Happy Holidays

All, we are off for the Holidays. Enjoy the New Year and we will see you on the other side.

Garber fancies the Cosmos Name

Don Garber spoke a bit today with  ESPN's Soccer Today podcast and the topic of expansion and the Cosmos came up. Below are the quotes from Garber which you can listen to here. (27:40 it starts)

The hosts asked about the tactic of going after a stadium before an ownership group:

Garber

"There is no risk because we don’t have to expand whether it’s in new York or another market"

"We believe here in the league office that the league needs to have more energy in the New York market"

"We made the decision that the opportunity is important enough that we didn’t want to depend on an owner to drive the stadium independent of the leagues role to ensure that the stadium is in the right spot."

"It is very clear to us that we have to get it right in new York city and we have to invest significant financial and people resources to ensure that that happens."

Garber clearly is not in a rush to get the 20th team done but states that the league is really focused on NYC for that spot. 

The hosts then asked about the status of the Cosmos group

Garber:

"They are not ready to go because there isn’t a stadium opportunity for them or anyone else to get excited about."

"We remain in contact with the Cosmos, the new ownership group, I have a lot of faith in their new approach and their desire to focus much more on an MLS team, than just selling product and perhaps doing exhibitions. "

"I will say that more and more I am beginning to get caught up a bit in the Cosmos fever. While I don’t regret we didn’t purchase that logo when it was made available to us in 1996, I do believe now that there just seems to be a lot of momentum behind the relaunch of that brand and bringing back some of the excitement and appeal that the Cosmos were able to generate not just here in NY but around the world."

"I think if we are able to find an opportunity on the facility then we will be able to have a very fruitful conversation with them about coming into the league"

This is the first time in a long time that Garber admits to being taken by the power of the Cosmos brand. A more powerful sign that the Cosmos are a player in this whole thing is when Garber says that he recently had a meeting with a MAJOR sponsor and the first question they asked was "When are you bringing the Cosmos back?"

So Garber is for sure seeing the power of the Cosmos brand globally but also seems to be getting a bit of pressure from sponsors. 

It could be safe to say "If you build it, they will come".

Courtemanche still saying NY is focus for 20

Major League Soccer stated that New York City is still the focus of Major League Soccer despite today's Sacramento news.

“but we could expand beyond 20 teams at some point, however there are no specific plans right now for expansion beyond 20 teams. There are multiple markets from Detroit, to Miami, to Las Vegas, to Atlanta, and now, apparently, Sacramento. But our focus right now is on New York,”

Sacramento

The expansion candidate list keeps growing as Sacramento, California has thrown its hat into the ring. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, who sits on the board of soccer's national governing body, is leading this charge. One of his partners is local Attorney Dick Hyde, who admits that things are still very preliminary.

"I wouldn't characterize it as a long shot, but it's an endeavor that's in its infancy," said Hyde, who was part of a group that tried to bring the MLS to Sacramento a decade ago. "I think Elk Grove is probably a really good spot for soccer."

Until New York City is able to finalize a deal, you will see more and more cities pop up as candidates. While yes, Garber did hire full time staff to help finalize a stadium deal in NYC, there are no guarantees. 


Your thoughts on Sacramento? 

Terry Byrne officially out

Grant Wahl is reporting on twitter that Terry Byrne has left the New York Cosmos.

This is not a surprise to many as Terry's name was removed from the management page on nycosmos.com some time ago. It seems that Terry was staying behind to help facilitate the transition to the new ownership.

Hopefully the new management team will be announced soon.

Gio Speaks about the Cosmos and MLS

on Paris New York Tv

Take a looks, he says that the Cosmos are working with Garber to meet all the requirements to make the jump to MLS.

Click on Link to see Video.

NYC Kit-League Table (Winter Update)

It's been over 2 months since our last update of the NYC Kit-League but all the while I've been keeping track of every football logo I see around NYC. Lots of teams have dramatically moved in the table. Liverpool is a great example of a shirt I saw nothing of in the first two weeks of the competition and have since seen everywhere. Obviously as the days turn colder Big European Clubs that sell a lot Jackets and Coats have an advantage over the Mexican and South American clubs and I think we see that in the table. That said I've decided to lay off the analysis a bit and instead focus on some of the more interesting things I've seen around the city. So here they are...

CLUB AMERICA TATTOO: Seeing this on the Manhattan bound 7 train this caught me off guard as it isn't a Jersey or a Jacket, but I quickly decided that any tattoo incorporating a teams logo deserves the full three points in this table.

BALLINROBE TOWN AFC JERSEY: Likely the most obscure kit I've seen thus far, Ballingrobe Town AFC is an Irish club from County Mayo that plays in the Welcome Inn Premier Division of the Mayo League. For those of you that are counting thats level 5 in the Irish League Pyramid.

KANSAS CITY WIZ JERSEY: In my opinion the most wonderfully hideous jersey I have seen, so wonderfully hideous that I had to go find a picture the shirt.

I decided to separate the National Team Jerseys into their own table... so here are your, League 1, League 2 and the National Team tables...

National Team Kit-League

Orlando in Play?

A bit of expansion news from Major League Soccer as the owner of the Orlando City Soccer Club, Phil Rawlins, revealed that he is in discussions with Major League Soccer and that a Non Disclosure Agreement has been signed.

"They've been following us and they've been watching us," Rawlins said. "They were very complimentary and positive about what we were doing and the success we've had in the last season ... We've signed a non-disclosure agreement with them and we're looking at the business models. We're looking at what the numbers look like to bring MLS soccer to Central Florida."

"I can see us playing in either [a newly-renovated Citrus Bowl or a soccer-specific stadium]," Rawlins said. "The city and the county has $185 million set aside for the refurbishment of the Citrus Bowl and we're in talks with them about that. As long as that money is used wisely and well, then I can see us playing in a refurbished Citrus Bowl."

While Major League Soccer still seems completely focused on New York City for its 20th team, nothing can be ruled out. The league does want a presence in the South East and with the right owners and a possible stadium solution in place, this could really pick up some steam. 

Orlando City plays its home games in the Citris Bowl and drew over 11,000 fans to the USL Championship game, on the same night of a UCF football game. This solid local support, coupled with the millions of tourists that visit the area (many of whom come from soccer loving nations) could be a nice little recipe for success. 

Academy Paid

As you might have already heard, the New York Cosmos have made a payment to Gottschee to fulfill their August obligation to the Academy. While the payment was late, it must be seen as a positive development that the new owners honored this payment. A few weeks back the Cosmos ownership, through the Borough Boys, sent a message to the fans stating they would honor this obligation.

Today we received this statement from Gottschee about the payment.

As you may have heard, Blau Weiss Gottschee just recently received its past due 

(Aug 1, 2011) sponsorship payment from the new “New York Cosmos” owners, which constituted a significant portion of the Club’s expected funding for the fall 

season. While Gottschee is very gratified for the payment and cautiously 

optimistic regarding both the new Cosmos owners and that Gottschee will be able 

to resume the plans it had for its Academy and Club programs in the near future, 

a great deal of planning and work needs to be done to put things in order and to 

transition the Club back to a sound footing. Those decisions depend heavily upon 

the new Cosmos owners meeting further commitments for the upcoming winter and 

spring, due soon.

Thank you

BW Gottschee Board

Hopefully the Cosmos will pay their second installment of $250,000 due on January 1, 2012 to BW Gottschee and the fans can start focusing on a potential MLS team, which according to a Mike Lewis Report, is still the goal for the new Cosmos owners. 


For now we say "Thank You" to the new owners for making this payment and hope that soon the fans and owners can meet to discuss how to build a relationship that has recently been put to the test. 


For an interesting take on the whole thing, see Chris Dobens' piece at Totalfootblog.com.

I have also been informed by one of the parents that the fund raiser for Gottschee will go on as planned for Saturday night. We will post the details a little later. 

What lies ahead?

MLS Cup is here and the game itself should be fantastic. The Borough Boys will be having a viewing at Jack Demseys tonight. Come down and have fun with fellow MLS fans.

There has not been much news from the Cosmos this week but the new owners will be at MLS Cup to meet with Commissioner Garber. We hope to get their identity confirmed as rumors have Seamus O'Brien from World Sport Group as the new chair.

The new owners have made a statement to the fans they have the best of intentions for the future and that includes the highly controversial Gottschee situation. We have stated to the new owners, both through this site and the staff, that we do not doubt their intentions are true, but unfortunately, due to the negative events that have unfolded, we need action before we can be assured.

The fact that Don Garber has spoken positively of the new owners is surely a nice start and we hope for more positive developments from this group. The Cosmos brand has been drug through the mud the past few months, so the new owners do have a tough job ahead of them if they wish to redeem it.

Meanwhile, the MLS announced changes to its schedule for next season  and it discusses how some conference teams will play each other 3 times and then in 2013 the fixtures will reverse (meaning the team that hosts 2 of the 3 in 2012 will go on the road to that rival twice in 2013). I guess that means that they do not expect NYC in the league for 2013. Your thoughts?

Watch the MLS Cup tonight as it should be a great match!

Academy Update

New York Cosmos: The Children of BW Gottschee Comes First

 By: Cesar Diaz

“Please assure the coaches and parent of our players that I will return from London by Friday with an answer.” – Terry Byrne’s statement read by Cosmos Academy Director Giovanni Savarese on Monday, November 7, 2011 to the parents of the Players of BW Gottschee

On Sunday, November 13, we were informed by a BW Gottschee (BWG) representative that the New York Cosmos have yet to contact them after they were assured they would receive an answer by Friday, November 11, 2011 regarding the outstanding balance of $210K owed to them.

Last Monday, BW Gottschee filed a lawsuit against the New York Cosmos for violating their sponsorship agreement. Basically, it’s been over 100 days since the New York Cosmos failed to pay the sum of $210K owed to BW Gottschee.

While it’s easy to dehumanize a 60-year old program like BW Gottschee… one thing that will not be dehumanized are the families, the Cosmos Academy coaches, and BWG representatives who were present at last Monday’s meeting.

Last Monday’s meeting was also attended by Borough Boys President Nick Laveglia, Chris Dobens of TotalFootblog.com, and me as we were made aware of it during the weekend. Prior to Monday’s meeting, we tweeted that BWG has filed legal action against the Cosmos and had obtained the lawsuit document within hours.

With permission to attend last Monday’s meeting by a BWG representative, we witnessed BWG Youth Director of Coaching Paul McGlynn inform the families of the possibility of having to revert to a “pay to play” format because the New York Cosmos organization hadn’t met their contractual obligation.

Representing the New York Cosmos that evening was Cosmos Academy Director Giovanni Savarese who read a statement emailed to him from Interim Chairman Terry Byrne. It was pretty clear to everyone the difficult position Savarese was in as he addressed the families. Unfortunately for him, he played the role of the bearer of bad news.

State of the League - Expansion

Don Garber held his state of the league address today and as always the topic of expansion came up. Some quotes:

“The issue remains the soccer stadium,” Garber said. “We do believe we have two or three sites that are viable, and we’re going to continue to work as hard as we can to move this [forward] as fast as we can.”

Does this mean that in the next few months we will be seeing a lot of news about a potential soccer stadium? There is no secret that this is the biggest hurdle for getting a team and Garber later stated he wanted ensure that whichever ownership group is selected, that the stadium plans are moving along for them. 

Garber also stated that there are still many potential owners in and outside of New York for that 20th team. He does mention other cities but gave no indication that the focus has fallen from New York city. He also took the Wilpon family out of the equation.

Finally, Garber had a comment that was in favor of the new owners of the Cosmos. 

"I, for one, believe that the Cosmos are a great brand, and we like the ownership group that's taken over," Garber also added "If they're able to satisfy all the things that we have as ownership requirements, then I think they could be good prospects. Right now it is very focused on a stadium and less focused on ownership." 

Well, it was clear that Garber did not get on well with Paul Kemsley. One of the things the new Cosmos group will need to do is win over Garber and the 19 other league owners and this is a nice step towards that goal. 


It also is a boost  that Garber is more interested in the stadium than picking an owner, as it will give the new owners some time to right the ship and get things back to normal in Cosmos Country. 

The fact that Don Garber likes this group has to be seen as a positive sign that the new owners do in fact have the best of intentions. We can not jump to conclusions on the new owners and hope that Garber's stamp of approval is a good sign that the new group will fix what has been broken. 

Cosmos New Owners speak to fans

Yesterday, we received another call from the New York Cosmos who wanted to make another statement to the fans.

As we know, Terry Byrne met with the new owners of the Cosmos Wednesday to discuss moving forward. The message we got from the Cosmos was that the meeting was positive and the new owners wanted the fans to know that they have the best of intentions for the New York Cosmos.

This ends their message. (We state this to not confuse anyone as the next portion is our statement)




Now, we have thought about ways to reply to the new owners and we decided that the best way to do so is in public.

For the past year, The Borough Boys stood by the Cosmos when many doubted the capability and/or good intentions of Kemsley & Co.  We got behind them because they were the first potential investor group to go public and state that their intention to join MLS.  We didn’t just take them at their word.  In extensive meetings, and our own investigations, it seemed that indeed, these guys were serious.  If this all falls apart, as seems quite possible, let us be the first to come forward, we were wrong. Now all we can do is the best we can to at least fix the Academy mess.

To the NEW OWNERS (rumors have you being Sela Sport but whoever you are):

We thank you for taking the time to address the fans but our stance can only be actions speak louder than words. We are not stating that you don’t have the best intentions but we are saying that we have heard this before.

Clearly there are some items of business you need to address, but in order to win back the fans and the local community the first step is to address the academy situation.  Somebody must step forward with a $210,000* check for BW Gottschee immediately.  You assumed the debt, it is your legal responsibility to pay the obligation.  It is the moral responsibility of the old owners, the new owners, and all the honorary “Cosmos” – Pele, Cantona, Messing and Alberto to make this right.  You gloried in the Cosmos name, now take some responsibility for it!

And yes, this is OUR business.  Unlike those who signed the agreement, we are New Yorkers and local New York children are being told unless their parents can pay thousands of dollars, they need to take a walk because of an unfulfilled promise.  Not to mention, if you can’t handle the orderly operation of a youth academy, why would anyone, including the league, believe that you can handle a division 1 professional team in the United States?

Once that is cleared up, we suggest a meeting between you guys and the fans. Talk to us, share your thoughts and visions with us, let us give you feedback. This will not exactly make things fine and dandy but this will be a start. (Just to set expectations, things will ONLY be 100% if and when you guys get announced to Major League Soccer.)

We are fans. We are going to be mad, we are going to complain, but if all works out, we are going to be season ticket holders.  We are going to engage our fertile soccer community with you as the centerpiece.  But first, fix the academy issue and do it ASAP.  The notifications are already out to these working class kids:  “No pay, no play”.  Make this right and then let’s meet and discuss how we can work to put the relationship on better footing.

We would also like to state that none of our anger is directed towards the staff, past or present.  We fully understand that they are in an almost impossible position, and we have always appreciated their professionalism in their dealings with us.

*EDITOR NOTE - UPDATE

The actual lawsuit from BW Gottschee is for $460,000. This is for the outstanding August payment, facility fee as well as the upcoming payment which is due in 50 Days. This is all public records.

Statement from Cosmos

Today a representative from the Cosmos front office reached out to Nick Laveglia, the Borough Boys president, to follow up on the recent news surrounding the Cosmos Academy.

During that call the Cosmos assured The Borough Boys that the goals of the organization remain the same – entry into MLS -- even under the new ownership. The transitional phase to the new ownership has taken longer than expected.

As you may know by now, the Cosmos have only partially paid its contractual obligations to BW Gottschee, which has caused the Academy serious financial hardship.  However, the Cosmos assured us that the Academy is a TOP priority and said that the situation with BW Gottschee would be rectified.

Laveglia took the opportunity to explain the fans frustrations over the past few months.  They understood, and repeated that the goal was entry into the MLS.  We certainly appreciated the outreach, and hope that the actions follow the encouraging words.

Statement from BW Gottschee

BW GOTTSCHEE FORCED TO GO IT ALONE

In 2010, Blau Weiss Gottschee entered into a sponsorship agreement with
the New York Cosmos. The terms of the agreement gave the New York
Cosmos the right to call the Blau Weiss Gottschee Development Academy
teams, "New York Cosmos Academy". In return, Blau Weiss Gottschee
received funds to facilitate free play and travel for all Academy
players. Funding is required per year, paid semi-annually (August and
January), and the first year's payments were delivered, generally, as
promised.

This season, 2011-2012, required funding for the Academy teams, 50% due
in August given the substantial up front costs and commitments for such a serious program, 
has yet to arrive, putting Blau Weiss Gottschee under extreme financial stress and severely impacting the club's operation. Assurances have been given by the Cosmos but to date no
money has arrived. As an unfortunate result, Blau Weiss Gottschee has
been forced to engage legal assistance and filed suit to ensure
compliance with the contractual terms of the agreement with the New York Cosmos.

In the meantime, Blau Weiss Gottschee's commitment to its players,
teams, community, and sport has not wavered. Unfortunately, Gottschee
will not be able to continue to provide free play in the immediate
term, but it will  continue to do what it has done for the past sixty
years; provide the highest quality soccer program possible, holding
true to its ideals of dedication, commitment, and integrity.

We will continue to keep fans posted as this situation develops. 

Academy Update

BW Gottschee has filed legal actions towards the New York Cosmos due to non fulfillment of contractual obligations.

Gottschee had a meeting tonight where they informed parents that at any time they could be going back to a pay to play system, as they have not been paid per their agreement.

Chris Dobens of Total Footblog.com, Cesar Diaz of LatinoSport.com and the Borough Boys president attended BW Gottschee's meeting tonight regarding the lawsuit they filed against the Cosmos.

There was a representative of the Cosmos present and he read a statement from Interim General Manager Terry Byrne stating that the Academy is the number one priority to them and they plan on honoring the contract negotiations. Following the meeting, we spoke with Paul McGlynn and a Cosmos representative about the situation.

Changes in the front office have halted things on the Cosmos side and the Academy is preparing for potentially having to alter its financing. Fans are already on the Cosmos Facebook page lashing out frustrations but there might be more news coming in the next week or so about this topic, and the hope is that it all gets rectified. 

It seems the NEW Cosmos ownership is planning on honoring this obligation so we must wait and see that they pay the funds. We will keep you posted as we learn more. 

For those who are unaware, BW Gottschee is a historic local club that has been around since 1951 and has been a force in local soccer. Please read about the clubs history on their website: http://www.bwgottschee.org/ClubHistory/index_E.html

What of the Copa?

With the internal changes taking place within the New York Cosmos, most fans understandably wish to know how this affects your organization's progress in becoming a MLS team. For supporters, this is the most important question that want answered as immediately as possible.

By no means am I suggesting that supporters jump ship. However the reality is, we as your potential season ticket holders are no longer interested with the marketing fluff that was previously fed to us.  While it was initially fun and amusing, we are no longer interested. The only thing we at this stage is a MLS Club.

If your goal is be part of Major League Soccer, than start playing the role by covering MLS and the local NYC Scene. You have a recognizable website with the social media accounts and we want content. We understand the online store but at the end of the day, readers want to read something related to American Soccer. From your discussions with Major League Soccer, I am sure that MLS Commissioner Don Garber is able to grant you Media Credentials.

With all do respect, your organization set the bar and has failed to achieve it... end of story. Don't blame us for being upset. We listened, we defended, and we invested in merchandise. As supporters, we have no reservation in being patient but loyalty is a two-way street and the lack of communication to us has been disrespectful.

Had you simply generated a Press Release admitting that things haven't ran as smoothly as expected, we would have been understanding and who knows, even more sympathetic in your plight. Despite our frustrations, we are impressed with two elements of your organization.

They are the Cosmos Academy and the Cosmos Copa.

For the time being, we're going to focus on the Cosmos Copa. We hope that the new ownership of the Cosmos realize the importance of this tournament. Not only for the possibility of finding some talent (MLS scouts were at last years edition) but for what it actually does for New York.

Our world isn t filled with the prejudices that once were, however, that does not mean we should stray away from bringing people together.

While the Cosmos Copa has clearly offered some fantastic soccer, it also brought together people from various communities and more importantly, various cultures.

This is something that needs to continue because in a city as diverse as New York, the variety needs to interact and what better way to get them together, than to celebrate the game of soccer.

In the past, our site has praised the efforts of Chris Noble and Spencer Dormitzer before, and we will continue to do so. The fact that 5 Points Press volunteered hours of their personal time in not only covering the Cosmos Copa but meeting with the clubs while creating a Special Edition issue clearly demonstrates the respect we have for not only Chris and Spencer but also for the tournament itself.

The Cosmos Copa is a unique spectacle that can't be pulled off in many cities around the world, but you can in New York. Let s hope the new owners of the Cosmos recognize that and continue this tradition. Not only will it be good for the Cosmos as an organization, but it will be good for New York.

We maybe upset with you right now but we anticipate that it ll be an issue of the past once we actually see some progress. You know where we stand and the it's up to you to decide how you re going to honor our loyalty.

We know that you can not provide us with an MLS team next summer, but you can provide us with the 3rd installment of the Cosmos Copa.

Cosmos Statement

From their website

http://nycosmos.com/news/management-update-new-york-cosmos

November 2, 2011 (New York, NY) - There has been a buyout at The New York Cosmos and management changes have taken place in various areas of our organization. This also results in a full restructure of both our business and staffing, which will continue to be assessed by the new leadership team that is expected to be appointed within the next 60 days. It is unequivocally the goal of the current ownership to become an MLS team in the most expedient manner possible, and decisions for the club will be made with this in mind.




The goal remains MLS, and they want it fast. Lets see how they action that. 

Changes confirmed

The rumored changes at the top of the New York Cosmos group were confirmed today by Mike Lewis

About a month ago, Jack Bell tweeted that Paul Kemsley was being bought out but there was no news since that information.

Mike Lewis spoke to Joe Fraga and he states that while there will be changes at the top, operations will remain the same at the aspiring club.

There will be those that feel that this is good news because of the uncertainty around Paul Kemsley's character. Would he have fit in well with the other owners in the league? It is to soon to say if this is good or bad as just don't know anything about the new ownership group or their resources.

Yesterday Paul Gardner put out an opinion piece which revealed that there was a falling out between the Saudi backers and Kemsley due to his questionable business decisions.

So the Cosmos are moving on from Paul Kemsley and so must the fans. It seems that the transition is still in progress but as soon as its complete, the pressure will be on the Cosmos to show that they once again are players in the expansion race. Don Garber mentioned that they had some ownership issues that they needed to sort out and they are sorting them out. Is it enough though?

ADDED
The New York Cosmos also released this http://nycosmos.com/news/paul-kemsley-steps-down-chairmanceo-new-york-cosmos-0

Fans still waiting for more answers

In response to Don Garber's recent comments that the Cosmos no longer in the mix for the MLS NYC franchise, the Cosmos Front office released a statement saying that they are "willing to work with other investors."

While it was nice to hear something out of the Cosmos camp, fans still have a lot of questions and concerns that this statement did not answer.

Many are dying to know what is going on internally at the Cosmos as there is still that rumor lingering that Paul Kemsley has sold out to foreign investors.

We understand that the Cosmos are a private organization and changes at the top do not need to be announced in public. However, the fact remains that they are aspiring to be a professional sports organization, they should be behooved to act like one. Like any professional franchise, fans want to know what is going on with the team they have emotionally and financially invested in.

Take a glance at the Cosmos Facebook page, you will see fans expressing their anger. Some have expressed thos in a mild manner while others in a more colorful tone. From a financial standpoint, many of these fans ran out in the past year and spent their hard earned money on gear for the team that promised top flight by 2013. Now, with that date looking less likely, fans are asking for updates and sadly not getting a response.

However, this is not time to jump off the Cosmos bridge. If we've learned anything from past expansion history is there will be more twists in this story before the final chapter is written. In the meantime, fans have every right to question. They question out of anger, out of frustration but most of all, question out of passion.

At this point, there's no reason to point our fingers solely at the Cosmos as Don Garber is not really being open and honest with fans as well. He speaks of mysterious investors who refuse to be mentioned at this time.

Who's to say that Garber is using the fans emotions to get leverage from expansion groups such as the Cosmos. Also, are the Wilpon's still going to be somehow involved in this?

Perhaps all these big decision makers should be reminded of words from the great European Cup winning Celtic coach Jock Stein "Football without fans is nothing".

Cosmos have issues

Tonight during the USA - Ecuador friendly in Harrison, New Jersey, Don Garber opened up a little more about the New York City expansion team.

"As for the league’s 20th franchise, it is becoming more and more obvious that New York remains his top choice. He mentioned that he was entertaining three potential ownership groups during the U.S. match and stressed once again that the stadium is the most important step towards making it a reality. "

“We’re making progress and the city has been supportive,” he said. “If we can build the stadium, we will have the 20th team in New York City.” 

Clearly getting a stadium built is the biggest challenge and tonight Garber even spoke about Randalls Island as a potential location As previously stated on this site, Randalls Island would be a great location with the skyline as a backdrop, but would be a disaster in terms of traffic and getting to the venue. 


Garber hosted three potential investors in his box and none of them were from the Cosmos group. When will their identities be revealed? 


As for the Cosmos, Garber hinted that there are some ownership issues that the Cosmos have to sort out before the league considers them as a potential owner. 

They’ve got some things that they’ve got to work out in their ownership group. As I’ve said before, they’ve done a great job of building their brand and when we’re ready to get that team launched if they want to be a part of that, we’d be happy to talk with them.”

So what is your take? Are the Cosmos falling apart? Is Garber trying to keep the pressure on the Cosmos to get their ownership sorted out? Will one of these other investors buy the Cosmos brand being the current group can not get their shit together? 


The ride continues. 

Silly Rumor and Detroit

While we were going through some changes, we saw a few pieces of interest. One of them being about MLS expansion, but not NYC.

First was this silly rumor that the Cosmos might be invited to the UEFA Champions league. How could a team, well, that does not exist get an invite to play in a competition such as the Champions League? More importantly, why would UEFA want to hurt the stature of Europe's top club competition?

There was an interesting story involving Pele and him possibly returning to the pitch to join Santos at the FIFA Club World Cup later in the year. Hopefully, FIFA stops this decision because honestly it would hurt the reputation of a tournament that is trying to become bigger.

6-8 Months is now a punchline

Oh we know how this one ends. "6-8 months"

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber was on NBC Sports Talk on Versus TV tonight and he spoke about the big night for US soccer as there is a huge league game as well as the US Open Cup final at which 40 thousand fans are expected to attend.

Earlier in the day, Russ Thaler, who hosted the interview asked fans for questions and the question he selected was about the 20th team. Thaler mentioned that there was an overwhelming response from fans on this topic so he asked when the 20th team will be announced and if it will be the Cosmos.

Garber did not dodge the question but really did not offer much. He said they continue to talk to the city, and yes, the Cosmos as well. Garber made it clear that the stadium is the challenge and that after that gets sorted out the rest will be easy to put into place.

Then came the same old story. Don Garber said that he expects more on it in the next "6-8-12 months".

For those who have been involved in this movement or even just following, this is the same timeline we have heard at least 3 times in the past 12 months. You are begining to wonder that in 10 years you will be tucking your kid into bed saying "Don't worry, the Cosmos will be here in 6-8 months".

The whole saga has grown tiresome for many fans around the area, and many are no longer as excited as they were back on August 5th when the Cosmos played Manchester Untied. The fans are aware of the challenges building a stadium, but they really want a little more transparency.Many are stating that "fans are the heart and soul of a soccer team and should not be left in the complete darkness".

A little applause for the Borough Boys because clearly an impression was made on Mr. Thayer as he made sure he pointed out how many people asked about it. It seems that last second internet campaign to get people to contact him did in fact work. See what happens when we all come together?

PK no longer involved?

Jack Bell, who is both a great soccer writer and a credible source of information used twitter today to reveal some interesting news about the Cosmos. His post was:

"JackBell JackBell 

I hear that Englishman Paul Kemsley is out at the Cosmos, as in bought out by his investor group from Saudi Arabia."

The Cosmos have not said much in the past month and a half and now this. As imagined, this news has fans completely confused. Fans are asking what this means for the Cosmos and MLS.

It was always known that Paul Kemsley was seeking foreign investment, and there was a lot of speculation that there was a Saudi investment group involved, but it is a surprise to see that Kemsley was completely bought out.

There is a lot of money in that region of the world, so this can actually be a very positive development for the financing of a NYC team. If this group has been involved with Kemsley, then they are fully aware of the costs of this venture. They know the costs of a stadium in the city and they know about Garber's 100 Million price tag, so this action has to mean this group has the financial power to finish the job.

The roller coaster ride continues.

Foreign Investment - Proof and more speculation

This interesting tidbit was brought to our attention on by an anonymous user on the BigSoccer message boards.

It would seem that the law firm that assisted with getting Pele his work visa in the US, has also represented foreign investors in their acquisition of a 50% interest in the New York Cosmos. This was in September 2010, which was about a month or so after Pele announced at Flushing Meadows Park that the New York Cosmos were back.

So it seems there is foreign investment in the Cosmos and now the fans will wonder who.

Please do not forget to send us your letters for the Cosmos or Garber so we can publish the next edition of our Online Soccer Magazine. The submission deadline is Friday.

Have your say!

All,

Do you have a letter you would like to write for the Cosmos? Would you like to tell them how badly you want his team? Do you want to write a letter to Commissioner Garber? Do you want to tell him to pick the Cosmos? Do you want to tell him to not charge 100 Million?

here is your chance. Our next edition of our Soccer Fanzine is going to be all about the fans. We want the fans to voice there opinion.

Please send your letter to thisiscosmoscountry@boroughboysnyc.com and we will publish it in our next edition.

Deadline is Friday, September 30th.

The NYC Kit-League Table (Week 2)

After two weeks of keeping track of every single soccer logo I see, I'm starting to learn a few things. Some neighborhoods love soccer jerseys a lot more than others. In just two trips to Spanish Harlem I came across seven different soccer badges and shockingly they were from 5 different countries. Meanwhile countless trips into the Upper East Side have only produced 5 badges and 4 of those belong to Barca. I've also learned that If two big clubs play each other then fans of those teams are way more likely to wear their soccer kit around town. United and Chelsea both had huge weeks for this reason. I spotted 4 Man U and 3 Chelsea jerseys on Sunday alone compared to just 1 each the previous week when they played West Brom and Stoke respectively. The third interesting thing I can take away from this study is that for whatever reason Thursdays are the slowest in terms of people showing support for their clubs, in two weeks only one solitary point has been scored on a Thursday. Lets take a look at the bottom of our table...

Not too much to point out here but I was surprised to see the German National Team represented in Spanish Harlem of all places. I also had to look up both Toluca and ULD Quito after seeing their logos but not knowing the name of either club. Then there is Red Bull NY who saved an entire country from the embarrassment of being shut out on home turf. We went the first 6 days and 11 hours of this week without seeing a single American team get on the board until a Red Bull NY cap was seen in the dying moments of the week. (that also puts them in 2nd place among NY area clubs) Lets move on to the top ten...

United, Chivas, Barca, and Chelsea have established themselves as the Big four in this competition and I'd bet against anyone beside the Mexican NT cracking the top four from here on out. That said United takes 1st thanks to the big match with Chelsea and a grown man in a suit wearing a Utd back pack. Chivas and Barca each have another solid week and are early favorites to be the most consistent clubs. In the highest position for any club making its first appearance in the table, it's 6th place Inter Milan with the help of an awful chinatown bootleg jersey(1 pt). In 8th place is the Mexican NT which prevented a clean sheet with a hideous bootleg jersey of their own (all jerseys deemed to be bootleg are considered t-shirts and worth 1 point.) Cosmos, Pumas, and Atletico all got shut out this week but still barely hold on to top ten spots.

As for next week, I need to figure out exactly how to cut the teams down so that we don't have a table of forty teams. hmmm somebody might have to be relegated...

Site Identified?

Talksport radio is a fantastic spot for EPL fans to get news and information on the league as well as other aspects of sports in Europe and even sport in the Untied States. 

They did an interview today with ESPN's Mark Donaldson and on that interview Mr. Donaldson said that he has spoken to Shep Messing and that the Cosmos are desperately trying to get into MLS around 2014 and the big quote from Mr. Donaldson is that "They have identified a site up in Queens in New York"

Click here for the Audio and start listening around 3:10

This conversation is all started because they are speculating about David Beckham's future. Donaldson said the Cosmos are looking for investment and Beckham would be a perfect fit. 

The news here that they possibly identified a final stadium spot in Queens.

Could New York, New York beat out NYC?

Moves are being made on a stadium plan and New York, New York could see soccer fans soon. Problem is, its the New York, New York resort in Las Vegas.

“We know absolutely, positively, the MLS is interested in [a franchise] for Las Vegas,” Porter said.  “They have said that themselves.”

Chris Milam is aggressively moving forward with a plan to build a sports complex not far from the Mandalay Bay resort that would include stadium for a Major League Soccer side.

The reports are that the stadium could be ready by 2014 and while Major League Soccer has said they are almost daily speaking to ownership groups in New York City, the fans are uneasy and news like this will make them even more so. 

Fact of the matter is, Vegas is moving forward on a stadium, the one element that seems to be holding New York City back. 

NY Will Cost 100 Million

Well, Don Garber has confirmed that a New York City expansion team will cost 100 Million Dollars.


At halftime of this past weekends Red Bull-FC Dallas game, Garber was asked about expansion and he once again emphasised that the focus is on New York City for 20th spot, and once again mentioned that there are more than one groups interested.


Here are the comments we got from  Daily Soccer Fix.

 “We never said we were aggressively trying to go anywhere, including aggressively trying to pursue a 20^th team. We’d like to have a 20^thteam. We’d like that team to be in New York and we’re gonna work hard to try to make that happen. At some point after that, we’ll expand at the right time. We have no number in our mind as to how many teams that will be. At the right time, we’ll make those decisions.”

Garber said the league has had “recent discussions” with Las Vegas and Minneapolis, and just a little further back with Miami. They are in “almost daily” discussions with more than one group in New York.

Garber also added

“We have put a $100 million price tag on a New York team. We haven’t sold it to anybody yet … but I don’t believe the fact that we haven’t closed a deal has anything to do with price.”

The writer of this story feels that the Cosmos are not ready for the prime time, but clearly none of these groups are ready as none of them have a stadium plan in place. 


So, whichever of these groups gets selected by Garber, is expected to have a long term stadium plan in place, and that means that they will need to pay 300-500 Million for a Stadium and another 100 Million for expansion. 


To go back on our post from yesterday, many fans are frustrated with the Cosmos for their silence, but today,  fans should also be upset with Garber. This price tag will ultimately and understandably find its way into your ticket prices. 


The Saga continues but one thing is for sure, New York City is closer to getting a soccer team. A very damn expensive one too.