The recently relaunched New York Cosmos have attracted a lot of attention since the news emerged that the former club of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, and Shep Messing was returning. The new owners reportedly have hopes of joining MLS at some point, and MLS appears interested.
Commissioner Don Garber has mentioned before that he would like the 20th team to be in New York, and on Saturday night he was full of praise for the Cosmos' efforts.
“We want to see a 20th team, we want to see that in New York,” he told Fox Soccer Channel at halftime of the Dallas-Real Salt Lake Western Conference Semifinal first leg. “The Cosmos have relaunched that brand and they've done a great job. They are a bunch of guys that really understand the sport and have really connected with the legacy and heritage of that brand.”
At this point, many questions remain about what the new Cosmos are. They have partnered with two big youth clubs—BW Gotschee in New York and LAFC in Los Angeles—and they have held several marquee events in New York City with former Cosmos legends.
But before the Cosmos can join MLS, there are still concerns over where a new New York-based team will play.
“We've got to build a stadium,” Garber said. “We've got to have owners that really can help do it within the partnership that Major League Soccer has—a key part of our identity. Maybe it's [the Cosmos], maybe it's somebody else, but we hope to have that 20th team. We hope to get something done within the next six to eight months, quite frankly.”
