Testimonial Paul Scholes

New York Cosmos to Play Historic Match Against Manchester United

 

The New York Cosmos will play their first game in over a quarter century against Manchester United in August. The exhibition game will be played in honor of long-time ManU midfielder Paul Scholes, who retired this year.
The Cosmos roster for this match will be made up of players from around the world personally invited by Honorary President Pelé and Director of Soccer Eric Cantona. The roster will be announced by Cosmos in due course. 
The match will be played at Old Trafford on Aug. 5th. 
“We are honored to have the opportunity to play in one of the most historic stadiums in the world and look forward to having The New York Cosmos be a part of Paul Scholes’ testimonial match,” Pelé said. “More importantly, I hope this will be a fantastic evening for Paul and for all the fans, while giving us a chance to reconnect with our football family at Manchester United.” 
“I wish to congratulate Paul for such an incredible career at Manchester United and I am looking forward to returning to Old Trafford in my new role with The New York Cosmos,” Cantona said. “This will be a significant and memorable match for all.” 
“It will be fantastic for the fans to be able to bid farewell to this exceptional footballer,” said Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United. “The accolades he’s received have been well deserved, but for me, Paul is one of those players who turns up, plays his football and it is that natural ability that makes Paul unique and revered by many, including myself. Now from one great player to another, Eric Cantona. I am going to relish this touchline showdown, one Gaelic mind to another. Neither of us will want to lose this one, it is sure to be a great night and a well-deserved recognition for Paul.” 
Who are the players that will be invited by Pelé and Cantona to have the honor of wearing the New York Cosmos jersey and play in this historic match? Neymar? Ganso? Alessandro del Piero? Totti? Riquelme? Landon Donovan? David Beckham? Ronaldinho?
Nobody outside the club knows. And the names will be kept strictly confidential until all the details have been worked out. It will be fun to see who wears the Cosmos colors for this historic match.
The New York Cosmos brand ownership group continues to make tremendous strides forward. Their programs and initiatives continue to earn them more credibility and respect. It seems like only a matter of time until they achieve their goal of becoming part of Major League Soccer.