Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

Synopsis: The real life story of how one man, Pele, and the power and wealth of Warner Communications brought soccer to the United States and made New York Cosmos the most famous football club of the 70s.

Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos will probably ring true with many soccer fans in Australia. Up until the last World Cup in 2006 it seemed that no one in this country was even aware that that was a game played with your feet and a round ball. The beautiful game, arguably the world’s favourite game, was a secondary concern to most sports fans Down Under. The same was the case in the early 70s in the USA where American football, baseball and basketball ruled the roost.

This documentary, beautifully put together by Paul Crowder, the editor of Dog Town and Z-Boys, and narrated by Matt Dillon, follows The New York Cosmos from their early days under the ownership Steve Ross, the founder of Warner Communications, to the party times when the Cosmos ruled the world. Their success, in fact the very reason why football became an overnight sensation in the USA, was due to one man, Pele. The Brazilian, three-time World Cup winner became the multi million dollar marquee player that American soccer desperately needed.

The club reached its zenith of popularity when the spending power of Warner’s had brought the likes of Johan Cruyff, Alberto and Franz Beckenbauer to the team. The high profile players lived the life of rock and roll stars. They danced at Studio 54, hung out with Andy Warhol and lived life to excess as you could only do in the 70s. The rich and famous, from Henry Kissenger to Mick Jagger were regular visitors to the changing room. Players didn’t have to worry about being role models for their fans. In those non-PC days, sex and drugs seemed just as important as training. The tensions on and off the pitch had to take their toll and the antagonistic relationship between Italian striker Georgio Chinaglia and Pele is played put to the sound of the Sparks This Towns Not Big Enough For the Both of Us, a fine example of the excellent use of music in the film.

The fascinating combination of football action and historical footage exemplifies what the 70s was all about. The events that shook New York at the time, including the infamous Summer of Sam serial killings and the July 13^th 1977 black outs, give Once in a Lifetime a resonance way beyond a mere sporting film. That was the thing about the New York Cosmos, at their peak they were a phenomenon that transcended the football field. Four days after the police caught Sam, the Cosmos sold out Giants Stadium and New Yorkers instantly forgot about the killer as football fever took hold. Once in a Lifetime perfectly encapsulates the excitement and madness of a time when a sporting revolution was being born. Looking back now we know it didn’t last, all good things, as they say, must come to an end and the North American Soccer League just couldn’t sustain this level of excitement. Money, greed and television rights put paid to that but being part of the New York Cosmos was a fun ride while it lasted.

DVD Extras: Additional footage including The Real Hunt for Pele, Pele’s Last Stand and Haitian Divorce along with a selection of Madman trailers.

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