2015 New York Cosmos bobbleheads

Besides the Pele bobblehead offered by the New York Cosmos during the 2015 season, they also honored several other players:

Sept 12, 2015 - Giorgio Chinaglia

Marcos Senna

Raul

Danny Szetela

Cosmos advertisement 1977

Aug-Sept 1977

Half-page advertisement in DC Comics promoting Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia at the Meadowlands...

Giorgio Chinaglia

Giorgio Chinaglia (Jan 24, 1947 - April 1, 2012)

Chinaglia was born in Carrara, Tuscany, Italy. His family moved to Cardiff, Wales in 1955. By 1962 his football skills earned him an apprenticeship with Swansea Town in the Football League Third Division, making his senior debut in 1964. Chinaglia would stay with Swansea until moving to Massese, in 1966, in the Italian Serie C. From 1967-1969 Chinaglia would play for Internapoli, Serie C.
Chinaglia would move to Lazio, Serie B, in 1969 staying with them until 1976. He would score 98 goals in 209 appearances for Lazio.

Chingalia's play with Lazio earned him a spot on the Italian National Team, 1972-1974. In 1973 Chinaglia helped Italy to its first win over England at Wembley Stadium, in a friendly. Chingalia would play for Italy in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, West Germany. When he was substituted for in a match against Haiti, his actions caused his teammates to ostracize him, effectively ending his National Team career at 14 caps, 4 goals.

1976 Chinaglia would move to the United States and the NASL Cosmos, until 1983, playing in 254 games, scoring 242 goals (including regular  season and playoff games).

Chinaglia would also play two stints with the Cosmos indoor team, 1981-82 and 1984-85, playing in 21 games, scoring 38 goals.

Chinaglia was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame, 2000.

Phil Mushnick, NY Post April 2, 2012

In his article Mushnick talks about how Chinaglia "told the truth...as far as he was concerned, his version. He knew what he was, how he did it and never ran from the tough questions, only straight into them."

In a comment about the Sirius Radio Show "The Football Show" Chinaglia hosted with Charlie Stillitano, Mushnick remarked how Chinaglia scolded Stillitano "Charlie, don't compare Lionel Messi with Diego Maradonna, please."

"Everyone else has, Giorgio"

Everyone else is an idiot" replied Chinaglia

2006 - NY Cosmos autographs

Giorgio Chinaglia

Italian National Team (1972-1974)

1974 World Cup

Massese - Serie A (Italy)

Internapoli - Serie A (Italy)

Lazio - Serie A (Italy)

NY Cosmos - NASL (US)

1981 NASL MVP

193 goals, 213 games

4-time leading scorer

NASL Champions 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982

US Soccer Hall of Fame 2000

Julio Cesar "Romerito" romero

Paraguayan National Team (1979-1986)

Sportivo LuQueno (Paraguay 1977-1980)

NY Cosmos NASL (US 1980-1983)

NASL Champions 1982

MVP, Leading Scorer 1983

Fluminense (Brazil 1984-1989)

Barcelona (Spain 1989)

Puebla (Mexico 1989)

Olympia (Paraguay 1989)

Carlos Alberto Torres

Brazilian National Team (1964-1977)

1970 World Cup Champions

Fluminense (Brazil 1963-1965, 1974-1976)

Campeonato Carioca Champions 1974, 1975

Santos (Brazil 1966-1974)

Flamengo (brazil 1977)

NY Cosmos - NASL (US 1977-1980, 1982)

NASL Champions 1977, 1978, 1982

California Surf - NASL (US 1981)

2003 US Hall of Fame

Hubert Birkenmeier

NY Cosmos 1979-1984

NASL Champions 1980, 1982

Andranik Eskandarian

Iranian National Team (1975-1978)

1978 World Cup

NY Cosmos - NASL (US 1979-1984)

NASL Champions 1980, 1982

NY Cosmos - NASL indoor (US 1984-1985)

NY Express - MISL (US 1986-1987)

NJ Eagles -APSL (US1989-1990)

2006 saw the introduction of the NY Red Bull...Prior to the start of the game, Red Bull management brought out former New York area players...

Before this I had seen a man in the parking lot, long overcoat, hands in pocket, head hung low, just walking alone...I did a double take...it looked like Chinaglia...it was.

We approached and he was gracious in signing the book. Following him a bus had pulled in and several Cosmos players started leaving the bus and heading for the stadium, and we were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time...

Giogorio Chinaglia

Giorgio Chinaglia - NY Cosmos by Bruce Stark of the NY Daily News....Chinaglia came to the NY Cosmos in 1976 after having played for Swansea in England and Massese, Internapoli and SS lazio in Italy. Playing along side soccer greats Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, Chinaglia would win 4 NASL titles and score 243 goals, from 1976-1983.

Chinaglia also played for the Italian National team competing in the 1974 World Cup

Bruce Stark was a staff artist with the NY Daily News from 1960-1982 specializing in sports cartoons and caricatures. Stark won the National Cartoonist's Rueben Award for "Best Sports Cartoonist of the Year" in 1966 and 1975, and "Best Special Features Cartoonist" 1968.

Star had provided drawings of members of the NY Yankees and NY Mets which ran in the color comics pages during the late 1970s. The following year Stark and the Daily News again provided caricatures of sports celebrities: Giorgio Chinaglia - NY Cosmos, Ron Guidry - NY Yankees, Lee Mazzilli - NY Mets, Harry Carson - NY Giants, richard Todd - NY Mets, and Tennis player Tracy Austin. The pages are 9 x 12" printed on news stock.