Once In A Lifetime

This documentary tells of the New York Cosmos, the American soccer team that lived fast and died young, and for a brief period in the 1970s triggered a footballing revolution in the US. From inauspicious early games played out in front of one man and his dog, entertainment visionary Steve Ross built the Cosmos brand through shrewd signings and clever marketing so that within five years the team were playing to packed houses of more than 70,000 fans. The club eventually imploded, but along the way assembled an incredible cast of characters, from legends like Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer to the slightly more obscure Shep Messing (a goalkeeper who supplemented his income through the odd porn shoot) and Giorgio Chinaglia (a flamboyant Italian striker who is the villain of the piece). Throw in regular trips to Studio 54, a healthy dose of groupie love and some phenomenal football action and the result is an entertaining documentary that won’t change the world, but should leave you spellbound for 90 minutes.