Baseball, basketball and football comprise the trifecta of American sports, but for the rest of the world, soccer is number one. Although, soccer tried to make its mark on the American sporting world in the ‘70s. “Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos” documents what exactly happened during those years that brought some of the most recognizable names in the soccer to the US.

The North American Soccer League suffered from conception, with players that weren’t even close to being on par with the rest of the world. Warner Communications -- the movie and music company -- found itself at the middle of an opportunity, by getting a successful team together. Warner chairman Steve Ross had always wanted to own a competitive team and he wouldn’t let any roadblocks stop him from making the New York Cosmos the top team in the league.

He started stacking his team and his first pick? Pele, of course. The name that is almost synonymous with soccer. Pele was retiring from Brazilian soccer and Ross pounced. What resulted was three-year deal with more than $1 million -- the exact pricing was contested in “Once in a Lifetime."

But having Pele wasn’t enough. Ross sought out other talented, nay top-ranking, players from around the world including Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer, Brazil’s Carlos Alberto and Italy’s Giorgio Chinaglia. The Cosmos were the most popular team in the league and filled stadiums -- most notably Giants Stadium with over 70,000 fans.

But the NASL began to implode. The league had grown to 24 teams and the strain on those teams -- with all the traveling and partying on the side -- was great. The Cosmos began losing money and Warner Communications bailed out. The Cosmos couldn’t sustain itself, neither could the league, and it crumbled in the ‘80s.

“Once in a Lifetime” dishes on the past of the Cosmos, from partying to money issues to insider gossip. A viewer need not be a fan of soccer, or sports for that matter, to enjoy this movie.

Matt Dillon (most recently in “You, Me and Dupree”) narrates “Once in a Lifetime” as past players and owners, sports reporters and current soccer players, like Olympic gold medalist Mia Hamm, recount their memories of the golden age of American soccer. Many of the Cosmos remember their times with the team as great times, while others thought they were above it all.

Discussions with and about Chinaglia -- who resurfaced on American TV during coverage of the 2006 World Cup -- were highly gossipy and he didn’t care. He spiced up the league with his game play and he spiced up this movie with talk of it. What was missing was an interview with Pele, who declined to appear in the movie.

The soundtrack sets up the scenes well with throwbacks to funk and soul. Artists like Kool and the Gang, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin and The Supremes reign throughout.

The story of the New York Cosmos has that fairytale appeal -- moving from obscurity to center of attention -- but the ending isn’t happy. While the rest of the world celebrates soccer, Americans barely know there’s even a league. If the NASL had been able to hang on, who knows where the US teams would be now. But it’s obvious soccer on the rise once again. This summer’s World Cup was massively popular and youth leagues are overflowing with participants.