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Cosmopolitan Soccer League

Regional soccer league based in and around New York City

Summary

Regional soccer league based in and around New York City

FieldValue
logo[[File:Cosmopolitan_Soccer_League_Logo.png200px]]
pixels100px
countryUnited States
confedCONCACAF
(North American Football Union)
founded
first1923–24
teams112
domest_cupU.S. Open Cup
confed_cupCONCACAF Champions League
championsPolonia SC
(1st title)
season2024-25
most successful clubGerman-Hungarian SC
(11 titles)
website
promotionEastern Premier Soccer Leaguerelegation=Cosmopolitan Soccer League Division 2

(North American Football Union) (1st title) (11 titles)

The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatly to the nation's soccer history.

Currently, the league has four open divisions. The first two divisions require all clubs to also field reserve teams, a requirement that some leagues have abolished, but which the Cosmopolitan Soccer League believes makes its competition some of the strongest in United States soccer. The league also has an over-30 and an over-40 division. The league is USASA-affiliated.

The Cosmopolitan Soccer League plays a traditional international schedule with competition beginning the second weekend of September and running through June, with a winter break from late December to early March. During the winter months, the league runs optional league cups.

History

The Cosmopolitan Soccer League was formed as the German American Soccer League in 1923. In 1927, the association changed its name to the German American Football Association. The league was highly successful in the 1920s and, in New York, was behind only baseball and basketball in terms of popularity. The league struggled through the Great Depression and by the 1940s the game was viewed by most Americans as an "ethnic" sport. Attendance and popularity declined sharply until the founding of the North American Soccer League in 1968. By the mid-1970s, league officials recognized that in order to maintain the league's viability in the same market as the star-studded New York Cosmos, it needed to appeal to a wider audience and in 1977, it voted to change its name to the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. Prior to the professionalizing of the modern American game, the United States national team often consisted of Cosmopolitan League players.

In 1923, five teams, S.C. New York, Wiener Sports Club, D.S.C. Brooklyn, Hoboken FC 1912 and Newark S.C., banded together to found the German American Soccer League. As the name suggests, the teams were largely composed of recent immigrants from Central Europe, primarily Germany. The next year, four more teams, Swiss F.C., Elizabeth S.C., S.C. Eintracht and Germania S.C., joined the league. The league renamed itself the German American Football Association in 1927. While the GASL began as a single division league, it added a junior division in 1933. That year, the league also held its first indoor tournament. In addition to its junior division, the GASL also added several lower divisions over the decades.

In 1943, all of the U.S. leagues suffered from significant player losses from the U.S. participation in World War II. In order to continue to play a competitive schedule, the GASL joined with the Eastern District Soccer League to run a joint season. Following the end of the war in 1945, the GASL found itself turning from a lack of quality players to an overabundance as Central European professionals left their war ravaged countries to move to the United States. The league experienced a second influx of talented players when Hungarians fled their country following the Soviet Union crushing the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

In 1964, the GASL joined with the professional American Soccer League in a short lived experiment. That year, the two leagues formed the Eastern Professional Soccer Conference which competed during the GASL/ASL off season. The league was a failure and did not complete its one season in existence.https://web.archive.org/web/20090303113555/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1965.html While the merger with the ASL was less than successful, the GASL undertook a cooperative agreement with another league, this time the International Soccer League (ISL) in 1965. That season, the GASL All Star team entered the ISL as the New Yorker, going to the final where it lost to Polonia Bytom 5–1.https://web.archive.org/web/20100618030726/http://national.soccerhall.org/ColinJose/InternationalSoccerLeague.htm The string of league mergers continued in 1974 when the National Soccer League of New York merged into the GASL.

In 1977, the GASL changed its name in response to a changing American soccer scene. While soccer had existed as an ethnic sport since the 1930s, the creation of the North American Soccer League in 1968 had brought the sport into the mainstream. Recognizing that maintaining its ethnic identity would hinder its acceptance by the wider U.S. sports culture, the GASL governing board voted to rename the league the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. As part of this process, the league's teams were directed to change their names to ones with less ethnic connotations, although this requirement was dropped three years later.

Despite the regional and semi-professional nature of the league, it featured many of the top U.S. player in the 1950s and 1960s. Even into the early 1970s, GASL players appeared regularly with the U.S. national team. The high regard afforded to the league is reflected in that the National Soccer Hall of Fame considers the GASL as one of a handful of leagues in which a player may become eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.http://national.soccerhall.org/Election%20Process/2005/VeteransCommitteeEligibility.htm

New York Cosmos

The GASL had named an All Star team beginning in 1930. In 1968, after the newly established North American Soccer League approached the GASL about placing a GASL team in the NASL, the league formed its All Star team, known as the Cosmos, into an exhibition team. The Cosmos did not enter the NASL until the 1971 season, but when it did, it was well stocked with former GASL players.

2024-2025 team list

List of the participants in the current season: The top former CSL teams play in the Metropolitan Conference in the Eastern Premier Soccer League, which together with Maryland Major Soccer League, creates a regional based multi-league promotion and relegation system between these leagues. Some CSL teams also have reserve teams that play in a separate reserve division.

Eastern Premier Soccer League

  • Central Park Rangers FC
  • Doxa FCW
  • Hoboken FC 1912
  • KidSuper Samba AC
  • Lansdowne Yonkers FC
  • NY Athletic Club
  • NY Greek Americans
  • NY Pancyprian-Freedoms
  • Manhattan Celtic
  • Richmond County FC
  • SC Vistula Garfield
  • Zum Schneider FC 03

Division 1

  • Central Park Rangers FC II
  • Borgetto FC
  • FC Sandzak
  • FC Ulqini
  • Hoboken FC 1912 II
  • KidSuper Samba AC II
  • Manhattan Celtic II
  • Manhattan Kickers
  • NY International F.C.
  • NY Ukrainians
  • Polonia SC
  • Zum Schneider FC 03 II

Division 2

  • Block FC
  • Brooklyn City FC
  • Central Park Rangers United
  • DeSportiva Sociedad NY
  • FC Japan
  • Laberia FC
  • Manhattan FC
  • NY Galicia
  • NYPD FC
  • NY Shamrocks SC
  • S.C. Eintracht
  • Soricha Foot SC
  • South Bronx United
  • Sporting Astoria SC
  • Stal Mielec NY
  • Vibes FC
  • Williamsburg International F.C.

Division 3

  • Aurora FC
  • Central Park Rangers Kickoff
  • Central Park Rangers Old Boys
  • Manhattan Celtic Bhoys
  • NY Athletic Club II
  • NY Eagles SC
  • NY Legacy FC
  • NY Pancyprian-Freedoms II
  • Panatha USA
  • SmartSports FC
  • Sporting Astoria SC
  • Riverside Squires

Division 4

  • Barnstonworth Rovers FC
  • Central Park Rangers Kickoff II
  • DeSportiva Sociedad City
  • DeSportiva Sociedad Fury
  • FanDuel FC
  • FC Partizani NY
  • Manhattan FC III
  • NYC AlphaStars Club
  • Ollama FC
  • Queens Tigers FC
  • SC Gjøa
  • Warriors NYC
  • Williamsburg International FC III

Over 40 Division

Inactive Clubs

  • Elizabeth S.C.
  • Union County SC

Past League Champions

ClubNo. of titlesChampionship Season
German-Hungarian SC111929–1930, 1932–1933, 1933–1934, 1939–1940, 1940–1941,
Greek American AA91963–1964, 1967–1968, 1968–1969, 1969–1970, 2004–2005,
New York Pancyprian-Freedoms81978–1979, 1979–1980, 1981–1982, 2002–2003, 2003–2004,
Elizabeth S.C.71937–1938, 1946–1947, 1947–1948, 1948–1949, 1952–1953,
New York Athletic Club1994–1995, 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 1998–1999, 1999–2000,
Brooklyn Italians61976–1977, 1977–1978, 1980–1981, 1983–1984, 2005–2006,
New York Hungaria1956–1957, 1958–1959, 1959–1960, 1960–1961, 1961–1962,
SC Eintracht51942–1943, 1943–1944, 1944–1945, 1945–1946, 1949–1950
DFC Newark41927–1928, 1928–1929, 1931–1932, 1936–1937
Lansdowne Yonkers FC2013–2014, 2014–2015, 2015–2016, 2017–2018
DSC Brooklyn31934–1935, 1935–1936, 1938–1939
Inter-Giuliana SC1971–1972, 1973–1974, 1975–1976
New York Croatia SC1985–1986, 1988–1989, 1997–1998
New York Hota Bavarian SC1970–1971*, 1986–1987, 1987–1988
Blau-Weiss Gottschee SC21962–1963, 1990–1991
New York Albanians1989–1990, 2001–2002
Hoboken FC 19121984–1985, 2021-2022
New York Ukrainians1965–1966, 1966–1967
SC Vienna11930–1931
Blue Star SC1964–1965
Clarkstown SC1993–1994
German-American AC1941–1942
Hudson Dalmatians1974–1975
Sportfriends SC1991–1992
Vasco Da Gama SC1982–1983
Shamrock SC2020-2021
Central Park Rangers FC Reds2022-2023
Richmond County FC2023-2024
Polonia SC2024-2025
  • Both Elizabeth S.C. and New York Hota/Bavarian SC hold the title of champion for the 1970–1971 season

Year by year

SeasonLeague ChampionLeague Cup ChampionsIndoor Tournament Champions
1927–1928DFC NewarkNo Tournaments HeldNo Tournaments Held
1928–1929DFC Newark
1929–1930German-Hungarian SC
1930–19311st SC Vienna
1931–1932DFC Newark
1932–1933German-Hungarian SC
1933–1934German-Hungarian SC
1934–1935DSC Brooklyn
1935–1936DSC Brooklyn
1936–1937DFC Newark
1937–1938Elizabeth S.C.
1938–1939DSC Brooklyn
1939–1940German-Hungarian SC
1940–1941German-Hungarian SC
1941–1942German-American AC
1942–1943S.C. Eintracht
1943–1944S.C. Eintracht
1944–1945S.C. Eintracht
1945–1946S.C. Eintracht
1946–1947Elizabeth S.C.
1947–1948Elizabeth S.C.
1948–1949Elizabeth S.C.
1949–1950S.C. Eintracht
1950–1951German-Hungarian SC
1951–1952German-Hungarian SC
1952–1953Elizabeth S.C.
1953–1954German-Hungarian SC
1954–1955German-Hungarian SC
1955–1956German-Hungarian SC
1956–1957New York Hungaria
1957–1958German-Hungarian SC
1958–1959New York Hungaria
1959–1960New York Hungaria
1960–1961New York Hungaria
1961–1962New York HungariaNew York Hungaria
1962–1963Blau-Weiss Gottschee SCBlau-Weiss Gottschee
1963–1964Greek American AANew York Greek-American AC
1964–1965Blue Star SCNew York Hota Bavarian SC
1965–1966New York UkrainiansNew York Hota Bavarian SC
1966–1967New York UkrainiansGerman-Hungarian SC
1967–1968Greek American AANew York Hota Bavarian SC
1968–1969Greek American AAGiuliana SC
1969–1970Greek American AAGerman-Hungarian SC
1970–1971Elizabeth S.C. & New York Hota Bavarian SC (shared)German-Hungarian SC
1971–1972Inter-Giuliana SCElizabeth S.C.
1972–1973Elizabeth S.C.German-Hungarian SC
1973–1974Inter-Giuliana SCInter-Giuliana SC
1974–1975Hudson DalmatiansInter-Giuliana SC
1975–1976Inter-Giuliana SCDalmatinac SC
1976–1977Brooklyn ItaliansBrooklyn Italians
1977–1978Brooklyn ItaliansInter-Giuliana SC
1978–1979New York Pancyprian-FreedomsNew York AtlasTurkish SC
1979–1980New York Pancyprian-FreedomsKearny-AmericansNew York Pancyprian-Freedoms
1980–1981Brooklyn ItaliansKearny-AmericansBlue Star SC
1981–1982New York Pancyprian-FreedomsElizabeth S.C.New York Atlas
1982–1983Vasco Da Gama SCElizabeth S.C.New York Atlas
1983–1984Brooklyn ItaliansNew York UkrainiansBrooklyn Italians
1984–1985Hoboken FC 1912Banatul SCBrooklyn Italians
1985–1986New York Croatia SCNew York Croatia SCBlau-Weiss Gottschee SC
1986–1987New York Hota Bavarian SCHoboken FC 1912Adriatic SC
1987–1988New York Hota Bavarian SCShamrock SCVllaznimi SC
1988–1989New York Croatia SCNew York Hota/Bavarian SCMadlost SC
1989–1990New York AlbaniansHoboken FC 1912Elizabeth S.C.
1990–1991Blau-Weiss Gottschee SCSC GjoaSC Gjoa
1991–1992Sportfriends SCClarkstown SCSC Gjoa
1992–1993New York HungariaIstria SCAdriatic SC
1993–1994Clarkstown SCNo Tournament HeldFC Porto
1994–1995New York Athletic Club S.C.Polonia SCClarkstown SC
1995–1996New York Athletic Club S.C.St. BarnabasNew York Athletic Club S.C.
1996–1997New York Athletic Club S.C.SC GjoaNew York Greek-American Atlas
1997–1998New York Croatia SCNo Tournament HeldNew York Greek-American Atlas
1998–1999New York Athletic Club S.C.New York Shamrock SCIstria SC
1999–2000New York Athletic Club S.C.New York Shamrock SCNew York Hungaria
2000–2001New York Athletic Club S.C.New York Pancyprian-FreedomsNew York Albanians
2001–2002New York AlbaniansNew York AlbaniansKoha SC
2002–2003New York Pancyprian-FreedomsNo Tournaments HeldZPA SC
2003–2004New York Pancyprian-FreedomsNew York Bozniyak
2004–2005Greek American AANew York Greek-American Atlas
2005–2006Brooklyn ItaliansNo Tournaments Held
2006–2007Brooklyn Italians
2007–2008Greek American AAStal Mielec New York
2008–2009Greek American AANew York Croatia
2009–2010New York Pancyprian-FreedomsNew York Croatia
2010–2011New York Pancyprian-FreedomsPolonia SCNew York Athletic Club S.C.
2011–2012Greek American AACentral Park Rangers FCManhattan Celtic
2012–2013New York Athletic Club S.C.Central Park Rangers FCVistula Garfield
2013–2014Lansdowne BhoysCD IberiaNo Tournament Held
2014–2015Lansdowne BhoysCD IberiaNew York Croatia
2015–2016Lansdowne BhoysZum Schneider FC 03Sporting Astoria SC
2016–2017Greek American AANew York Athletic Club S.C.Cedar Stars Academy
2017–2018Lansdowne BhoysNew York Shamrock SCCedar Stars Academy
2018–2019New York Pancyprian-FreedomsZum Schneider FC 03Doxa SC
2019–2020Season and tournaments not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–2021Shamrock SCBorgetto FCNo Tournaments Held
2021–2022Hoboken FC 1912Borgetto FC
2022–2023Central Park Rangers FC RedsRichmond County FC
2023–2024Richmond County FCNY International F.C.
2024-2025Polonia SC

Source

CSL in national competitions

National Challenge Cup

  • 1951 German-Hungarian SC
  • 1955 S.C. Eintracht
  • 1962 NY Hungaria
  • 1965 NY Ukrainian SC
  • 1967 Greek American AA
  • 1968 Greek American AA
  • 1969 Greek American AA
  • 1970 Elizabeth S.C.
  • 1971 NY Hota
  • 1972 Elizabeth S.C.
  • 1974 Greek American AA

National Amateur Cup

  • 1929 DFC Newark (runner up)
  • 1936 DSC Brooklyn
  • 1944 S.C. Eintracht
  • 1949 Elizabeth S.C.
  • 1951 German-Hungarian SC
  • 2014 New York Greek Americans
  • 2017 Lansdowne Bhoys FC

McGuire Cup (U-19 National Cup)

  • 1936 Hatikvoh FC
  • 1937 Hatikvoh FC
  • 1952 Killsman SC
  • 1953 Newark SC
  • 1955 Blau-Weiss Gottschee SC
  • 1959 NY Ukrainian SC

References

;Notes

References

  1. "Cosmopolitan Soccer League Teams".
  2. (2 September 2020). "Lansdowne go semi-pro, join EPSL".
  3. "REGIONALLY SPEAKING: CSL, Maryland Majors join Eastern Premier Soccer League".
  4. "Hoboken FC 1912 official website".
  5. "Hoboken FC 1912 official website".
  6. "Manhattan Celtic official website".
  7. "Manhattan Kickers official website".
  8. "Brooklyn City FC official website".
  9. "Stal Mielec New York official website".
  10. "SC GJOA".
  11. "League Champions".
Wikipedia Source

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