Madison Square Garden Was a Soccer Palace in the '40s

Before it became "the world's most famous arena," Madison Square Garden hosted pro indoor soccer games in the 1940s. It was weirder than you can imagine. This week, we look back at those surreal indoor matches—some of the earliest in our country’s history. Plus, we uncover a current plan in the works to revive the New York Cosmos, prepare for the Chopped Cheese Classic this Saturday, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 🚌 Visit the Soccer Bus in NYC on Saturday

• 😳 New York Cosmos to Return in 2026?

• 🏟️ Madison Square Garden Was a Soccer Palace in the '40s

• ⭐ Three Stars in July

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
Visit the Soccer Bus in NYC on Saturday

Come visit the Soccer Bus in New York this Saturday at the Chopped Cheese Classic!

On Saturday, July 12th, we’ll be joining Pablo’s Mate and NYC Footy to host a very special all-day event open to the entire New York soccer community.

First, we’re kicking things off in the morning with a 10-team tournament at McCarren Park in Brooklyn, where each squad will represent a local deli, bodega, or corner store from across the five boroughs.

Immediately following the tournament, we will host a free and open block party on Richardson Street (between Union Ave and Lorimer St.) featuring local vendors, food, drinks, live music, pro team appearances, and more. Plus, we’ll open up the soccer bus for everyone in the NYC community to come check it out.

The tournament will run from 8am to 12pm, and the block party will run from 12pm to 7pm.

No need to RSVP for the party. We’ll see you there!

EXPANSION
New York Cosmos to Return in 2026?

You read that right. It seems like it’s really happening.

The Cosmos are set to come back in 2026 as a USL League One team playing out of New Jersey.

What a sight it’d be to see the team revive and compete in a league that will eventually have pro-rel.

Rumors say that the brand reveal is set for July 10th, which would be a monumental announcement. All the latest updates are here.

COVER STORY
Madison Square Garden Was a Soccer Palace in the '40s

I can’t believe there was a time our forefathers filled Madison Square Garden with dirt, laid some chalk lines, built a couple of goals, and then hosted indoor matches for all of 1940s New York to enjoy.

But the road for indoor soccer to arrive at MSG was a long one. Various organizations around the country had already attempted their own versions in the early parts of the 20th century. Teams in St. Louis had even tried to play 11v11 inside an arena. Over in Cleveland, teams experimented with playing 7v7, and American newspapers of the time had a pretty insightful take on it:

“That is a strictly American product, for the Old Country boys would turn up their noses at anything so radical as seven-man soccer.” [Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1932]

All of these innovations were weird for many purists across the pond, but maybe we were just visionaries. Look at Piqué’s Kings League today.

Truth is, it seems our country has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to developing small-sided, offshoot versions of soccer, which is pretty cool. Call it American ingenuity. But it’s been a constantly evolving process.

When it came to the Madison Square Garden games, for example, indoor soccer leagues had started to take hold in New York during the 1930s. Finally, in February of 1941, the four New York clubs of the American Soccer League decided to host a one-day indoor tournament. Over 10,000 people showed up to witness the occasion.

It was a rough affair, though. The teams played directly on the terrazzo concrete surface of the Garden’s floor, which caused slipping, injuries, and even hospitalizations.

Nevertheless, the tournament must have been a success, since they decided to host a pair of games again a few months later in May of 1941.

This time, the organizers learned their lesson and installed a rolled dirt surface over the Garden’s hard flooring. Furthermore, they added padded walls for greater protection, the penalty area and offsides were removed, and unlimited substitutions were allowed. There’s even 84-year-old footage you can watch from these games if you’re curious. It’s bizarre—in the best way ever—to see such a polished venue converted into a primordial indoor soccer court.

It’s pretty awesome to know that a world-renowned arena for basketball and music entertainment was also a crucial site for the development of the indoor soccer we know and love today. Those soccer competitions on the MSG floor even predate the Knicks, mind you…

OUR HISTORY
Three Stars in July

It’s a special week in July. That magnificent span of five days where we get to celebrate three respective World Cup win anniversaries.

Up first, on July 5th, was the 10th anniversary [I feel old] of the 2015 World Cup Final against Japan, which we won 5-2. How could I ever forget that Carli Lloyd midfield bomb?

Then, yesterday, was the 6th anniversary of the 2019 World Cup Final against the Netherlands, which we won 2-0. That Rose Lavelle goal is burned in my brain forever.

And finally, on July 10th, we’ll celebrate the 26th anniversary of arguably the most historic one of them all: the 1999 World Cup Final against China, which we won 5-4 on penalties.

Am I coping after seeing Mexico beat us in the Men’s Gold Cup Final on Sunday? Maybe. But it does feel incredible to know the USWNT has given this country so many moments of joy across time. It’s good to stop and remember some of the most important ones.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Despite the loss, I will always commend those who leave it all on the line for our national team. There were some bright spots at this tournament, and now we have new names that might just have entered the conversation to feature at the 2026 World Cup. Who would be your top pick?

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Fair Play: We got to capture some video content for Concacaf at the Gold Cup Final, and it was a lot of fun working on this one from waaaaay up high.

CWC Finale: We’re entering the final stages of the Club World Cup. Can’t believe it’s been a month already. It was awesome getting to cover the Fluminense win on Independence Day and immortalize how much it meant to the large Brazilian community in Orlando.

Palmeiras Player in Rochester: One of the most rewarding parts of the Club World Cup has been uncovering stories like Marcelo’s. A former Palmeiras goalkeeper who has been coaching in Rochester, NY, for years. This summer, he got the chance to reunite with his former club.

Hope: We also got to highlight the story behind the Espérance de Tunis fans who captivated the world by taking over Times Square at the beginning of the tournament.

First Up: Boston Legacy of the NWSL signed their first-ever player in club history last week. What do you think of this signing?

CULTURE
From Minnesota to the World

While running a Vietnamese restaurant in Minnesota, Mariah Nguyen’s parents let her discover a love for soccer and entertaining her teammates.

Today, in her fourth season with Minnesota Aurora, she’s one of the most prolific players in club history, while amassing an audience of over 1M followers on TikTok.

This is Mariah’s incredible story.

FASHION
The Cabana Kit

The perfect summer kit. Hummel continues to dominate the USL with amazing releases.

Just think back to the Portland Hearts jerseys, Charleston Battery’s special release a couple of months back, One Knoxville, and many more. They’ve truly impressed me this year.

Need to rock this one at a pool party or beach day. Maybe even at a retro casino.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Who's winning the Gold Cup? And Why? Here are some of your answers:

• “Mexico. They improved after Aguirre arrived, plus the US team is not the starters, so Mexico has the edge.” - JD

• “Guatemala. Vamos Chapines!” - Jose

• “United States. I think the team is hungry. If they can frustrate Mexico, they can get a positive result like in those Nations League or even Gold Cup Finals back in the day.” - Ben

In the poll, “United States” finished first with 72% of the vote, while “Mexico” followed in second with 25% of the vote.

UP NEXT
The City of Brotherly Love

We couldn’t forget about the Open Cup. Our main goal for the year is to go to every single round with the bus, and for the quarterfinals, we’ll be headed to Philly on Wednesday. If you’re in the area, come check it out and enjoy a fun midweek matchup. We promise, Open Cup nights are just special. Keep an eye out for more info coming on our Instagram today. Y’all are the first to know!

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo