The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatly to the nation's soccer history.

Currently, the league has four open divisions. The first two divisions require all clubs to also field reserve teams, a requirement that some leagues have abolished, but which the Cosmopolitan Soccer League believes makes its competition some of the strongest in United States soccer. The league also has an over-30 and an over-40 division. The league is USASA-affiliated.

The Cosmopolitan Soccer League plays a traditional international schedule with competition beginning the second weekend of September and running through June, with a winter break from late December to early March. During the winter months, the league runs optional league cups.

History The Cosmopolitan Soccer League was formed as the "German American Soccer League" in 1923. In 1927, the association changed its name to the German American Football Association. The league was highly successful in the 1920s and, in New York, was behind only baseball and basketball in terms of popularity. The league struggled through the Great Depression and by the 1940s the game was viewed by most Americans as an "ethnic" sport. Attendance and popularity declined sharply until the founding of the North American Soccer League in 1968. By the mid-1970s, league officials recognized that in order to maintain the league's viability in the same market as the star-studded New York Cosmos, it needed to appeal to a wider audience and in 1977, it voted to change its name to the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. Prior to the professionalizing of the modern American game, the United States national team often consisted of Cosmopolitan League players.

In 1923, five teams, S.C. New York, Wiener Sports Club, D.S.C. Brooklyn, Hoboken FC 1912 and Newark S.C., banded together to found the German American Soccer League. As the name suggests, the teams were largely composed of recent immigrants from Central Europe, primarily Germany. The next year, four more teams, Swiss F.C., Elizabeth S.C., S.C. Eintracht and Germania S.C., joined the league. The league renamed itself the German American Football Association in 1927. While the GASL began as a single division league, it added a junior division in 1933. That year, the league also held its first indoor tournament. In addition to its junior division, the GASL also added several lower divisions over the decades.

In 1943, all of the U.S. leagues suffered from significant player losses from the U.S. participation in World War II. In order to continue to play a competitive schedule, the GASL joined with the Eastern District Soccer League to run a joint season. Following the end of the war in 1945, the GASL found itself turning from a lack of quality players to an overabundance as Central European professionals left their war ravaged countries to move to the United States. The league experienced a second influx of talented players when Hungarians fled their country following the Soviet Union crushing the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

In 1964, the GASL joined with the professional American Soccer League in a short lived experiment. That year, the two leagues formed the Eastern Professional Soccer Conference which competed during the GASL/ASL off season. The league was a failure and did not complete its one season in existence. While the merger with the ASL was less than successful, the GASL undertook a cooperative agreement with another league, this time the International Soccer League (ISL) in 1965. That season, the GASL All Star team entered the ISL as the New Yorker, going to the final where it lost to Polonia Bytom 5–1. The string of league mergers continued in 1974 when the National Soccer League of New York merged into the GASL.

In 1977, the GASL changed its name in response to a changing American soccer scene. While soccer had existed as an ethnic sport since the 1930s, the creation of the North American Soccer League in 1968 had brought the sport into the mainstream. Recognizing that maintaining its ethnic identity would hinder its acceptance by the wider U.S. sports culture, the GASL governing board voted to rename the league the "Cosmopolitan Soccer League". As part of this process, the league's teams were directed to change their names to ones with less ethnic connotations, although this requirement was dropped three years later.

Despite the regional and semi-professional nature of the league, it featured many of the top U.S. player in the 1950s and 1960s. Even into the early 1970s, GASL players appeared regularly with the U.S. national team. The high regard afforded to the league is reflected in that the National Soccer Hall of Fame considers the GASL as one of a handful of leagues in which a player may become eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

The GASL had named an All Star team beginning in 1930. In 1968, after the newly established North American Soccer League approached the GASL about placing a GASL team in the NASL, the league formed its All Star team, known as the New York Cosmos, into an exhibition team. The Cosmos did not enter the NASL until the 1971 season, but when it did, it was well stocked with former GASL players.

Clubs List of participants in the 2025–26 season: The top former CSL teams play in the Metropolitan Conference in the American Premier Soccer League, which together with the Maryland Major Soccer League, created a regional based multi-league promotion and relegation system between these leagues. Some CSL teams also have reserve teams that play in a separate reserve division.

Division 1

Block FC Central Park Rangers II FC Sandzak FC Ulqini Hoboken FC 1912 II Laberia FC Manhattan Celtic II Manhattan Kickers NY Ukrainians Polonia SC Zum Schneider FC 03 II

Division 2

Brooklyn City FC Central Park Rangers United DeSportiva Sociedad NY East River FC FC Japan Kickoff FC NY Finest FC NY Galicia NY International FC II NY Shamrocks S.C. Eintracht Sporting Astoria South Bronx Utd. Stal Mielec NY Vibes FC Vllaznia NYC Williamsburg International Yemen United SC

Division 3

Aurora FC Braza Futbol Brooklyn City FC III FanDuel FC Junior Mafia FC New York Athletic Club II New York Legacy FC Panatha USA Riverside Squires SC Football Crew Sporting Astoria SBU

Division 4

Al-Asad Barstonworth Rovers Bolivia Sí Existe FC Brooklyn NY SC C.A. Islas Malvinas Desportiva Sociedad NY Samba East River FC Hudson Manhattan Celtic Boys NY Titans NYC AlphaStars Ollama FC Pelham Parkway FC SC Gjoa Warriors NYC Williamsburgh International III

Spring Division

Central Park RangersFC Hudson United FC Kraja FC Rush Tiercel City FC

Over 40 Division

Barnstonworth Rovers Old Boys Central Park Rangers Legends Central Park Rangers Legends Old Boys Cozmoz FC Manhattan Celtic Masters Manhattan Kickers Legends NY Shamrocks Legends Polonez SC SC Eintracht Legends SC Gjoa Over-40 Sporting Astoria SBU OG'S

Former clubs Elizabeth S.C. Union County SC

Champions

List of champions year by year Source:

Ed.SeasonLeague ChampionLeague Cup ChampionsIndoor Tournament Champions1927–28DFC Newark No Tournaments HeldNo Tournaments Held1928–29DFC Newark 1929–30German-Hungarian SC 1930–311st SC Vienna 1931–32DFC Newark 1932–33German-Hungarian SC 1933–34German-Hungarian SC 1934–35DSC Brooklyn 1935–36DSC Brooklyn 1936–37DFC Newark 1937–38Elizabeth S.C. 1938–39DSC Brooklyn 1939–40German-Hungarian SC 1940–41German-Hungarian SC 1941–42German-American AC 1942–43S.C. Eintracht 1943–44S.C. Eintracht 1944–45 S.C. Eintracht 1945–46 S.C. Eintracht 1946–47Elizabeth S.C. 1947–48Elizabeth S.C. 1948–49Elizabeth S.C. 1949–50S.C. Eintracht 1950–51German-Hungarian SC 1951–52 German-Hungarian SC 1952–53 Elizabeth S.C. 1953–54German-Hungarian SC 1954–55 German-Hungarian SC 1955–56 German-Hungarian SC 1956–57New York Hungaria 1957–58 German-Hungarian SC 1958–59New York Hungaria 1959–60 New York Hungaria 1960–61New York Hungaria 1961–62New York Hungaria New York Hungaria 1962–63Blau-Weiss Gottschee SC Blau-Weiss Gottschee 1963–64Greek American AA New York Greek-American AC 1964–65Blue Star SC New York Hota Bavarian SC 1965–66New York Ukrainians New York Hota Bavarian SC 1966–67New York Ukrainians German-Hungarian SC 1967–68Greek American AA New York Hota Bavarian SC 1968–69Greek American AA Giuliana SC 1969–70 Greek American AA German-Hungarian SC 1970–71Elizabeth S.C. & NY Hota Bavarian German-Hungarian SC 1971–72Inter-Giuliana SC Elizabeth S.C. 1972–73 Elizabeth S.C. German-Hungarian SC 1973–74Inter-Giuliana SC Inter-Giuliana SC 1974–75Hudson Dalmatians Inter-Giuliana SC 1975–76Inter-Giuliana SC Dalmatinac SC 1976–77Brooklyn Italians Brooklyn Italians 1977–78Brooklyn Italians Inter-Giuliana SC 1978–79 New York Pancyprian-Freedoms New York Atlas Turkish SC 1979–80New York Pancyprian-Freedoms Kearny-AmericansNew York Pancyprian-Freedoms 1980–81Brooklyn Italians Kearny-Americans Blue Star SC 1981–1982New York Pancyprian-Freedoms Elizabeth S.C.New York Atlas 1982–83 Vasco Da Gama SC Elizabeth S.C.New York Atlas 1983–84 Brooklyn Italians New York UkrainiansBrooklyn Italians 1984–85 Hoboken FC 1912 Banatul SCBrooklyn Italians 1985–86 New York Croatia SC New York Croatia SCBlau-Weiss Gottschee SC 1986–87New York Hota Bavarian SC Hoboken FC 1912Adriatic SC 1987–88New York Hota Bavarian SC Shamrock SCVllaznimi SC 1988–89New York Croatia SC New York Hota/Bavarian SCMadlost SC 1989–90New York Albanians Hoboken FC 1912Elizabeth S.C. 1990–91Blau-Weiss Gottschee SC SC GjoaSC Gjoa 1991–92Sportfriends SC Clarkstown SCSC Gjoa 1992–93 New York Hungaria Istria SCAdriatic SC 1993–94Clarkstown SC No Tournament HeldFC Porto 1994–95New York A.C. Polonia SCClarkstown SC 1995–96New York A.C. St. BarnabasNew York A.C. 1996–97New York A.C. SC GjoaNew York Greek-American Atlas 1997–98New York Croatia SC No Tournament HeldNew York Greek-American Atlas 1998–99New York A.C. New York Shamrock SCIstria SC 1999–00New York A.C. New York Shamrock SCNew York Hungaria 2000–01New York A.C. New York Pancyprian-FreedomsNew York Albanians 2001–02New York Albanians New York AlbaniansKoha SC 2002–03New York Pancyprian-Freedoms No Tournaments HeldZPA SC 2003–04New York Pancyprian-Freedoms New York Bozniyak 2004–05Greek American AA New York Greek-American Atlas 2005–06Brooklyn Italians No Tournaments Held 2006–07Brooklyn Italians 2007–08Greek American AA Stal Mielec New York 2008–09Greek American AA New York Croatia 2009–10New York Pancyprian-Freedoms New York Croatia 2010–11 New York Pancyprian-Freedoms Polonia SCNew York A.C. 2011–12Greek American AA Central Park Rangers FCManhattan Celtic 2012–13New York A.C. Central Park Rangers FCVistula Garfield 2013–14 Lansdowne Bhoys CD IberiaNo Tournament Held 2014–15 Lansdowne Bhoys CD Iberia New York Croatia 2015–16Lansdowne Bhoys Zum Schneider FC 03Sporting Astoria SC 2016–17Greek American AA New York A.C.Cedar Stars Academy 2017–18Lansdowne Bhoys New York Shamrock SCCedar Stars Academy 2018–19 New York Pancyprian-Freedoms Zum Schneider FC 03Doxa SC 2019–20 Season and tournaments not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21Shamrock SC Borgetto FCNo Tournaments Held 2021–22Hoboken FC 1912 Borgetto FC 2022–23Central Park Rangers FC Reds Richmond County FC 2023–24 Richmond County FC NY International F.C. 2024-25 Polonia SC NY International F.C.

Notes

Titles by club