The best part about this fan movement is that I talk to fans around the world about their Cosmos memories and thoughts on what could be again. Recent interactions have shown that despite deep affection for the club, the fans can still get frustrated.
It has been over a month since the Cosmos took the field at Old Trafford for the Paul Scholes Testimonial match and it has also been over a month since the Cosmos have said anything about their push for Major League Soccer.
It is clear to all fans just how big of a challenge the Cosmos have in front of them. Building a stadium in New York City is a big ask politically and financially. We get what the Cosmos are up against for sure.
We were pleased when, just recently, Major League Soccer President Mark Abbott said that New York City is still the focus of the league and they want the 20th team to be here. But until there is a concrete plan, the chance still exists that everything can fall apart and MLS can go to either Minnesota, Vegas, or Detroit for that much coveted spot.
The Cosmos remain active in their interaction with fans. They recently had a scarf contest where supporters submitted designs, to be the club’s first official scarf. For sure this is a great little sign that the Cosmos will not ignore the most important element of any soccer team, the fans.
While fans will enjoy the scarf competition, let’s face it, it does nothing to stanch the flow of questions that all boil down to these: What’s with the stadium and when are we joining MLS?
The New York City franchise will have the most passionate fans, and the most demanding. There are some fans who have been supporting New York City soccer since the Centaurs played on Randalls Island, and they have heard the talk of a top flight team in the city for many years, so for them, the silence speaks volumes. They have heard the rumors of NYC soccer, only for it all to go silent again. Is this just another false hope?
With the MLS heading into the final stretch, topics such as expansion normally start to come up, especially around the MLS Cup in November. But do fans want to wait that long? The longer they wait for news, the more 2013 looks like a pipe dream. We have heard the timeline of 6-8 months, but many are wondering that come January, will we hear 6-8 months again.
The fans will tire soon of the announcements about Soccer celebrities and clothing lines, the Cosmos will lose their momentum with the fans without some concrete plans being announced soon.
Fans are hopeful, fans are ready to wear this club on their sleeves, but fans want updates and answers and they want them now.
1 comments:
As always, we need to temper our enthusiasm with some realism. I still do not see the cosmos or any other team on the pitch for the 2013 season. And it's nobody's fault really, there are no easy answers to the question of where will the team play.
What we do need is real information... Not false hopes, and not silence either. Personally, I'll wait as long as necessary, but I want to know what the he'll is going on. It's especially important for the cosmos because they're selling merch based in part on MLS entry speculation. Fans are justifiably suspicious of that.
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