14 August 1977 - They Were Masters Of Time And Space

On 14 August 1977, the New York Cosmos set a couple of records when they routed the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 8-3 in the NASL playoffs.

The Strikers had just finished their first season in the league and did so with the best record, winning 19 games and losing only 7. That earned them a first-round bye in the post-season tournament and took them straight into the division championship. There, they met the Cosmos, who had played and beaten Fort Lauderdale twice during the regular season, both times by the score of 3-0.

New York hosted the first leg at Giants Stadium, where a record NASL crowd of 77,691 turned out for the occasion. They were rewarded by a dominant performance from the home side. Led by their star quartet of Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, and Giorgio Chinaglia, the Cosmos rolled to a 4-1 lead at the break with goals from Steve Hunt (2), Beckenbauer, and Chinaglia. (Maurice Whittle scored for Fort Lauderdale).

Early in the second half, Tony Field extended the lead to 5-1, then Chinaglia completed his hat-trick with two strikes in quick succession before the Striker's Norman Piper closed the gap. Gary Etherington added an eighth goal for New York, setting a record for the highest score by a team in the NASL playoffs, while Whittle's final score of the day set the 8-3 result.

The second leg was closer, with New York winning in a shootout before going on to win the final over the Seattle Sounders.

15 June 1975 - If He Can Make It There, He Can Make It Anywhere

On 15 June 1975, Pelé debuted for the New York Cosmos, scoring one goal and assisting another in a 2-2 draw with the Dallas Tornado.

The Brazilian superstar had just retired from Santos the previous year, ending his 19-year official tenure with the club that had been his only professional home (though he continued to play for them on an occasional basis). The move opened the door for the Cosmos, who had long been pursuing him in an attempt to raise interest in the eight-year old North American Soccer League, and finally tempted him with a three-year deal worth $2.8 million.

His debut came at New York's Randall Island ground, which was unprepared for the attention. When CBS announced that they would broadcast the game, the club spray-painted the dirt patches green so they would not show up on television. But Pelé delivered, scoring with an assist from Mordechai Shpigler, then returning the favor as Shpigler added a second to earn the 2-2 draw.

The Cosmos ended the season with a disappointing record of 10 wins and 12 losses and missed the playoffs, but eventually won the title (their second overall) in 1977, Pelé's last season.

1 August 2010 - A Second Big Bang For The Cosmos

On 1 August 2010, Pelé announced the return of the New York Cosmos after a 25-year hiatus, with the former star serving as the club's honorary president.

The earlier incarnation of the Cosmos existed from 1971 to 1985, during which time they captured a global audience through the signings of such high-profile international players as Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, and Giorgio Chinaglia alongside homegrown players like Werner Roth and Shep Messing. But the five-time NASL champions went dormant in 1985 after the implosion of the league.

Former general manager Peppe Pinton acquired ownership of the Cosmos, including the rights to the name, logo, and all club records. With the introduction of MLS in 1996, several groups sought to acquire the rights from Pinton, but he refused to sell, citing a belief that the new league would not respect the club's history. But  he eventually relented and sold the rights in 2009 to a group led by former Tottenham vice-chairman Paul Kemsley.

The new owners moved quickly to link themselves with the club's legacy by appointing Pelé as the honorary president and expressed their intent to play in MLS. They soon added Chinaglia as the club's global ambassador and appointed former Manchester United star Eric Cantona as the team's director of soccer. They held their first match on 5 August 2011, playing against Manchester United in a friendly.

Despite the ambitious relaunch, the Cosmos were unable to secure an MLS spot. In July 2012, they announced that they would compete in the North American Soccer League starting in 2013, but still intend to press for entry into MLS.

7 July 2006 - It Was A Very Short Lifetime

On 7 July 2006, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos premiered in New York City.

Directed by John Crowder and Paul Dower and narrated by Matt Dillon, the documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the Cosmos from their founding in 1971, through their heyday in the late '70s, to their collapse in 1984.

Although Pelé, the Cosmos's most famous player, declined any involvement in the film (reportedly because the filmmakers would not pay his requested fee of $100,000), the directors did interview several other people from the club's history, including founding owner Ahmet Ertegun and a long list of Cosmos players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Shep Messing, and Werner Roth. Together, they described the club's meteoric rise from NASL expansion team to a global brand, driven primarily by the signing of Pelé in 1975.


After Pelé's retirement in 1977, the Cosmos began to suffer financial pressures due to dwindling crowds and the loss of monetary backing by the former parent company, Warner Communications. As the league imploded, the Cosmos tried a season of indoor football, but could not remain afloat and folded in 1985. 


The film received favorable reviews from critics and fans, but has earned only a paltry $9,805 on its opening weekend, due in part to a limited release.

29 June 1958 - Brazil Starts A World Cup Collection

On 29 June 1958, Brazil won their first World Cup, beating hosts Sweden 5-2.

Both teams were looking to recover from disappointment four years earlier. After finishing as runners-up in 1950, Brazil exited the 1954 tournament in the first knockout round, while Sweden, the third-place finishers in 1950, failed even to qualify in 1954. In 1958, they both won their groups then advanced to the Final, Brazil with wins over Wales (1-0) and France (5-2) and Sweden with wins over the Soviet Union (2-0) and West Germany (3-1).

A crowd of 51,800 turned out to watch the Final, played at the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, while many millions more tuned in to the television broadcast. They were rewarded soon after the opening whistle with a fourth-minute goal from Swedish midfielder Nils Liedholm, but the hosts' lead did not last long. Just five minutes later, Brazilian midfielder Garrincha raced down the right wing and sent in a cross that was tapped home by forward Vavá. The pair connected again on a virtually identical goal in the 32nd minute to give Brazil a 2-1 lead at the break.

In the second half, Brazil resumed control, extending their lead to 4-1 with goals from Pelé (55') and Mario Zagallo (68'). Sweden striker Agne Simonsson pulled one back in the 80th minute, but Pelé added a final punctuation mark with a 90th-minute header.

That final was goal was Pelé's sixth of the tournament, tying him with West Germany's Helmut Rahn for second-most behind France's Just Fontaine (13). He was only 17 years and 249 days old at the time, which remains a record for the youngest player to appear in a World Cup Final. Brazil, meanwhile, have gone on to win a record haul of five World Cups, adding trophies in 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.