2014. Raul was playing at the time for Qatari side, Al Saad, and all it took was one picture with Marcos Senna to spark the rumors. When they came back to the US, Cosmos head coach Savarese was not shy about expressing his desire to have Raul become a member of the Cosmos and for the better part of the 2014, the rumors continued to fly that he was coming to the Cosmos. First he was coming once his contract was up in June. Then he wasn't coming because his team in Dubai made their Champions League. Then all hope was lost when it was rumored that Real Madrid offered him a job within their organization. Then kind of out of the blue, the rumors started up again. Before you knew it, he was in New York attending a Cosmos match to check out the club and the NASL.
The reaction of the supporters during that match was kind of like a kid in a toy store. We were giddy and we were looking for our favorite toy and that favorite toy was Raul. Supporters chanted his name during the match that he came to. They even were able to find his SUV after the match and they chased it down the block when he left the stadium all while chanting his name. For the next couple of weeks he took his time analyzing his options. He came to the Cosmos training grounds and even trained with the team but STILL they wouldn't say he was signed. Finally the news broke on ESPN FC that he as signed and Cosmos fans of course could not contain their excitement. In December when the Cosmos had the press conference to introduce him to the club, it was impressive to see the media that came to the event and the global exposure that it brought once again to the Cosmos. Needless to say the minute that head coach Savarese and Cosmos chairman Seamus O'Brien handed the jersey to Raul, it set off hysteria among the citizens of Cosmos Country. Seeing him play last Thursday in Hong Kong was a long time coming for the fans but it was well worth the wait. I personally can't wait to see him play a whole season!
The Cosmos compete in the North American Soccer League (NASL). How does the NASL compare to the MLS and do the two leagues compliment each other?
This is such a complex topic and one that spurs a lot of debate between soccer fans in the United States! lol Where do I start?
So Major League Soccer has been around for twenty years. Their model is one of single entity meaning the league essentially controls everything from the TV rights, to the teams and even the players themselves. MLS has criteria such as a $100 million entry fee if you want to join their league and they require a soccer specific stadium plan to be in place before entry into their league.
Further they have a salary cap in place for a majority of each team's roster. With the exception of three players on each roster, each team's salary cap is approximately $3 million. As for those three players I mentioned, they are called "designated players" and teams are allowed to pay those 3 players whatever they want with respect to salary.
In my opinion that causes severe disparity amongst players salaries. For example in Toronto, players like Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore and being paid millions of dollars while several players on the same team are not even making $100,000. Many MLS players actually need second jobs to make a living as a result of that. How can young players develop their talents if they need second jobs. Further, if you are a young player in the US - what is your incentive to strive to be a professional in your own country if you stand a chance at making a low salary like that?
Let's switch over to the NASL. The model there is the opposite. The league hands over ownership to the respective clubs. There is no required dollar amount to enter the league and no required stadium upon joining the league. They do want to see that a team does have plans in place to build a stadium in the future. Of course the league vets each team's ownership group to make sure that they are financially stable enough to support a soccer team for several years. Essentially NASL commissioner Bill Peterson has taken the approach of "Why should I take $100 million from each owner - use that money instead to invest in your respective club and organization and build the best product that you can."
Further, NASL teams do not have salary caps. The only restriction that clubs have is how many international players they can have on their roster. I believe that the limit is seven international players per roster however, they can be paid whatever clubs choose to pay them. In my opinion, this gives team's the flexibility to lure more international stars while at the same time, give clubs the flexibility to lure younger players at higher salaries that MLS clubs might not be able to afford.
NASL has only been around for only four years, you can say it is still in its infancy as far as exposure and growth goes. They struggle to get the TV and internet exposure when compared to MLS and as a result of this the NASL gets the unfortunate stigma of being called the second division.
This is where the arguments starts to fly between United States soccer fans. In the United States there is no promotion/relegation as there is around the world. MLS has been considered the top flight because it has essentially given itself that title. I mean if you think about it, there hasn't really been any leagues to rival them for the better part of 20 years? But how do you have a top flight without promotion/relegation? Does it even make sense? Supporters of the NASL point to the US Open Cup which can be compared to the FA Cup in England where teams from not just the NASL but lower leagues as well get to play MLS sides.
On several occasions, NASL teams have beat and in some cases dominated MLS sides. The Cosmos beat the NY/NJ Red Bulls last year 3-0 and dominated that match as part of the US Open Cup. So how does MLS consider itself top flight if there are no chances for any other teams to move up to that league? It's an unfortunate flaw of US Soccer and one that I hope gets resolved soon because soccer is becoming very popular in the United States. Sorting out this debate can only help the sport grow in the US.
When did your love for the Cosmos begin and who is your all-time favorite player?
I actually was a fan of the club back in the late 70's and early 80's when players like Chinaglia, Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto where on the team. Of course I was a young kid back then but I remember my dad taking me to the matches.
I had a lot of memorabilia in my bedroom of the Cosmos. I had posters and pennants in my room - I even remember having a Pele lunch box that I would bring to school. But the Cosmos and their league folded in 1984. I was nine years old at the time and couldn't quite grasp why they folded but as a result, soccer essentially died in the US.
When Major League Soccer stated in the 1990's, I was old enough to realize that this was not the NY Cosmos. The crowds and the quality of play was not the NY Cosmos that I saw in the 1980's. I refuse to follow any MLS club as a result of that. Then in 2012 the Cosmos announced that they would come back in 2013.
I remember going to their first match in August 2013 against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. I took my oldest daughter to the match and I remember having to turn my head a couple of times because I didn't want her to see a couple of tears welling up in my eyes because the Cosmos were back!!
Since August 2013, supporting this club has been a passion of mine and thankfully enough I have met so many people here in New York that share my passion. I went from having almost no soccer fans to discuss the game with before the Cosmos came back, to having a large soccer family to not only watch every Cosmos match, but soccer all over the world. Of course we have formed the Five Points supporters section that is comprised of three supporters groups - The Cross Island Crew, The Borough Boys and La Banda Del Cosmos. You can read about life as a member of the Five Points on www.thefivepointspress.com
As for favorite players - I have so many! Growing up they were Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto & Roberto Cabanas. Today, I really enjoy watching Sebastian Guenzatti play. That kid is scrappy, plays hard and plays some nice soccer. After I watch Raul play however in 2015 - that might change my opinion a bit!
How have the Cosmos built a new generation of fans and how can they appeal more to overseas fans?
The Cosmos are on the right path to doing things the way they did back in the 1970's and 1980's. Honestly, the NASL is the perfect fit for them. They can build their club the way that they want to. They can travel internationally and build fans all over the world. You hardly ever see that from any MLS sides. Already you have seen them bring in international stars such as Raul. Mads Stokkelien is a young player that was playing in Norway's top flight and is now on the Cosmos.
Andres Flores is the captain of the El Salvador national team and now he plays on the Cosmos and of course, Marcos Senna was a star in La Liga for Villarreal and for the Spanish national team. In the United States the Cosmos are still on their way to building a fan base here. Without the exposure that MLS teams have on TV and in press, that will remain to be an uphill battle for the team.
But if they keep bringing stars like Raul, Senna and Flores, sooner or later the press will have no choice then to start covering the Cosmos and when they do, because I am telling you they will, myself and the rest of the Five Points will be there saying "Welcome to Cosmos Country - what the heck took you so long!!"
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Thank you! Pictures by Christopher KL Lau and JRP Borthwick
For more on the New York Cosmos, please check out their new home at Hinchliffe Stadium
You can follow Cesar Trelles on twitter at @cosmossoccerfan
© Chris Lau & Soccerphile.com