O New York Cosmos é um clube norte-americano fundado em 1970, famoso por ter contratado Pelé em 1975 e por conquistar cinco títulos da NASL entre 1972 e 1982.
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos was the symbol club of the former NASL, the North American league of the 1970s and 1980s. It became famous for hiring Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto Torres and for winning five league titles between 1972 and 1982.
History
The Cosmos was founded in 1970 and was maintained by Warner Communications, which invested in international stars to popularize soccer in the United States. The club was NASL champion in 1972, still without the big stars. In 1975 the club signed Pelé, then already retired from Brazilian fields, which transformed the team into a public and media phenomenon. Pelé played for Cosmos until 1977, ending his career in a friendly match between Cosmos and Santos, at Giants Stadium. With Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto Torres in the squad from 1977 onwards, the Cosmos won the league in 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1982. The NASL ended activities in 1984, and the club was discontinued shortly after. The Cosmos was reactivated in 2010 and returned to compete in the modern NASL, winning the Soccer Bowl in 2013, 2015 and 2016. The brand remains associated with the phase when soccer tried to win over the American public.