• by Juan Martinez, writing from San Francisco
• Twitter: @scripts_n_scars

Recently, I found myself entangled in articles and promotional videos about the revival of the New York Cosmos in American soccer. Something in particular caught my attention when watching the footage of Pele's, Eric Cantona's, and Cobi Jones' trip to the Asias. They had what appeared to be a Q&A session with audience members looking at finding out more about the Cosmos intentions in returning. In response to a question, Eric Cantona put it simply: “...the most important thing is how we encourage young players, on the pitch, to become a better human being.” This quote was immediately followed by Cobi Jones stating “...you know, it's a very important part of our club and organization to remember the past, know what we're doing in the present, and to build things into the future.” I would repeat what Pele said in response to a question, but I am not worthy.

What caught my attention about such uncomplicated statements, you ask? The fact that they didn't mention competition. They didn't mention winning. They didn't mention losing. I can't even tell you if it was on their minds at that moment. My guess is no, it wasn't. But isn't that what soccer's about? Winning? Losing? Team rivalries? Yes, but not on that day at that moment. I feel there is a message here that--including the “Big Three” of soccer--is above us all. This message is powerful, yet graceful at the same time. I haven't quite put my finger on it, but if I were to try and sum it up it would be this: Someone at the Cosmos has their eyes set on a big return to the MLS, and they are trying to set the stage.

I believe the Cosmos are paving their own way back into the history books. A new legacy, if you will. This includes building a team from the ground up; building a coaching staff; building another legacy from the ground up. Yes, the Cosmos were like a U.S. Version of los Galacticos in the '70s and '80s, but they are entering an entirely different 'ball game' with the MLS. They must compete against teams such as Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, Columbus Crew, and DC United; teams who have mostly dominated since 1996. Their work is definitely cut out for them.

I believe there's a simple method to the madness behind bringing such big names as Pele, Cantona, and Jones to the organization, and that is to create the mood in American soccer. The New York Red Bulls made significant moves for the sport in the U.S. with Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, two guys who have just as significant roles in international soccer. (Making sense now?) The Chicago Fire signed Cuahtemoc Blanco from Club America a few years back and he did his job: helped form a playoff contending team. And, of course, the obvious international signing: David Beckham.

Again, I believe it's about building the sport's reputation in the states for the Cosmos as an indirect way of making the bed they will lay in. The stage is being set. I'm no mathematician—to be honest, I'm just a little lazy—but if you were to look back at soccer's popularity in the US since the inception of MLS, and the impact international stars have had on growth, I assure you the numbers are impressive. Impressive enough for the Cosmos? I think not. They need time, but with that time they will make some major moves to ensure that they make a grand entrance back into soccer. I can't wait.

• by Joe Curtis, writing from Miami

“If you ain't first, you're last.” These wise words from Will Farrell’s character Ricky Bobby in the 2006 film Talladega Knights sums up the American mentality towards sports. In the United States we are obsessed with the domination of one team over another and the statistics that prove it. This is a country where American Football is King, and slower paced sports such as baseball are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Yes baseball, the sport that is supposed to be “America’s Pastime”. Americans expect to be entertained 24-hours a day and if the activity doesn’t fulfill this constant need then it is not considered worth our time. As a result Television programs, Sports, and even Schools have evolved to become more entertaining to keep their audience attentive. So how does Major League Soccer survive and grow in this type of environment? I believe there are two main changes that need to take place in order to build on the post-World Cup soccer frenzy in the United States: The Designated Player rule and how the league crowns it’s Champion.

Major League Soccer is structured so that the league has total control of every team. Operating as a single entity is a survival strategy that keeps the struggling league running by distributing revenue evenly. This also means that the league, and not the individual team, own a player’s contract. This brings us to our first obstacle on our journey to success: the Designated Player rule. The 2010 version of the rule allows teams to sign two players that would be considered outside the Salary Cap and give the option to pay a “luxury tax” of $250,000 to sign a third. 2007 was supposed to be the turning point of American Soccer when David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy.

This was not the first time a superstar signed to play in the States, Pele signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League in 1975. Regarded as “The Greatest Player of All Time”, not even he succeeded in making soccer a major sport in the United States. This summer saw the signings of international superstars Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez by the New York Red Bulls. It is going to take multiple big names to draw big crowds, which is something that we are more then capable of accomplishing. MLS needs to eventually restructure itself in order to allow teams to have greater control over operations, and give teams the ability to pursue talent. Luxury Taxes can stay in place in order to keep teams unable to acquire the top players on a somewhat even playing field. If the MLS makes this change not only will revenue increase, but it will also increase the level of competition in the league giving American players the opportunity to gain valuable experience at home. As competition increases so does the likelihood that American players will be better prepared for the International Level, as well as keep soccer prodigies like Giuseppe Rossi from deciding that they would rather represent another country.

The level of competition leads us the last obstacle Major League Soccer should address: How the League Champion is crowned. If this is restructured to mimic that of European leagues, Soccer could arguably appeal to Americans more than any other major sport. As I stated earlier winning is everything in the US, at the end of the season people want an undisputed champion holding the trophy. This is not always the case because in play-off format leagues “upsets” take place. Adopting the European league structure results in an undisputed champion. In addition this league structure also relegates the bottom three teams to the second tier and promotes the top three of the second tier to the first tier. Promotion and relegation once again increases the competition level, forcing teams to fight for their place in Major League Soccer. Promotions also add a special factor that appeals to all sports fans: The Cinderella Story. Cinderella teams appeal to Americans because they symbolize the American dream of achieving success through hard work and determination.

Making these major changes to the structure of the league could catapult Major League Soccer into the hearts of US sports fans. Analyzing what the majority of Americans expect from a sport would imply that this is exactly what needs to be done in order to have success. Americans caught a glimpse of why the world calls soccer “The Beautiful Game” and are giving the sport a second look. The time to grow is now, and like any other business looking to expand the first step is adapting to the needs of their audience or customer. The funny thing is, every other league in the world is already doing it.

this article was also featured on afootballreport.com

This guy, what are we going to do with him? After Pele and Michel Platini criticize his coaching performance in last saturdays 1-0 victory over Nigeria he had the following to say:

"Pele has to go back to the museum."

Now that is not a nice thing to say to arguably the greatest soccer player of all-time. That is just plain dis-respectful, but hey its Diego Maradona we are talking about and this guy keeps it real. He then made this statement about Platini:

"I always had a very distant relationship with him — hello and goodbye. We know how the French are and Platini is French and he thinks of himself as being more than the rest of the world. I've never paid him any attention."

Love him or hate him, Diego is a character. The drama he creates makes things interesting and entertaining. However Maradona is not just recieving criticism, he is doing his own share of criticizing stating that "Brazil played a relaxed game, too relaxed." I don't think anybody is going to disagree with that statement though.

We will get to see if Diego Maradona and Argentina can prove the doubters wrong tomorrow morning as they take on South Korea. Kickoff is at 7:30 AM EST.

Picture of Diego Maradona: [AP Photo/Luca Bruno]