Pele and Carlos Alberto were big parts of the New York Cosmos team that captured the imagination of a generation 30 years ago.
The Brazilian legends were on hand to watch the club’s second incarnation get off to a dramatic start as the Cosmos defeated the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 2-1, in the North American Soccer League fall season opener Saturday night at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium.
“We’re thrilled with the return of the Cosmos and if not this year, very soon we’re going to have the same kind of team we had before,” Carlos Alberto said. “The most important thing for people to know is we’re not here to play games. We’re here to really seriously play this game hard.”
Italian striker Alessandro Noselli ignited the sellout crowd of 11,929, the largest to ever watch a soccer match on Long Island, with the winner in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
Noselli, who came on for Stefan Dimitrov in the 62nd minute, pounced on an errant back pass and headed it past Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper Richard Sanchez.
Peri Marosevic scored the first Cosmos goal in nearly 30 years in the 44th minute, taking a touch in front of the goal and tapping it past Sanchez following headers in the box by Cosmos defenders Joseph Nane and Hunter Gorskie after an Ayoze corner kick.
“We know we’re going to have pressure on us,” Marosevic said. “The thing we focus on is playing the game for fun. It’s truly an honor to be part of this club and to step on the field and wear that New York Cosmos jersey.”
Fort Lauderdale rallied to equalize in the 73rd minute when Walter Restrepo beat Cosmos goalkeeper Kyle Reynish to a ball in the box and headed it into the open net after Cosmos defender Carlos Mendes initially headed a Strikers long ball inside the box.
But like the late great Chinaglia did so often 30 years ago, Noselli sent the crowd, and his teammates, home happy with his late winner.
“To get three points today was very important,” Cosmos captain Carlos Mendes said. “It wasn’t the greatest game, we have to continue to work. We had a good preseason and leading up to this game with all the excitement, you could feel the energy and the atmosphere of the stadium. It was great to be a part of.”
Also part of the pregame ceremonies was Shep Messing, a goalkeeper who was part of the Cosmos beginning more than 40 years ago.
“For us, what we wish for this team is we want them to be very proud of our history, but we don’t want them to burdened by our legacy,” Messing said. “We want them to create their own identity and I think we saw the first step tonight.”
Messing was also quick to point out that this team needs time to build, that the Cosmos that played in front of sellout crowds at Giants Stadium and had the world’s best players on its payroll doesn’t happen overnight.
“This is not magic,” Messing said. “It’s one step at a time. We don’t expect like it happened for us many years ago. … It was a first step and we’re very happy about it.”
