Raul producing worldwide headlines displaying little understanding of U.S. soccer

One of the big benefits of the New York Cosmos signing Raul Gonzalez was the international attention that a marquee signing brings. Judging by the turnout at the Spaniard's introductory press conference, that was mission accomplished.

Media outlets worldwide have been writing about the signing, with quotes from his various interviews along with some information about his new role with the Cosmos' academy. Unfortunately, many outlets didn't do a particularly good job with the coverage:

The author's name in this article amused me, as simply turning to Google for information on the New York Cosmos would have cleared up the obvious mistake in the headline. Rookie mistake indeed.

That said, it's not the first time a foreign outlet has displayed their ignorance involving the U.S. soccer pyramid. You might recall rumors suggesting Steven Gerrard was about to become a designated player for our favorite "MLS side" just a month ago. The Cosmos and the NASL clearly have some work to do in terms of gaining international recognition, so maybe attracting players and owners with international appeal is a better strategy than most of us realized.