Cubadebate (English) » Pele

Pele Visits Havana for a Friendly Match

Cubadebate — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 15:43:47 +0000

The famed Brazilian ex-footballer Pele arrived here with the club New York Cosmos, which will hold on Tuesday a friendly match with the national team at the Pedro Marrero Stadium. Pele and the leader of the visiting team, the Spanish footballer Raul Gonzalez Blanco, were hailed by journalists and the public late-night while leaving the Jose Marti International Airport.

The New York Cosmos brought his entire payroll including Marcos Senna at the wheel, born in Brazil and nationalized Spanish.

In an aside to Prensa Latina, Luis Hernandez, president of the Cuban Football Federation, noted that Pele (Edson Arantes two Nascimento) was very pleased to be in Cuba.

In the quick contact we had with him was real satisfied for this trip and for the opportunity to know by first hand Cuban football, sports official said.

Tuesday’s match will serve warmup ahead of the Gold Cup to be discussed in July in the United States, he argued.

The Cosmos Club is the first professional football team of the United States to play in this Caribbean country since 1978, although the American national team played in 2008 in Havana a qualifying match for the World Cup.

Founded in 1970 and registered in the North American Soccer League (NASL League American football), the Cosmos made history in 1975-1984, when he invested large sums of money to hire world stars in their final year career, including Pele, the German Franz Beckenbauer and Dutch Johan Neeskens.

According to the program, on Monday the visiting team will have a training session at the Pedro Marrero stadium, and in the afternoon will offer a press conference in the Melia-Cohiba hotel of this capital.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Cosmos will face the national team of Cuba.

(Prensa Latina)

US New York Cosmos Soccer Team Expected in Cuba

Cubadebate — Sun, 31 May 2015 14:26:41 +0000

The US soccer team New York Cosmos will arrive in Cuba on Sunday to play friendly games with the Cuban team at Havana’s Pedro Marrero Stadium on Thursday. Accompanying the New York club is Edson Arantes Dos Nascimento “Pele, the King of Football”, who will visit Cuba for the first time.

Cosmos will be the first professional soccer team from the United States to play in Cuba since 1978, although that country’s national team played a qualifier for the World Cup in Havana in 2008.

Among the players of the US are Spanish forward Raul Gonzalez Blanco, who had a successful career with the Spanish professional club Real Madrid, and Brazilian player Marco Senna.

Precisely, Raul Gonzalez said that he was excited about the possibility of visiting Cuba and described the game as “historic” in a video broadcast in English by the American team.

“There are many fans of football and Real Madrid in Cuba, it is an amazing country and I’m excited. It will be a small party in football’s history,” said Raul Gonzalez.

He said that he hoped that other teams (from the United States) can play against Cuban teams.

Founded in 1970 and registered in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the Cosmos made history from 1975 to 1984, when it invested large sums of money to hire world stars in their final year’s of their careers, including Pele, German player Franz Beckenbauer and Dutch player Johan Neeskens.

According to the program of the Cuban Soccer Federation, New York Cosmos will have a training session on Monday at the Pedro Marrero Stadium and, in the afternoon, it will give a press conference at the Melia Cohiba Hotel.

On Tuesday afternoon, Cosmos will play against Cuba’s national team.

(Prensa Latina)