The Return of the New York York Cosmos

                 The soccer world has been rocked by the return of the New York Cosmos. The fabled franchise has return from the depths to become a pro team once again.  The catch is that this New York Cosmos team is not playing at the highest level.  They instead have chosen to join the North American Soccer League.  I am not knocking the Cosmos rejoining the league they once dominated, I am very surprised that they chose this route.  The Cosmos ownership had been preaching that they will be a world club again.  I find this hard to believe considering they have chosen to join the American second division.  The Cosmos have been marketing their product ever since the team folded in the 80's. They have hired Eric Cantona and Cobi Jones to increase their soccer reputability, as well as, buy skyscraper sized billboards in the heart of New York City. 

MLS commissioner Don Garber has pretty much paved the way for a second New York City franchise and the presumption was that the New York Cosmos was going to be that team.  He even stated that the league was looking into building a stadium first.The Cosmos ownership are marketing wizards. They have been making money of merchandising for years without even having a real team.  It would be amazing for Major League Soccer to have a team with that kind of marketability.  A national brand that the league really has yet to find. It is just surprising to me to learn that the team would start from the second tier.  Now, this doesn't mean that the Cosmos will not be back in the first tier eventually.  Numerous teams, most recently the Montreal Impact, have made the jump to MLS.  I believe that this would be amazing for  MLS to have two teams in the biggest city in the United States.  It will also be an instant rivalry with the big money of Red Bull New York.