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71% Critic Match
Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
“The untold story of the team that had America at its feet.”
7.1 / 10• 2006• 1h 37m•NR• English
Documentary
Storyline
In the 1970s the North American Soccer League marked the first attempt to introduce soccer to American sports fans. While most teams had only limited success at best, one managed to break through to genuine mainstream popularity - the New York Cosmos. The brainchild of Steve Ross (Major executive at Warner Communications) and the Ertegun brothers (Founders of Atlantic Records), the Cosmos got off to a rocky start in 1971, but things changed in 1975 when the world's most celebrated soccer star, the Brazilian champion Pele, signed with the Cosmos for a five-million-dollar payday. With the arrival of Pele, the Cosmos became a hit and the players became the toast of the town, earning their own private table at Studio 54. A number of other international soccer stars were soon lured to the Cosmos, including Franz Beckenbauer, Rodney Marsh, and Carlos Alberto, but with the turn of the decade, the team began losing favor with fans and folded in 1985.
Cast & Crew
Franz Beckenbauer
Self
LeadRd
Raphael de la Sierra
Self
PW
Phil Woosnam
Self
JE
Jay Emmett
Self
WR
Werner Roth
Self
PP
Peppe Pinton
Self
GC
Giorgio Chinaglia
Self
SM
Shep Messing
Self
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. John Dower's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
