Legendary Pele and the World-Renowned New York Cosmos Score a Come Back

NEW YORK, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Moments ago, during the Copa NYC Finals at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York, soccer legend and former New York Cosmos star Pele made a rare appearance to the thousands of players and fans in attendance, and announced to the world that The New York Cosmos are coming back.

Having reigned as America's greatest soccer club (formerly part of the North American Soccer League), the world-renowned New York Cosmos now return with a greater goal in mind – to inspire, develop and field world-class players.  The New York Cosmos is committed to helping improve the future of soccer in this country, with significant investment in grassroots and youth soccer and providing elite coaching philosophies and training opportunities.

The New York Cosmos have already agreed to a unique partnership with Queens-based youth club BW Gottschee, who has 60 years of experience, passion and success at a local and national level. The Cosmos Academy - as they will be known - will field teams from U12-U18 and participate in the US Soccer Development Academy.

Furthermore, The New York Cosmos have acquired the Copa NYC tournament, and beyond running it every year in New York,  they will be looking to expand it both domestically and internationally in order to engage more local communities to participate in the 'global game' at a grassroots level.

As part of what will be an extensive corporate social responsibility strategy, The New York Cosmos will also work closely with the City to enable New York's schoolchildren to play soccer more often, and more easily, by providing equipment and facilities.

However, the club's ultimate vision is unquestionably to bring The New York Cosmos back to the greatest city in the world, to be a part of Major League Soccer and to compete for the championship.

After his final career match in 1977 at the old Giants Stadium, in a speech given to more than 75,000 fans, Pele urged his audience to pay attention to the youth of the world.  Today, 33 years later, Pele reinforces that message and will provide an opportunity for their dreams to be fulfilled.

"As global ambassador for the game, and as Honorary President of The New York Cosmos, it's a great privilege to be able to give back to the future of the sport that gave so much to me," says Pele. "The return of The New York Cosmos will inspire footballers in this country, and embrace people around the world who love this beautiful game as much as I do."

For more information on The New York Cosmos, please go to: www.nycosmos.com.  For hi-res images, please go to: http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?EventId=103052008.  To download HD broadcast-quality footage, please go to: www.badertv.com/nycosmos.

About The New York Cosmos, LLC: Under new passionate ownership, The New York Cosmos continues its tradition of greatness for the next generation and vow s to maintain the same ethos that made The New York Cosmos the most celebrated soccer club in the history of the United States.  During its existence from 1971- 1985, The New York Cosmos won five national championships.  Today, as par t of its rebirth and with soccer legend and former Cosmos star Pele as the Honorary President, The New York Cosmos will continue to inspire and develop the youth through academies, camps and clinics while also attracting world-class soccer players to participate in its soccer movement. The club's ultimate vision is to be a par t of Major League Soccer and to compete for the championship.  For more information, visit www.nycosmos.com.

SOURCE The New York Cosmos, LLC