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The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
The Cosmos return – with a new home, new league and old ideals
There's a new New York Cosmos in town – in the town of Paterson, New Jersey, to be precise. One of the most storied names in American soccer has hit the reset button, finding a new league, a new city and a refreshed, community-first approach. While many high-profile new teams in US sports are parachuted in at the top of their league's hierarchy, this Cosmos revival feels different – some of that by design, some by necessity. Thursday's announcement at the newly restored Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson offered longtime fans and curious onlookers a glimpse into this fresh direction, and the reasons behind it. The message was clear in the location alone: nestled above the Great Falls of the Passaic River, embedded in a National Historical Park. It's echoed in the club's starting point – USL League One, the third and lowest tier of professional soccer in the US – a more stable launchpad from which to build organically. And perhaps most significantly, this iteration of the Cosmos finally has a home stadium to call its own – characterful, scenic, historic – something previous, more nomadic versions never had. Two major themes run parallel through this reboot. The first is rooted in Paterson itself: a proudly local but cosmopolitan city, where the new Cosmos aim to foster grassroots involvement not just in soccer but in a wide range of activities. The second is the name. Despite years of dormancy and false starts, the New York Cosmos remain one of the most recognisable brands in American soccer. Its association with Pelé helped cement that global profile, and further star power – Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto – ensured it endured. But this version wants to be more than a brand; it aims to be a club in the truest sense, something still rare in the franchise-heavy landscape of American sports. The plan includes a professional women's team and space for other sports and community activities, from rugby and cricket to dance and chess. Like traditional sporting institutions around the world – the Clube de Regatas of Brazil or European multisport clubs – the new Cosmos will not be just a soccer team. 'This is the perfect community for it,' Cosmos CEO Erik Stover tells 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.' The team will retain the official name New York Cosmos, but with its identity deeply rooted in Paterson, it will often be referred to simply as the Cosmos. 'The aim is community first,' says Stover. 'To build sustainably, to invest in local people – whether that's players or front office – and to grow slowly and deliberately.' Finding a home stadium in the New York metropolitan area is no easy feat – which is why so many 'New York' teams, including the Red Bulls and both NFL franchises, play across the Hudson in New Jersey. For the Cosmos, Hinchliffe isn't just a home – it's central to the club's revival. New majority owner and chairperson Baye Adofo-Wilson, a Paterson native who led the stadium's redevelopment, spoke of creating pathways to the professional game at a time when soccer has become increasingly pay-to-play. 'More superstars are going to come out of Paterson, Passaic County, North Jersey, who will lead future generations,' he said at the unveiling. 'We want people to be able to afford this. When I was growing up, a lot of these sports were free – but they no longer are. 'Often kids don't have access. What we really want to do is make sure we have a club that's affordable for kids, but also exciting and dynamic – reflective of the diversity of North Jersey. A lot of people are running away from diversity at this point. We're going to run toward it.' There may not yet be stars on the field, but there is one in the front office: Giuseppe Rossi, the former Italy international and North Jersey native, is both investing in the club and serving as Head of Soccer. 'He's lived it,' says Stover. 'If he didn't have that Italian passport that let him go to Europe at 12 – and he was stuck in Clifton, New Jersey, dealing with pay-to-play – who knows? Maybe he doesn't make it to Villarreal, Fiorentina, the Azzurri. 'He understands those challenges better than anyone. He can talk to kids on their level, because he's walked the same path. He made it to the top – and he knows what it takes.' For Cosmos fans, there's optimism – even if the team is starting from the bottom. It may be a far cry from the glitzy NASL days of packed stadiums and marquee names, but with the USL planning a promotion and relegation system and a new Division I to run alongside MLS, there's a realistic path for the Cosmos to climb. 'It's not an accident the Cosmos are entering USL now,' says Stover. 'Fifteen years ago, the soccer landscape in this country was very different. Now, USL is working on promotion and relegation – and where that ends up, who knows? 'But what matters is that a club like ours has a path to grow, to compete, to win championships – like we did three times in five years in NASL. 'I've been around the world and spoken to so many sports executives, and I think one big reason soccer in the US isn't where it could be is that we've locked so many communities out of the game. We need to make it more inclusive.' Whatever the future holds, fans were simply glad to have their team back. Even after years of inactivity, many never stopped believing. A handful were there at Thursday's announcement, exchanging emotional glances across the room at the Charles J Muth Museum at Hinchliffe Stadium, as New Jersey governor Phil Murphy made it official. The Cosmos are back. And while they may look different this time, their spirit remains unmistakable.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Cosmos return – with a new home, new league and old ideals
There's a new New York Cosmos in town – in the town of Paterson, New Jersey, to be precise. One of the most storied names in American soccer has hit the reset button, finding a new league, a new city and a refreshed, community-first approach. While many high-profile new teams in US sports are parachuted in at the top of their league's hierarchy, this Cosmos revival feels different – some of that by design, some by necessity. Thursday's announcement at the newly restored Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson offered longtime fans and curious onlookers a glimpse into this fresh direction, and the reasons behind it. Advertisement The message was clear in the location alone: nestled above the Great Falls of the Passaic River, embedded in a National Historical Park. It's echoed in the club's starting point – USL League One, the third and lowest tier of professional soccer in the US – a more stable launchpad from which to build organically. And perhaps most significantly, this iteration of the Cosmos finally has a home stadium to call its own – characterful, scenic, historic – something previous, more nomadic versions never had. Two major themes run parallel through this reboot. The first is rooted in Paterson itself: a proudly local but cosmopolitan city, where the new Cosmos aim to foster grassroots involvement not just in soccer but in a wide range of activities. The second is the name. Despite years of dormancy and false starts, the New York Cosmos remain one of the most recognisable brands in American soccer. Its association with Pelé helped cement that global profile, and further star power – Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto – ensured it endured. But this version wants to be more than a brand; it aims to be a club in the truest sense, something still rare in the franchise-heavy landscape of American sports. The plan includes a professional women's team and space for other sports and community activities, from rugby and cricket to dance and chess. Like traditional sporting institutions around the world – the Clube de Regatas of Brazil or European multisport clubs – the new Cosmos will not be just a soccer team. Advertisement 'This is the perfect community for it,' Cosmos CEO Erik Stover tells 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.' The team will retain the official name New York Cosmos, but with its identity deeply rooted in Paterson, it will often be referred to simply as the Cosmos. Advertisement 'The aim is community first,' says Stover. 'To build sustainably, to invest in local people – whether that's players or front office – and to grow slowly and deliberately.' Finding a home stadium in the New York metropolitan area is no easy feat – which is why so many 'New York' teams, including the Red Bulls and both NFL franchises, play across the Hudson in New Jersey. For the Cosmos, Hinchliffe isn't just a home – it's central to the club's revival. New majority owner and chairperson Baye Adofo-Wilson, a Paterson native who led the stadium's redevelopment, spoke of creating pathways to the professional game at a time when soccer has become increasingly pay-to-play. 'More superstars are going to come out of Paterson, Passaic County, North Jersey, who will lead future generations,' he said at the unveiling. 'We want people to be able to afford this. When I was growing up, a lot of these sports were free – but they no longer are. Advertisement 'Often kids don't have access. What we really want to do is make sure we have a club that's affordable for kids, but also exciting and dynamic – reflective of the diversity of North Jersey. A lot of people are running away from diversity at this point. We're going to run toward it.' There may not yet be stars on the field, but there is one in the front office: Giuseppe Rossi, the former Italy international and North Jersey native, is both investing in the club and serving as Head of Soccer. 'He's lived it,' says Stover. 'If he didn't have that Italian passport that let him go to Europe at 12 – and he was stuck in Clifton, New Jersey, dealing with pay-to-play – who knows? Maybe he doesn't make it to Villarreal, Fiorentina, the Azzurri. 'He understands those challenges better than anyone. He can talk to kids on their level, because he's walked the same path. He made it to the top – and he knows what it takes.' Advertisement For Cosmos fans, there's optimism – even if the team is starting from the bottom. It may be a far cry from the glitzy NASL days of packed stadiums and marquee names, but with the USL planning a promotion and relegation system and a new Division I to run alongside MLS, there's a realistic path for the Cosmos to climb. 'It's not an accident the Cosmos are entering USL now,' says Stover. 'Fifteen years ago, the soccer landscape in this country was very different. Now, USL is working on promotion and relegation – and where that ends up, who knows? 'But what matters is that a club like ours has a path to grow, to compete, to win championships – like we did three times in five years in NASL. 'I've been around the world and spoken to so many sports executives, and I think one big reason soccer in the US isn't where it could be is that we've locked so many communities out of the game. We need to make it more inclusive.' Advertisement Whatever the future holds, fans were simply glad to have their team back. Even after years of inactivity, many never stopped believing. A handful were there at Thursday's announcement, exchanging emotional glances across the room at the Charles J Muth Museum at Hinchliffe Stadium, as New Jersey governor Phil Murphy made it official. The Cosmos are back. And while they may look different this time, their spirit remains unmistakable.
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
The Cosmos return – with a new home, new league and old ideals
There's a new New York Cosmos in town – in the town of Paterson, New Jersey, to be precise. One of the most storied names in American soccer has hit the reset button, finding a new league, a new city and a refreshed, community-first approach. While many high-profile new teams in US sports are parachuted in at the top of their league's hierarchy, this Cosmos revival feels different – some of that by design, some by necessity. Thursday's announcement at the newly restored Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson offered longtime fans and curious onlookers a glimpse into this fresh direction, and the reasons behind it. The message was clear in the location alone: nestled above the Great Falls of the Passaic River, embedded in a National Historical Park. It's echoed in the club's starting point – USL League One, the third and lowest tier of professional soccer in the US – a more stable launchpad from which to build organically. And perhaps most significantly, this iteration of the Cosmos finally has a home stadium to call its own – characterful, scenic, historic – something previous, more nomadic versions never had. Two major themes run parallel through this reboot. The first is rooted in Paterson itself: a proudly local but cosmopolitan city, where the new Cosmos aim to foster grassroots involvement not just in soccer but in a wide range of activities. The second is the name. Despite years of dormancy and false starts, the New York Cosmos remain one of the most recognisable brands in American soccer. Its association with Pelé helped cement that global profile, and further star power – Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto – ensured it endured. But this version wants to be more than a brand; it aims to be a club in the truest sense, something still rare in the franchise-heavy landscape of American sports. The plan includes a professional women's team and space for other sports and community activities, from rugby and cricket to dance and chess. Like traditional sporting institutions around the world – the Clube de Regatas of Brazil or European multisport clubs – the new Cosmos will not be just a soccer team. 'This is the perfect community for it,' Cosmos CEO Erik Stover tells 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.' The team will retain the official name New York Cosmos, but with its identity deeply rooted in Paterson, it will often be referred to simply as the Cosmos. 'The aim is community first,' says Stover. 'To build sustainably, to invest in local people – whether that's players or front office – and to grow slowly and deliberately.' Finding a home stadium in the New York metropolitan area is no easy feat – which is why so many 'New York' teams, including the Red Bulls and both NFL franchises, play across the Hudson in New Jersey. For the Cosmos, Hinchliffe isn't just a home – it's central to the club's revival. New majority owner and chairperson Baye Adofo-Wilson, a Paterson native who led the stadium's redevelopment, spoke of creating pathways to the professional game at a time when soccer has become increasingly pay-to-play. 'More superstars are going to come out of Paterson, Passaic County, North Jersey, who will lead future generations,' he said at the unveiling. 'We want people to be able to afford this. When I was growing up, a lot of these sports were free – but they no longer are. 'Often kids don't have access. What we really want to do is make sure we have a club that's affordable for kids, but also exciting and dynamic – reflective of the diversity of North Jersey. A lot of people are running away from diversity at this point. We're going to run toward it.' There may not yet be stars on the field, but there is one in the front office: Giuseppe Rossi, the former Italy international and North Jersey native, is both investing in the club and serving as Head of Soccer. 'He's lived it,' says Stover. 'If he didn't have that Italian passport that let him go to Europe at 12 – and he was stuck in Clifton, New Jersey, dealing with pay-to-play – who knows? Maybe he doesn't make it to Villarreal, Fiorentina, the Azzurri. 'He understands those challenges better than anyone. He can talk to kids on their level, because he's walked the same path. He made it to the top – and he knows what it takes.' For Cosmos fans, there's optimism – even if the team is starting from the bottom. It may be a far cry from the glitzy NASL days of packed stadiums and marquee names, but with the USL planning a promotion and relegation system and a new Division I to run alongside MLS, there's a realistic path for the Cosmos to climb. 'It's not an accident the Cosmos are entering USL now,' says Stover. 'Fifteen years ago, the soccer landscape in this country was very different. Now, USL is working on promotion and relegation – and where that ends up, who knows? 'But what matters is that a club like ours has a path to grow, to compete, to win championships – like we did three times in five years in NASL. 'I've been around the world and spoken to so many sports executives, and I think one big reason soccer in the US isn't where it could be is that we've locked so many communities out of the game. We need to make it more inclusive.' Whatever the future holds, fans were simply glad to have their team back. Even after years of inactivity, many never stopped believing. A handful were there at Thursday's announcement, exchanging emotional glances across the room at the Charles J Muth Museum at Hinchliffe Stadium, as New Jersey governor Phil Murphy made it official. The Cosmos are back. And while they may look different this time, their spirit remains unmistakable.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ex-Canary Forbes finds winning way with US start-up side
How do you start a professional football team from nothing? For at least some of the answers to that question, try contacting former Norwich, Luton and Swansea midfielder Adrian Forbes at his base in was just over a year ago that the 46-year-old left a coaching job at Luton's academy to become sporting director of a start-up club in the USA with no having agreed to double up responsibilities as head coach, he has a 'roster' of players at Texoma FC - and they have started to win a few games as well after, as he puts it, "stinking up the league a little bit" at the start of their first assembled a multi-national squad for their first USL League One campaign with players from Poland, South Africa, Ghana, Gambia, Canada, as well as the US, along with two from England - Luke McCormick and Teddy Baker, who began in the academies at Nottingham Forest and taking 13 points from the last 15, they are currently eighth in the 14-team league, although Texoma FC is quite a sober name alongside the likes of Spokane Velocity, Charlotte Independence, Greenville Triumph and Portland Hearts Of Pine. Owners kept faith in 'sticky spell' Club president Ben Watson and chief executive Simon Keizer are the men chiefly responsible for tempting Forbes to the 6,500-capacity Historic Bearcat Stadium in Sherman, north Texas, just 11 miles south of the birthplace of former US president Dwight D made contact with him via the LinkedIn website and Forbes took the momentous decision to start a new life with his wife Shelley, who also plays an active role at the club, and family on the other side of the Forbes - who also played for Blackpool, Millwall and Grimsby - is grateful to the five-man ownership group for keeping faith in him after the initial disappointment of poor results."When we had that sticky spell, it would have been quite easy for them to go 'well, we haven't won in five games, it's time to make a change', and I couldn't have blamed them if they'd done that, but they stuck by me and the work I was doing and now hopefully they see the fruit that's been grown off the back of it," he told BBC Radio Norfolk."A massive thank you to them and I hope I can be part of bringing them a lot of success over the next one, two, three, four, five, 10 years, however long it will be, because I absolutely love it." He continued: "We are all gearing up to make this team as successful as it can be. Our first key aim is to get promoted from USL League One into the USL Championship." 'Better the person, better the player' Extreme heat and 30-minute time-outs during games if there is lightning in the area - "They certainly don't teach you (about) that on the coaching qualification" - are all factors to be taken into the account by what was he looking to do when he began putting his squad together?"Developing players who can go on to be the best form of themselves," he said."Having the right people in the building first and foremost - the better the person, the better the player - and I feel we've done that."If we can keep the same attitude, same work ethic that we've shown the last two months, then it can be a successful season."I think we lost the first five and we conceded 14 goals and now we find ourselves four points off third in the table, but the season doesn't finish till October, so there is still a lot of work to do but certainly Texoma are going in the right direction." Am I wearing the right hat? Forbes' dual roles means he has to switch between them several times a day, and living in the same residential complex as his players, he and his wife also cook meals for them as a hectic life, which can also mean 20-hour road trips to matches."We'll be up around half five sorting out the breakfast. Then she'll make sure she's got everything so she can do their protein shakes for after training."I've got two hats - but she wears half of one of them quite often. It's important for me to say because she is my rock at the moment and allows me to be able to do both roles," he said."It is sporting director at first sign-in, then you get to training, you put your head coach hat on. Once that's finished, you put your sporting director's hat on again because there's something from a technical side that might need taking care of."Then you might have to put your head coach hat on again because you've got to do your weekly broadcast call for ESPN or CBS before your game at the weekend, or local media." Professional football was first played in the United States in 1921 but despite Major League Soccer and the involvement of high-profile figures like Sir David Beckham and Lionel Messi, its profile and popularity still lags behind the NFL and though, believes hosting the current Club World Cup and the expanded World Cup in 2026 will help attract more followers to the game."The game is growing over here and it's growing at a really quick rate. I can totally see why now is a good time to hold the World Cup here," he the meantime, he is looking to forge links with clubs in England which could lead to younger players being given the opportunity to continue their development over in the US."That is something that 100% I want to do over a period of time," he said."There is a real big opportunity for young English-based players to come over here and get minutes in a league I feel they would thrive in and there is a real call for it over here as well."I've got several ideas, whether it is player exchanges, coach exchanges - if you look at Norwich or Luton as an example in my experiences with both their academies, I genuinely feel there could be a real help for coaches over here."Now, though, it is time to focus on Texoma's next fixture at home to Phoenix Rising on added: "As I sit here now, we've got the best form in the league, so long may that continue."
Axios
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Dallas gets another professional soccer team
The Dallas-area sports scene is getting even bigger with another men's professional soccer team. Why it matters: Atlético Dallas will be part of the United Soccer League, which is adding a division to create a promotion and relegation structure, similar to ones common outside the U.S., like in England's Premier League. The Division One league launches in 2027-28 to rival Major League Soccer. Context: USL already has two divisions: USL Championship (second division) and USL League One (third Division). Dallas will play in the USL Championship division. The latest: The club unveiled their logo and team colors this month. The logo features a Mexican gray wolf and a rattlesnake. The team colors are Texas topaz, blackland crude, silver ore and white. Zoom in: FC Dallas, an MLS team, was founded in 1995 as the Dallas Burn. The launch came a year after the Cotton Bowl hosted six games for the 1994 World Cup. Dallas Trinity FC, a USL Super League women's team, is in their inaugural season at the Cotton Bowl.
