Once in a Lifetime

The documentary Once in a Lifetime charts the rags to riches to rags again rollercoaster ride of the New York Cosmos.

The team were no more than a parks side when Steve Ross head of Warner Communication got involved. He decided to go out and buy the best player in the world no matter what the cost.

So Pele arrived in New York and slowly the team who played on grass and dirt became the biggest superstars in America.

There is a clear villain in the story. Italian forward Giorgio Chinaglia. A man so arrogant he thought nothing of telling Pele to 'stay out wide'. Chinaglia takes the blame from most people for ending the wild ride of the Cosmos. Though he tells a different story.

It's quite an engaging tale. There are lots of different viewpoints, all the surviving major players provide their recollections. Well, all except Pele.

One of the more interesting characters in the story is goalkeeper Shep Messing. A man who looked more like a porn star than a footballer.

Here's an article from last year on the accompanying book from The Guardian.

This is an excellent site for NY Cosmos facts.

This Channel 4 site provides a very good insight into Chinaglia's Italian career.