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What would you do if the Cosmos cease operations?

Would you support another side or wait it out?

Soccer: NASL Final-Indy Eleven at New York Cosmos Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Cosmos fans are sitting in Purgatory. We don’t know if our team will survive the next few days. Many supporters are preparing for the worst. If in a few weeks, the Cosmos cease to exist, what should Cosmos fans do? Should they support another New York based team or sit out altogether? Of course there are no right answers to this difficult question, but due to the circumstances surrounding the team, we have to consider a soccer-world post Cosmos:

Support an MLS team

MLS: New York City FC at New York Red Bulls Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

This option seems to be the most pragmatic. If Cosmos fans were to transfer their support to an MLS side, they would be able to watch first division soccer. MLS games are also incredibly easier to watch on television than Cosmos games were last season. Of course this transition would be very hard or perhaps undoable for many diehard Cosmos supporters: How could you give your support to one of your club’s biggest rivals? In addition some see would see it as sacrilegious to join one of the supporter groups of Red Bulls or New York City, ruining the fan experience for them. While this isn’t the ideal solution, if you simply want a New York team to get behind this may be the way to go.

Sit out US club soccer entirely

Soccer: International Friendly Men's Soccer-New Zealand at USA Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Many American fans already don’t watch domestic soccer. A large amount of American soccer fans already exclusively watch only foreign leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga or Liga MX. For a large section of fans, the National team is the only American team they support. It may be in the interest of many Cosmos fans to take this approach, as in a sense they can rebel against the pay-to-play club soccer system in the US. The con of this approach is the lack of a local team. For some, supporting a team from another country may be unappealing, especially if going to live games is important to your supporting experience.

Third Time’s the Charm Right?

Legendary Pele and World-Renowned New York Cosmos Score a Comeback Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for the New York Cosmos

They did it once, surely they could do it again? It’s not impossible that someone else will try to buy the name rights to the Cosmos and try again in a few years. If the Cosmos were to go under in the next few days, this is the approach I can see many ultras taking. Of course, the one uncertainty in this philosophy is that we don’t really know if or when, or under what circumstances the Cosmos would come back. How would the pro/rel crowd feel if the Cosmos were resurrected as an MLS side?

While we all are hoping for the best, we have to prepare for the worst as well. At the moment I currently have no clue what I would do if the Cosmos were to fold. The Cosmos were what got me into the domestic game, so I can see my interest fading with the club itself. However my love for the national team may keep me invested in MLS and other lower division leagues. What do you think Cosmos country?