Aug 9, 2021
Your humble host
does his best this week to tamp down his inner fanboy as he sits
down for a bucket-list conversation with one of his favorite
players from the legendary New York Cosmos of the original NASL -
winger extraordinaire Steve Hunt ("I'm With the Cosmos: The Story of
Steve Hunt").
Abruptly
transferred into the star-studded orbit of North America's
burgeoning super-club at the tender age of 20 from his hometown
(Birmingham) England First Division Aston Villa side in the spring
of 1977, Hunt unwittingly arrived just in time to grab a seat on
the rocket ship breakout season that vaulted the Cosmos into the
stratosphere of soccer not only across the US, but also
worldwide.
Joining an array of
international greats like Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto,
Giorgio Chinaglia, and the incomparable
Pelé,
the speedy Hunt quickly became an instant sensation and vital
offensive cog - not to mention a huge fan favorite - for a Cosmos
unit that would soon break records both on and off the field,
including an iconic MVP star turn in the club's historic Soccer
Bowl '77 championship-winning
match.
While he only played three seasons in
Gotham, Hunt was a crucial component of NASL championships achieved
in each of them (1977, 1978 & 1982) - a springboard to a triumphant
return to England's top tier and national team
caps.