By this stage in the season, for Cosmos regulars at Coney Island, neighboring fans in the stands have become familiar faces. For some, this goes back to the reboot season of 2013. For others, the sense of an extended Cosmos family goes back to the 70s and 80s. But the sense of community is no longer only cultivated in the stands. Social media allows us to connect daily and, with news of the club and league making headlines, there’s much to discuss. But there’s still nothing like the sense of community that comes from face-to-face in-person interaction. 
 

The geographic spread of the North American Soccer League reached the west coast this season with the birth of the San Francisco Deltas. Superfan Nancy Osserman, who passed away in 2014, not only had an entire row of season tickets at Giants Stadium from 1977-84, she also had season tickets with every other NASL club at the time, so “Mrs. O” could travel with the team.

 

While Cosmos supporters often schedule their vacations with an eye on the away fixtures, few can afford the luxury of a midweek trip to Miami during the first week of September. Fortunately, one can always catch the Cosmos from the comfort of one’s living room. But there’s nothing quite like watching the club you love with fellow supporters. The various supporters clubs that comprise the Five Points often meet up on away days at viewing parties throughout Cosmos Country. One new watering hole/gathering spot that is especially Cosmos-centric is the suitably named Offside Tavern at W. 14th St. between 6th and 7th Avenues, two blocks west of Union Square in Manhattan.

Not only is the location ideal, the story behind why Offside Tavern has become a Cosmos Pub Partner gives added incentive to Cosmos fans to stop by on match day. We reached out to Michael Paul Smith, the actor/writer/director responsible for putting Offside on the Cosmos Country map to explain:

 

"In the early weeks of 2017, I proudly counted myself among an army of volunteers helping my dear friend since...9th grade, Nick Costa, put together his very own bar. At the time, we knew that it would be a sports bar with a small theatre in the back that can be used for all kinds of screenings or creative endeavors. But before, during, and after trips to electronics stores, and countless hours breaking down boxes and screwing together tables, Nick and I took whatever time we could to revel in the beginning of something. The possibilities, the potential. The blank canvass that still wasn't yet assembled. All I knew was that I wanted to help. All he knew for sure was that the bar would be friendly to our favorite hockey team: The New York Islanders. All I knew for sure was that I had to convince him that he should also come over to Cosmos Country, where so many fans share his love of the Islanders, where Cosmos fans were just starting to breathe sighs of relief as the news that Rocco had saved our team had only recently broken. Nick and I walked to a nearby arcade after a Saturday building session, played a few hundred games of retro NBA Jam, and walked back to his as-yet unopened bar, and our conversation went something like this: 

 

Nick: So why did you choose the Cosmos?

Mike: Process of elimination. I can't root for a team that (redacted), and plays in (redacted) or one that's a (redacted) of (redacted) and plays in (redacted). Plus the Cosmos play in the independent NASL.

Nick: Why is that better?

Mike: Cause they wanna play the world's game with the rest of the world, the way the rest of the world plays it. Independently. With pro/rel. 

 

 

Luckily, Nick knew what pro/rel was so I didn't have to start from square one there. Although I would have been happy to. I spent the rest of the day teaching him chants from the Five Points in English ("Come on you boys in green!") and my Duolingo-approved 36% (and counting) fluent Spanish ("Esta Noche, tenemos que ganaaaaaaar") and regaling him with tales of recent and not-so-recent glory.
 

Nick: I'm in. How do we do this?

Mike: Get a twitter account and give me the password.

Nick: Are you some kind of secret social media expert?

Mike: Nope. Don't even like it, really. But I'll figure it out.

 

And that's how it started. This season (also known as the first six months of Offside Tavern's history) has seen the walls of Nick's bar host animated conversations about the world's game, the role of the U.S in it, and the Cosmos' role in it. It has seen many new converts to Cosmos Country and all that it stands for. Players, supporters, and team employees have visited. And this is just the beginning. Offside Tavern loves this club. So do I, and now...so does Nick!

 

AND I taught myself how to (sort of) not hate social media. So...bonus!

 

Vamos."

For tonight’s match at Miami, Offside Tavern is offering a free Heineken to every Cosmos fan who comes by. Kickoff is at 8:00pm, so there’s never been a better time to be Offside!