The New Jersey Eagles were an American soccer team founded in 1987 as the Cosmopolitan Eagles. In 1988, they entered the third American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

 as the New Jersey Eagles. They folded following the 1990 American Professional Soccer League

American Professional Soccer League

The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...

 season.

History

Founded as the Cosmopolitan Eagles in 1987, they played an independent exhibition schedule that year. In 1988, they joined the American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

, moving to the American Professional Soccer League

American Professional Soccer League

The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...

 in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League

Western Soccer League

Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance...

. League goals leader Jorge Acosta led the team to a first place regular season finish in its first campaign, but it was all downhill after that. The bright spots of the 1989 and 1990 seasons were the play of the defense, anchored by ex-New York Cosmos

New York Cosmos

The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...

 players Andranik Eskandarian

Andranik Eskandarian

Andranik Eskandarian is an Armenian Iranian-American footballer. He played as a defender for the F.C. Ararat Tehran, Taj F.C. and New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League....

 and Hubert Birkenmeier

Hubert Birkenmeier

Hubert Birkenmeier is a retired German professional footballer who played professionally in Germany, the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. His greatest success came with the New York Cosmos in the NASL.Birkenmeier began his career in West Germany...

. Unfortunately, the offense sputtered in the wake of chronic knee injuries to Acosta, and the team lost many low scoring one-goal games.

The Eagles played their home matches at Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

's Hinchliffe Stadium

Hinchliffe Stadium

Hinchliffe Stadium is a historic 10,000-seat municipal stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, built 1931-32 on a dramatic escarpment above Paterson's National Landmark Great Falls, and surrounded by the city's National Landmark Historic District, the first planned industrial settlement in the nation...

 during their first two seasons.

Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1988	N/A	ASL	1st, Northern	Semifinals	Did not enter
1989	N/A	ASL	5th, Northern	Did not qualify	Did not enter
1990	N/A	APSL	6th, ASL North	Did not qualify	Did not enter

Players

  Jorge Acosta

Jorge Acosta

Jorge Acosta is a retired Colombian American soccer forward. He spent most of his career in the lower U.S. divisions, as well as four in the Colombian first division. He also earned twelve caps with the U.S...

 (1988-90) 21 Goals Brian Ainscough

Brian Ainscough

Brian Ainscough is the head men's soccer coach at Northeastern University. He has coached the Huskies since 2005, and has compiled a 36-42-19 overall record, including a 27-16-12 mark in conference play. He has transformed the Huskies soccer program into one of the best in the CAA, posting four...

 (1988) 1 Goal Ali Alhoar (1989) Martin Alvarez (1989) Amr Aly

Amr Aly

Amr Aly is a retired American soccer forward. He attended Columbia University where he won the 1984 Hermann Trophy as the college player of the year....

 (1989) Maicol Antelo (1988) 6 Goals Andy Bakun (1989-90) Hubert Birkenmeier

Hubert Birkenmeier

Hubert Birkenmeier is a retired German professional footballer who played professionally in Germany, the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. His greatest success came with the New York Cosmos in the NASL.Birkenmeier began his career in West Germany...

 (1989-90) Kyle Boschen (1990) Mario Chavez

Mario Chávez

Mario Chávez is an Honduran association footballer who plays as a defender for C.D.S. Vida.-External links:*...

 (1988) 6 Goals Roger Chavez (1990) Sean Cowley (1990) Ferdinando DeMatthaeis (1989) Paul Duffy (1988-90) Andranik Eskandarian

Andranik Eskandarian

Andranik Eskandarian is an Armenian Iranian-American footballer. He played as a defender for the F.C. Ararat Tehran, Taj F.C. and New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League....

 (1989-90) Keith Faulk (1988) Mario Fava (1989) Marcelo Ferreira (1988) Adrian Gaitan (1990) George Gelnovatch

George Gelnovatch

George Gelnovatch is the head men's soccer coach at the University of Virginia. He has held that position since 1996, replacing Bruce Arena. He has posted a 214-79-25 record in 14 seasons with the Cavaliers. He is most notable for leading the Cavaliers to the 2009 NCAA Division 1 title, where his...

 (1988) 1 Goal Peter Gill (1988-90) Sadri Gjonbalaj

Sadri Gjonbalaj

Sadri Gjonbalaj is a retired American soccer forward who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League. He also earned five caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national team...

 (1989) 6 Goals Tommy Gojcevic (1989-90) Dan Hatter (1990) Terry Higgins (1988) Kenny Hill

Kenny Hill (association footballer)

Kenneth George "Ken" Hill is an English former Association football defender who played professionally in England and the North American Soccer League....

 (1989) Patrick Hughes (1990) Aziz Ibrahim (1990) Floraldino (1990) Dermot Keely

Dermot Keely

Dermot Keely, is the former manager of Irish football team Shelbourne.-Family:Keely's family have played League of Ireland football at various levels. His late father Peter Keely played for Shelbourne, his brother Joe played on the same Home Farm FAI Cup winning side of 1775 as Dermot Keely himself...

 (1988) John Keenan (1988-89) Glenn Kenney (1988) Paul Kitson

Paul Kitson (American soccer)

Paul Kitson who played and coached professionally with both indoor and outdoor soccer teams in Canada and the United States.-Player:...

 (1990) Ken Lolla

Ken Lolla

Ken Lolla is the head men’s soccer coach at the University of Louisville. He is also a writer and professional speaker. Lolla played collegiate soccer at Duke University and professionally at various US professional soccer teams. He has earned several accolades as both a player and...

 (1988) 1 Goal Tim McClements (1989) Aidan McCluskey (1990) Franklin McIntosh (1990) Richard Maher (1988-89) Dave Masur (1988-89) Tim Mulqueen Joshua Muscadin (1989) Franco Paonessa

Franco Paonessa

Franco Paonessa is a retired Italian-American professional soccer player who has played in the second and third American Soccer Leagues, United Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association and USISL....

   Tab Ramos

Tab Ramos

Tabaré Ramos Ricciardi, known as Tab Ramos is a retired U.S. Olympic Team and National Team soccer midfielder. He played professionally for 13 seasons in Spain, Mexico and the United States. Ramos was the first player to sign with Major League Soccer, where he played seven years with the MetroStars...

 (1988) 8 Apps 2 Goals Paul Riley (1989-90) Ricardo Guero Rodriguez

Ricardo Guero Rodriguez (referee)

Ricardo Guero Rodríguez, also known as Richard Alex Rodriguez, is a United States football referee who officiates for the United States Soccer Federation in various leagues and competitions, as assigned...

 (1989-90) Jack Rudovic (1990) Jack Shannon (1990) Mark Shearer (1990) Harry Smarth (1989) Peter Tadrick (1990) Kazbek Tambi

Kazbek Tambi

Kazbek Tambi is a retired U.S. soccer midfielder who currently coaches the Seton Hall University women's soccer team and the United States U-17 women's soccer team. He spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, four in the Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the American Soccer...

 (1988) Peter Vermes

Peter Vermes

Peter Joseph Vermes is an American former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer....

 (1988) 2 Goals Patrick M. Walsh Jr. (1989) Leszek Wrina (1989

Yearly Awards

ASL Top Goal Scorer

• 1988 - Jorge Acosta
  Jorge Acosta
  Jorge Acosta is a retired Colombian American soccer forward. He spent most of his career in the lower U.S. divisions, as well as four in the Colombian first division. He also earned twelve caps with the U.S...
  
   (14 Goals)

ASL Top Points Scorer

• 1988 - Jorge Acosta
  Jorge Acosta
  Jorge Acosta is a retired Colombian American soccer forward. He spent most of his career in the lower U.S. divisions, as well as four in the Colombian first division. He also earned twelve caps with the U.S...
  
   (32 Points)

ASL All-Star Team Selection

• 1988 - Jorge Acosta
  Jorge Acosta
  Jorge Acosta is a retired Colombian American soccer forward. He spent most of his career in the lower U.S. divisions, as well as four in the Colombian first division. He also earned twelve caps with the U.S...
  
  , Brian Ainscough
  Brian Ainscough
  Brian Ainscough is the head men's soccer coach at Northeastern University. He has coached the Huskies since 2005, and has compiled a 36-42-19 overall record, including a 27-16-12 mark in conference play. He has transformed the Huskies soccer program into one of the best in the CAA, posting four...
  
  
• 1989 - Paul Riley