Pele’s soccer mission continues with the New York Cosmos.
The Brazilian soccer great played for the former NASL franchise more than 30 years ago to help grow the sport in the United States. Sunday, he annpounced the organization is joining with the Queens-based youth club BW Gottschee to try to do the same thing at the grassroots level during halftime of the Copa NYC soccer tournament final at Flushing Meadows Park.
“Now we are going to work with the base,” said Pele, who retired from the Cosmos in 1977. “All the new generations will be part of our family.”
The Cosmos, whose ultimate goal is to bring a MLS team to New York City, along with Gottschee will field teams from U12-U18 in the US Soccer Development Academy under the Cosmos Academy Banner. The Cosmos have also acquired the Copa NYC tournament, which was won by NYC Poland, 5-3, on penalty kicks over NYC Jamaica after the score was tied at 3-3 after 120 minutes of soccer.
In a green Cosmos jacket, Pele walked to midfield threw a throng of Gottschee players wearing Cosmos t-shirts to announce the Cosmos are back. The Gottschee organization, which has been around for 60 years, believes the two soccer clubs joining forces is a step forward for soccer in New York City and a perfect marriage between too established names.
“You are talking about a truly profession organization with its expertise and organizational capabilities teaming up with a youth soccer organization that has a long history of developing high quality players, but at an amateur level,” Gottschee Youth Coordinator Timon Kalpaxis said. “Now you are talking about taking that a step higher into a professional endeavor.”
The Cosmos, which collapsed in 1984, have slowly begun to see a revival under new president Paul Kemsley, a failed property Tycoon. Back in the 1970’s the team used to play games in front of packed houses at Giants Stadium with stars like Pele and Carlos Alberto, who was also on hand in Flushing. Pele, who led Brazil to three Wold Cup titles, remembered playing his first game for the team on a soccer field that was also used for baseball on Randalls Island. Now the organization is trying to create a new legacy.
“The second generation, the third generation,” Pele said. “We are going to work and give the support to them.”
