Roberto Cabanas was great back then and a very flashy player this is true. I can't understand however, why Giorgio Chinaglia always gets the short end of the stick in most fans eyes. I know he was a sort of a jerk and had a big mouth etc etc but there was no denying his production on the field and his almost 200 NASL goals which was unmatched. I mean, its incredible when you think about it. The league actually got better and tougher during those years 77-81 and the defenses got better too and he was the main guy in those days.....
I'm not giving Chinaglia the short end of the stick. I liked the guy, and was a HUGE Cosmos fan despite living in Chicago. I simply feel Francis was a better player. In fact, I'm not so sure that Dennis Tueart wasn't a better player than Chinaglia either. Certainly more versatile. As for Cabanas, he was more of an outside the box poacher. Not your classic striker.
btw, has anyone ever heard of a guy named Minas Litos who apparently had played for the Cosmos in the late 70's/early 80's? I myself had never heard of the guy, and I thought I knew the NASL pretty well. Nonetheless, he lives close by and claims to have played for the Cosmos in several area newspapers.
I've never heard of the guy....there is an "all time" roster out there somewhere for every NASL team (don't recall the site maybe google was it)....chances are the guy was either ... a) on the reserve team b) once attended an open try-out or... c) talking out of his arse.
Could be. I wonder if it was before Pele's arrival. A mechanic freind of mine in San Jose Franco Benevento who was the initial coach of the San Jose Frogs in the NPSL last year also claims to have been w/ Pele , Chinaglia & the NY Cosmos but I've never seen his name in any old rosters. The NASL however, in those days were considered amaeteur in the pre Pele days and Pro in the post Pele era. Therefore stats or rosters for that matter , may not have been kept back then. Also, the Cosmos had a bunch of players coming and going from 1975-1980. It was a mad house. Remember Dimitrievic, Nelsi Morais & Terry Garbett?
Vito Dimitrijevic was not exactly a scrub. He made second team all NASL in '75. He simply was relegated to the bench when the Cosmos started bringing in the likes of Bogicevic and Neeskens. Garbett and Morais also played for a few years, although hardly stars.
I don't think it was PRE-Pele, as the guy is in his early 50's. In any event, I'm not sure the Cosmos were ever amateur. They simply didn't have Pele.
His name isn't Colin Jose's NASL book, in the player register, but that doesn't mean he didn't fall through the cracks somewhere.
Here is a sign of the times - a 45 RPM record. It was popular with footballers and clubs from the 1970s. BROOKLYN CELTICS - N.Y. League Champions 1911 - 1917; U.S. Open Cup Runners-up 1914, 1915
I am married to Chris agoliati for 17 years. He is now 56. He played on the 1977 team. I dint know him at the time, he played for Cornell Univ, Tacoma tides, Boston Minutemen teams. If you want any info you can email us. I am just learning how to use the site , Thank you, Gail
Welcome Gail! Try & dowload some pics like these of all of you? Barbara Amoscato Sabaitis '81 Chris Agoliati '73 Gail Lagomarsino
This seems like a very loyal and introspective thread. I was wondering if some of you would imput your thoughts for the following questions: Would you purchase currently made New York Cosmos related product ? If you answer yes, what would kind of product would be your first choice: a) statues (of former greats) b) trading cards - (with special cards with autographs or jersey swatches) c) book chronicalling the club's history d) other (please be specific) Your opinions are important. Thank you.
can't believe that no one put Hernan "chico" Borja on the list of old Cosmos: My wife taught middle school with him a few years back and I got to sit next to him at a Christmas party. He was teaching Spanish at the time, but has since moved on-last I heard was that he moved his family to Florida, think his kid was some sort of rising golf pro or something.
Great American player...... Chico Borja http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernan_"Chico"_Borja http://www.geocities.com/mislsoccer@sbcglobal.net/greats.htm http://www.rsssf.com/tablesu/usa-intres-det80.html
I don't know if this has already been posted, but former Cosmos player and coach Gordon Bradley passed away April 29th 2008, one of the most influential figures in both U.S. and Washington soccer circles the last 35 years, died in Manassas at age 74. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.