Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
“The untold story of the team that had America at its feet.”
2006•1h 37m•7.1•Released
Documentary
In the 1970s the North American Soccer League marked the first attempt to introduce soccer to American sports fans. While most teams had only limited success at best, one managed to break through to genuine mainstream popularity - the New York Cosmos. The brainchild of Steve Ross (Major executive at Warner Communications) and the Ertegun brothers (Founders of Atlantic Records), the Cosmos got off to a rocky start in 1971, but things changed in 1975 when the world's most celebrated soccer star, the Brazilian champion Pele, signed with the Cosmos for a five-million-dollar payday. With the arrival of Pele, the Cosmos became a hit and the players became the toast of the town, earning their own private table at Studio 54. A number of other international soccer stars were soon lured to the Cosmos, including Franz Beckenbauer, Rodney Marsh, and Carlos Alberto, but with the turn of the decade, the team began losing favor with fans and folded in 1985.
Director
John Dower
Writer
Mark Monroe
Budget
$1M
Languages
English
Studio
Passion Pictures
Cast
Franz Beckenbauer
Self
Raphael de la Sierra
Self
Phil Woosnam
Self
Jay Emmett
Self
Werner Roth
Self
Peppe Pinton
Self
Giorgio Chinaglia
Self
Shep Messing
Self
Clive Toye
Self
Ahmet Ertegün
Self
Matt Dillon
Narrator (Voice)
Carlos Alberto
Self
Mia Hamm
Self
Production
Company
Passion Pictures
Company
Cactus Three
Company
ESPN Original Entertainment
Company
GreeneStreet Films
Company
BBC
Company
Diamond Docs
Producer
Fisher Stevens
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