To commemorate the New York Cosmos’ historic friendly with FC St. Pauli, we looked to the words of Emma Goldman to explain a feeling. Emma Goldman was an anarchist activist and writer who lived here in New York City during the early 1900s, and a woman from which we, like many radical thinkers across the globe, draw great influence. On the front rail of the stadium on Thursday night you will see Goldman’s words inked in permanence, an excerpt from one of her larger works that, in its simplicity, reflects our mentality onto the world.
This friendly match is more than just a game between athletes from New York and Hamburg, this match is a statement of defiance, of independence, and in our humble opinions, an expression of great love. Through football, we have found a connection to our community and to each other that brings with it an inexplicable intensity. For years, the fan scenes around the Cosmos & St. Pauli have found common ground in the streets, bars, venues, football pitches, and demonstrations of our great city, and on May 23rd, we will finally have the opportunity to share our teams in the same stadium. So that is what we will do, we’ll share the stands, the fields, the celebration, and the atmosphere we’ll create will be rooted in this familiar expression of love. Love for our teams, love for our communities, love for our pursuit of a better football and a better world. Because “yes, love is free, it can dwell in no other atmosphere…”
