It’s been a wild ride for the New York Cosmos over the last few years. Their uncertain offseason was well followed and publicized, but less so has been the hangover that lingered following a rushed roster construction and a shortened preseason. While many Cosmos regulars were signed on short notice, most of their key contributors had already moved onto to other clubs.
The difficulty of the roster overhaul became apparent early on. While the Cosmos went undefeated on their quick preseason run through the Caribbean, the club’s performances against the island clubs along with the Bermuda and Dominican’s national teams didn’t instill much confidence for their second consecutive title defending season.