Greek American AA

New York Greek American Atlas
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Full name	New York Greek American Atlas Astoria Soccer Club
Nickname(s)	Atlas, The Greeks
Founded	1941
Ground	Metropolitan Oval,; Maspeth, New York
Capacity	1,000
Founder	Tom Laris
Chairman	George Mellis
General Manager	Tony Drizis
Coach	Michael Megaloudis (Head coach); Joe Ruesgen (Assistant coach)
League	Cosmopolitan Soccer League
2013-14	Champions
Website	Club home page
Home colours	Away colours

Greek American Atlas Astoria, commonly known as New York Greek American, is an American soccer team from New York City that currently plays in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. The club was formed in 1941 by Thomas Laris and is one of the most successful clubs in America's annual national soccer tournament, the U.S. Open Cup, winning four times, in 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1974. The team is one of the oldest American soccer clubs in existence and plays its games at the Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens.

History

Greek American Atlas Astoria, formally New York Greek American Atlas Astoria Soccer Club, was formed in 1941.^[4] The club was founded by Greek-American Tom Laris^[5] and would go on to become one of the most successful and longest continually operating teams in American soccer history. The club has a long-standing rivalry with New York's Cypriot team and fellow multiple National Cup champion, the Pancyprian Freedoms.^[6]

The team currently plays in the 4th tier of the American soccer pyramid, under the USASA in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. The club plays out of the Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens and has been a perennial contender in the league, winning five of eleven Eastern New York Championships between 2001 and 2012.^[7]

National Cup success

The Greek Americans have won America's nationwide domestic soccer tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, formerly the National Challenge Cup, four times in its history, from 1967 to 1969 and in 1974. The club is one of only two teams, alongside the Seattle Sounders FC, to have won the annual tournament on three consecutive occasions.

While the club had not qualified for the Open Cup since 2005, it returned to the tournament in 2012 but lost in the first round to Reading United of the USL's Premier Development League (PDL), by a score of 2-1.^[8]

The Greeks won re-entry to the Open Cup again in 2014 thanks to their USASA Amateur Cup regional championship,^[9] being seeded in the second round. They would win their first game against PDL opponents, Ocean City Nor'easters, 2-0.^[10] before falling to Richmond Kickers in the 3rd round.^[11] In 2014, after appearing in three consecutive National Cup finals, Atlas would finally lift the trophy for the first time in their history after defeating Guadalajara FC 4-2 in the final.^[12]