The British Invasion Begins...

A selection of the English Premier League's teams have descended on America this summer, to tot up some pre-season friendlies.

Taking notice of the growing profile of football in the US, it seems some of our top teams are trying their best to get a slice of the pie.

Both Manchester's teams are currently in the States and United kicked off with a win. They drubbed New England Revolution 4-1, the goals coming from Owen (2), Macheda and Park. The Revs, who are managed by Liverpudlian legend Stevie Nicol, did grab a consolation goal via a Benny Feilhaber free-kick. But Ji-Sung Park made it four, with a well-worked goal laid on by Giggs (see video).



Meanwhile, City are involved in a friendly tournament called the Herbalife World Football Challenge. They will face a selection of MLS sides as well as a couple of Mexican teams, including: the Revs, Galaxy, the Whitecaps, the Fire, Philadelphia and from Mexico - CD Guadalajara and Club America (who City beat 2-0).

City will be playing in their new kit, unveiled this weekend by John Lennon-wannabe, Liam Gallagher.

Other clubs currently tearing it up stateside include Bolton Wanderers, West Brom and Newcastle, who won't be joined by Poundland Gangsta, Nile Ranger (right) and all-round villain, Joey Barton. They were refused entry to the US because of their criminal records. Barton tweeted something about "hypocrisy", but I think "common sense" sums up the Americans' stance on the issue a bit better.

Liverpool were expected to go to the US this summer, following the NESV takeover. But Standard Chartered - the Reds' shirt sponsor - are known to be keen to target the Asian market, and the team began their tour in China.

It is Manchester United though, who will see the most exciting of the MLS/EPL action this summer. They face the MLS All Stars at the end of the month, and will welcome the New York Cosmos to Old Trafford for Paul Scholes' testimonial this August.

Philip Wright-Lewis @P_W_L

OPINION: Don't let the goal addiction spoil the MLS.

How do you end a goal drought?

For football managers, this is a question that can really keep you awake at night.


Unless you've got heaps of cash to throw at the next up-and-coming goal machine, it can be a real bamboozler. Teams like Liverpool and Chelsea had that luxury this January, spending big on the likes of Luis Suarez (left) and Fernando Torres (with varying levels of success).


But what about when the drought isn't affecting a team - but an entire league?

In Jack Bell's article for The New York Times today, he expresses his worry that teams in the Major League might be erring on the side of caution a little too much.

Bell' argument is well-supported. The statistics he quotes really are alarming:

"With the M.L.S. season not yet at the midway point, the 18 teams have combined for 20 scoreless draws, already a league record.

There have been 64 draws in 158 league games (41 percent of all games) in 2011."

Even the most loyal MLS advocate would wince at those figures. In the Prem, just 29 percent of our games last season were draws, while La Liga boasts 21 percent as a continent low.

Nobody likes a nil-nil. I remember shaking with excitement in the anticipation of this year's first Manchester derby (even as a neutral!). Packing into a bouncing Leeds pub with my friends, we joined a mass of singing United and City fans, mad with anticipation. The goal-less draw we were subjected to was the worst match I've seen in recent years.

But as the statistics show, it isn't a problem for the English game.

Still - I'm not so sure it's that big an issue for the MLS either. When staying with my family in California this spring, my uncle told me he didn't like soccer due to the "boring scorelines". "It's all 1-0, 1-1, 0-0, 2-1... We want to see more points scored so we can get more involved."

My uncle is, of course, clearly insane when it comes to sport. A big score does not a good game make (although it often helps, if we're being honest). However, he believed that was one of the main reasons soccer hadn't taken off big-time in the States.

In Jack Bell's article, he speculates on a 'remedy' for the lack of goals.

"The point system in the North American Soccer League might provide a framework for M.L.S. to tweak the current points system. To encourage offense, the N.A.S.L. awarded 6 points for a win, 0 for a loss (there were no ties because of the league’s novel shootout scheme). It got interesting with bonus points: 1 additional point for each goal scored, up to a maximum of three. So winning a game with three goals scored yielded 9 points."

This is where I would disagree with Jack. The MLS has to stick to FIFA rules for its points and shoot-out formats: or else risk its reputation taking a battering. At this stage in its infancy, it can't afford to do that. The video below shows just how ridiculous things can get when you start changing the classic rules to 'please' the fans:



Some of the statistics above do make for grim reading. However, attendance figures for the MLS have been even fantastic.

MLS grounds are currently filling at an average of 73 percent of their gates for the 2011 season. For a league so young, spread across such a vast country, that is some achievement. And its growing.

Although the league format, with its confusing play-offs system, could do with a bit of tweaking, the MLS is definitely on the right track - goals or no goals. It isn't broken - so there's no need to fix it.

Philip Wright-Lewis
@P_W_L

Who doesn't love a good celebration? See Davies and Lavesque's right here!

DC United's striker Charlie Davies caused a big stir in the Twittersphere the other day, with a rather elaborate goal celebration.

The 26-year-old American forward had promised fans that if he scored in the game, which was played on his birthday, he would celebrate accordingly.

Davies hit a close-range finish to put the Black-And-Red 2-1 ahead against Houston Dynamo, and kept to his word!

See the video below at around 5:30':



Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post has attempted to explain Davies' antics in this hilarious article including freeze-frames.

Many football purists (or miserable old people as I prefer to call them) often criticise modern players for their over-the-top celebrations. But we love them.

Here's a few of MLSB's favourite celebrations of late, kicking off with Bolo Zenden's feeble efforts to join the Asamoah Gyan party:



Maybe MLS stars are now competing for the best performance? Roger Lavesque's scuba impression was almost as hilarious as the Red Bulls' goalkeeping:



And an honourary mention for Stjarnan FC, the Icelandic team who are fast becoming internet celebrities due to their unbelievable dance routines. Move over, Rebecca Black:




Philip Wright-Lewis
@P_W_L

THE NEW YORK COSMOS - A Sleeping Giant: Part 4 of 4

After twenty dormant years, the Cosmos are back. August 5th sees them run out for the first time since their rebirth, on one of the biggest stages in football - Old Trafford. Pele, Chinaglia and Alberto are all back for the party and they're joined by another legend of the modern game...

PART FOUR

Major League Soccer will welcome the club with the richest heritage in US soccer in 2013. It's been a long time coming, but America's most famous football team will become the 20th team to join the league in two years time.

G. Peppe Pinton was the original Cosmos' last general manager when the team dissolved in the mid-eighties. Up until now, he'd fiercely guarded the naming rights for the club, worrying that the MLS would not recognise the success and history of the New York club.

But after MLS teams (such as the San Jose Earthquakes) returned to their NASL-era names, Pinton reconsidered. The rights were then sold to the former Spurs vice-chairman, Paul Kemsley. He managed to put together an impressive group who set about trying to re-establish the Cosmos. This included David Beckham's former personal manager Terry Byrne, and the ex-Liverpool chairman, Rick Parry.

OLD BOYS' REUNION

Next on board was the biggest name in the Cosmos' history - Pele. Named as Honourary President in 2010, Pele spoke to The New York Times about his excitement regarding a New York derby: "One day, I hope to be happy to see the New York Cosmos playing the Red Bulls in the championship game."

Two more former heroes soon followed, with Giorgio Chinaglia and Carlos Alberto taking roles as International Ambassadors.

RETURN OF 'THE KING'

But the real coup for the Cosmos was in their next big appointment. Convincing the legendary Eric Cantona to return to football.

After leaving Manchester United aged 30 in 1997, Cantona often ventured into the dodgy arenas of TV advertising, film and beach soccer. But it wasn't until the offer came from New York that The King (as United fans once knew him) would return to the beautiful game as their Director of Football.

"I liked the project. I have a strong image of this club, that it was something special in football that was a mixture of everything," he told The New York Times last year. Cantona is not easily pleased. He famously slagged United's style of play off in 2006, calling them boring and functional. Kemsley and co. must have done some convincing to get him on board.

The prospect of Cantona's return to the game, as well as the return of the club itself is bound to excite football fans the world over. But Fox Soccer Channel's Keith Costigan thinks we shouldn't be getting too excited just yet. He tweeted MLS Blighty: "[it] would be good, but management and marketing has to be good. Red Bulls don't exactly draw big crowds, so no guarantee the Cosmos will."

What is guaranteed is that their first game will be a big one. Paul Scholes, the Man United stalwart, has chosen to play against the New York Cosmos for his testimonial match. Cantona will manage the team, and will choose a one-off line-up of players from across Europe. Although the squad itself is not yet assembled, seeing a team under the Cosmos moniker take to the Old Trafford pitch is bound to be a special occasion. The match takes place on August 5, and tickets (£25 each) can be bought from United's official website.

The turbulent story of the New York Cosmos is about to take another turn. Hopefully, the team can continue the work started by the great Steve Ross, and help soccer really kick off in the United States. Monsieur Cantona knows a lot about kicking, after all!


Philip Wright-Lewis
@P_W_L

In summary: the return of this 'sleeping giant' has really got us excited. Not only for the rebirth of such an historic club, but for the MLS generally. It should bring attention from across the world, in a more organic way than merely signing a big European name. Moreover, Umbro's new line of Cosmos gear is stunning.

We firmly recommend anyone interested in the Cosmos story watches the incredible documentary film, 'Once in a Lifetime'. It was the major source for this article and is a must for anyone who likes their football.

We hope you have enjoyed this special. Please excuse the long gap between Parts 3 & 4 - I was studying for my finals. Many thanks to Kevin Kirrane for his help.

THE NEW YORK COSMOS - A Sleeping Giant: Part 3 of 4

Pele was just the first of many big names to join the Cosmos. The next star was to have an important hand in the club's success - as well as its downfall. Part three tells Giorgio Chinaglia's story, and the final chapter of the original New York Cosmos.

PART THREE

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

"They probably can't stand me. I don't give a sh**."

That was Giorgio Chinaglia's answer, when asked how he thought his former Cosmos colleagues would remember him (as seen in Once in a Lifetime, the Cosmos movie). He was right. Luckily for him, the one man who did love him was Steve Ross.

Chinaglia signed for the club in 1976, earning the number 9 shirt (right, behind Pele). Unlike Pele, or the other European stars who came to the NASL, he was in his playing prime. And it showed. In his first season, he led the goal tally while Pele led in assists. The Italian became an instant star, worshipped by the Cosmos fans. But not worshipped enough for his liking - his fame didn't match that of Pele.

The two clashed in the dressing room, with Chinaglia once accusing Pele of being a poor playmaker. For all their differences on the field though, they both loved the fame they experienced as Cosmos icons. On the eve of a crucial play-off against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Florida club sent a limousine to the airport to greet the reluctant partners.

As Pele and Chinaglia got into the limo, they were greeted by a pair of attractive girls and a lot of champagne. They couldn't resist. The next morning, according to Rodney Marsh, "They looked very worse for wear on the pitch," and the Rowdies won.


THE GLORY DAYS


The celebrity lifestyle was becoming the norm for all the team now. They could often be seen at the infamous Studio 54 nightclub, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. In the changing rooms, people would drop by and say hello to the team, like Mohammed Ali, Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand. During a particulatly unhealthy point in his career, a gaunt Mick Jagger turned up, alarming the coaches who had no idea who he was (left, with Ahmet Ertegun on the right).

1977 saw one of the biggest days in the Cosmos history: Pele's farewell game. The friendly against Santos saw a capacity crowd of other 75,000. He played half for his boyhood team, half for the Cosmos. When he scored, even Chinaglia, his old rival, embraced him. The atmosphere was like nothing US football had seen, before or since. During his speech, in which he asked the crowd to join him in saying "LOVE!" three times, he cried, and was clearly overwhelmed at the effect he'd had on the USA's view of football. Watch the video below.

The Cosmos won, 2-1. With Pele's exit, a new footballing legend joined the club - Franz Beckenbauer. "Der Kaiser" was not welcomed by Chinaglia, who thought he'd finally been able to take centre-stage following Pele's departure. The team kept winning though, title after title, breaking attendance and honours records. It wasn't going to last, unfortunately.

THE END OF AN ERA

As the Cosmos' popularity kept steadily rising, Chinaglia became closer to Steve Ross. The Italian was clearly the owner's favourite player, and eventually even had some influence over him. Under Giorgio's advice, the coaching staff were all fired, replaced by his favoured personnel. In Clive Toye's words: "He was responsible for the death of the Cosmos."

After the turn of the decade, the decline began. The early 80s saw dwindling attendances and fewer stars being attracted to the division. Steve Ross' other investments went awry, and eventually Warner struggled to pay the high wages under the generous contracts. The true nail in the coffin was ABC's decision to end their TV coverage of the sport.

The Cosmos dissolved in 1984. Ross didn't give up on his dream to bring soccer to the US though, fighting on to try and bring the 1986 World Cup to American shores. He failed to do so though, and tragically died in 1992. Two years later, his dream was realised with World Cup USA 90.

STEVE ROSS
1927 - 1992

Ross had laid down the legacy of American soccer. The professional game had died though, and the Cosmos with it. The giant was to lay sleeping for another 27 years...

Philip Wright-Lewis
@P_W_L

THE NEW YORK COSMOS - A Sleeping Giant: Part 2 of 4

The second part of our New York Cosmos story tells of their most famous signing - Pele. Often cited as the best player the world has seen, his arrival in the States triggered football fever for the first time in American history.

PART TWO

"YOU COULD WIN A COUNTRY."

Real Madrid, Juventus, or the New York Cosmos. These were the options Pele faced after retiring from his boyhood club, Santos, in 1974.

By now, Cosmos President Steve Ross had made it his mission to sign the Brazilian superstar, whatever the cost. General Manager, Clive Toye did his best to convince him to go Stateside, telling Pele: "With Real, you could win another championship. With us, you could win a country."

Whether it was Toye's profound message, or the more-than-generous pay packet (I can't imagine which one held more sway!) - it worked. Pele joined the Cosmos and became the world's highest-paid athlete.

Suddenly, the eyes of the football world were on New York. The player everyone had heard of had signed for a club nobody had heard of. But among the hysteria and excitement was a hint of suspicion and bitterness.

Dick Young (left), a long-standing US sports journalist, was the most vocal of the naysayers. He attended Pele's unveilling press conference, and spent the entire time heckling from the back of the room. Young saw soccer as a foreign import that was about to steal the limelight from baseball. In fact, Young was even more furious when Pele received a standing ovation from a sold-out baseball game just a couple of years later.

COSMIC RISE

The Cosmos didn't care. They'd just pulled off the biggest transfer coup in football history, and they immediately set about impressing their new celebrity. At the time, they were still playing at the run-down stadium on Randall's Island. Before his first match, they spray-painted the surface green, to make it look healthier.

After the game had ended, Pele stunned the Cosmos staff: "This is the first and the last game I will play in this country." he announced. "My feet are the most important thing in the world to me. And in my first game, I have contracted this green fungus!" Luckily for the player and the club, it was just the spray paint and it washed off in the showers.

In his second season with the club, the Cosmos moved to the Giants Stadium in New York. The team's popularity soared, and with Pele in the squad, they regularly broke attendance records home and away. He was soon rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrites, and even had a kick-about with President Gerald Ford (left). Pele had himself become one of America's best-known names.

Meanwhile, Pele's success in the States was turning heads in Europe too. Suddenly, the NASL was attracting players like Gordon Banks, Geoff Hurst, Rodney Marsh and even George Best, who joined the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1976. When Marsh first arrived in the US, he gave his famous quote to a journalist who asked "Are you the white Pele?". "No," he responded. "He's the black Rodney Marsh."

My father, an ardent Kopite in the 1970s, told me that England was definitely aware of the Cosmos and US football. "It got a lot of attention and everyone knew about the New York Cosmos in England, due to the big names. But you knew they were going over for a swansong at the end of their career, usually. We never thought a team like the Cosmos would stand a chance against English clubs."

RIVALS

But not all players were in the final chapter of their playing days. In 1976, Italian bad-boy Giorgio Chinaglia signed for the Cosmos from Lazio, at the top of his game. Having fallen out with the entire Italian national team following a bust-up with the coach, he fled Serie 'A' for pastures new.

Steve Ross adored Chinaglia, and he became a Cosmos fan favourite, scoring an obscene amount of goals for the club. But with Chinaglia's ego, playing second fiddle to Pele was not easy. And soon enough, sparks were flying in the Cosmos dressing room...

Philip Wright-Lewis
@P_W_L

THE NEW YORK COSMOS - A Sleeping Giant: Part 1 of 4

As professional football continues to flourish in the USA, the world is feeling the rumbling of a sleeping giant. The New York Cosmos are back.

In the first of a four-part serial, we tell the story of how the club was born. Through the hard work of the great Steve Ross, the Cosmos soldiered through financial difficulties and semi-pro levels of talent.

PART ONE

Everyone knows that football and America haven't always been a classic match. Even the word 'football' itself means something completely different in the States. American Football, Basketball and Baseball aren't merely popular sports. They are integral elements to the nation's culture.

By the 1960s, two British insitutions had conquered the world: football and The Beatles. But only only one of them could fill stadiums full of screaming Americans, and it was not the 'beautiful game'. The New York Cosmos wanted to change that.

THE COSMOS ARE BORN

The Cosmos were the brainchild of Steve Ross - the popular, charismatic owner of Warner Communications. Ross struck up a great relationship with two of his partners, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun of Atlantic Records - a pair of Turkish footy fans - in the late 1960s.

In 1971, Nesuhi was about to accept an offer to join another company. Steve Ross was so disappointed to hear his friend was about to jump ship, and said he would do anything to keep him on board. "A professional football team," was Nesuhi's response.

As the gateway to millions of migrants to the United States, New York was the perfect breeding ground for footballing talent. And so after recruiting a number of coaches and managers, Warner established the New York Cosmos.

RAMSHACKLE

At the start, the Cosmos weren't anything special. To be fair to them, neither were their competitors. The North American Soccer League (NASL) was "essentially a semi-pro league," according to their first striker, Randy Horton (right). "I was working at Jungle Habitat, a safari up in New Jersey, while I was playing for the Cosmos."


Keeper Shep Messing was working as a teacher at a local high-school. At one point, he even posed naked for a glossy magazine, in order to make a bit of extra cash (left)! Not expecting it to be seen by anyone, Messing was stunned when general manager Clive Toye blasted the goalie for compromising the team's professionalism. Still, they battled to their first ever title in 1972.



By 1974, the team was playing at the derelict Downing Stadium (above) on Randall's Island. Messing speaks of "broken glass bottles all over the place" when reflecting on the surface they had to endure. The Cosmos' results were equally poor, finishing their fourth season with 14 losses in 20 games. Investors lost faith and pulled out, but Steve Ross didn't quit. He was convinced soccer could be huge in America and the Cosmos would be the team to lead the way.

Ross again turned to his friend Nesuhi for advice. "Who is the greatest player in the world?" he asked.

"The greatest player in the world is Pele." was the response.

What followed was one of - if not the - greatest transfer coup in the history of the game. Professional football was about to really kick off in the United States.

Philip Wright-Lewis
@P_W_L