Sports Illustrated.
THEN: In 1977, when soccer fans filled Giants Stadium to see the immortal Pele play his last game (and be carried off the field waving the Stars and Stripes and the flag of his native Brazil), the soccer mom as such had not yet come into being. The Cosmos, signing greats like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, brought international glamour to the Meadowlands, but not enough revenue. The team faded out, along with its league, in 1984. But as New York Times staff editor Jack Bell, who writes and edits the Goal blog, points out, “Pele and the Cosmos planted the seed. Soccer is here to stay now.”
Tim Clayton/Corbis.
NOW: Completing their third season in their new Harrison stadium, the New York Red Bulls made the playoffs, led by their star forward, Frenchman Thierry Henry, left. Despite having the biggest payroll in Major League Soccer, they were eliminated in the first round. Days later their coach’s contract was not renewed, completing a year that saw front-office executives sacked and replaced. For all that, fans remain loyal, while rivaling Mets followers in frustration.