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Rock the Crossbar

Thursday, January 11

How the Mighty Have fallen

BBC confirm Beckham move in summer to LA Galaxy

posted by Chris P at 1/11/2007 10:57:00 AM

7 Comments:

  • Bad news for MLS. Worse news for US Soccer.

    Waste of money better spent on developing a US teenager (excuse me, I mean about 100 US teenagers) who could eventually help the men's national team. Instead, the league is making the same mistakes that doomed the NASL: paying big bucks for Euro stars well past their primes.

    Beckham of '99 is not the Becks of '07, sadly. He might put a few people in a few seats for a year, max. After that, back to reality. You have to put a complete, quality product on the field - not shoot t-shirts, have cheerleaders and all the rest of that crap.

    We saw this with Luis Hernandez. We saw this with Lothar M. We saw this with (fill in the blank). It's all marketing, it's all about money...it's not about making the US a viable WC finalist.

    At least Nick Webster will have a new lover in town.

    By Blogger GAC, at 1:50 PM  

  • It just means even more teenage girls in US football stadiums. The places already sound like an NKOTB concert from the 80s. This will lower the testosterone levels in US stadiums into negative territory. What odds of "Posh Spice...she takes it up the arse" being sang at Foxboro when he plays there?

    The £25m United got for him in 03 is looking better by the minute.

    By Blogger TheBusbyBoy, at 3:55 PM  

  • The Major is right. Yeah, his best days are past him, but his star is still bright.

    The MLS isn't at the level where #1 tier talent are interested in playing in the dust of Kansas City in July, but it does mean that more and more tricky So. and Central Americans will look to the MLS to ply their trade. The overall standard of play could rise despite Beckham's faltering one, and the coverage will get the curious out to the match, which is not that bad a thing.

    By Blogger gooner71, at 10:19 PM  

  • Will Beckham in the MLS cause attendance to rise in the short-term? Yes; Will some of that increase stick? Yes; Is Beckham by MLS standards a top player? Yes; Has Beckham become a one show pony who apart from dead ball kicks is inffective and invisible? Yes; Will Beckham in the MLS raise the standard of play - No; Will Beckham in the MLS help dispel the notion, prevalent among Americans, that "soccer" is a sissy sport? Certainly Not. Do these mega-deals hark back to the US league in the 1970s? Yes.

    The Major is right in that short-term interest will increase but I think that attention could soon turn negative. Unless he sets the league alight they will wonder what the fuss was all about.

    They'll have to instruct the refs to award a free kick in the dying minutes of every LA Galaxy match so Beckham has a chance to win the match and change the rules to have a "free kick shoot-out" in case of draws. Otherwise, Beckham will just jog aimlessly around midfield and interest will wane.

    I do respect him for making the decision that he did though. He seems to be a well intentioned polite chap who tries his best but whose Essex upbringing and trouble and strife make him easy fodder for the press.

    By Blogger Chris P, at 10:52 PM  

  • I wonder how all of the guys who got stuck with MLS wages for the past ten years while helping to "grow the league" feel about this move?

    Celebrity or substance? You guys make the choice.

    This is a short-term fix that will turn into a long-term problem. Signing Becks does not catapult MLS into anything other than another repository for rubbish.

    Let's see...

    Project 40: failure

    Project 2010: failure

    Freddy Adu: failure

    Signing an over-the-hill Beckham: soon-to-be failure

    Landon Donovan: monumental failure

    Josh Wolff: failure

    Clint Dempsey: THE ONLY FRIGGIN' BRIGHT SPOT.

    I am disgusted. I am pissed. This is a Hollywood-orchestrated cluster F.

    Maybe MLS should sign Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton and the rest of the surviving members of 1966!

    Becks had two corners against Bayern Munich and the game-tying goal against Greece...the rest was a whole lot of fluff. He was skillful, true, but he also came along in the right place at the right time (class of '92). Would you rate him in the top twenty players worldwide in the past decade? I wouldn't.

    MLS, and especially US Soccer, will live to rue this moment when they see Beckham on holiday like so many drunken British coaches working summer camps here. You know, the chaps who brag about playing for Arsenal's U-8 "C" squad for a week!

    By Blogger GAC, at 11:43 AM  

  • Some press coverage:

    http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1991007,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1

    http://www.sportinglife.com/fanzine/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/07/01/15/SOCCER_Beckham_Comment.html

    http://fametastic.co.uk/archive/20070115/4177/hugh-hefner-to-invite-david-beckham-to-playboy-party/

    http://www.fansfc.com/realmadridfootballclub/news.asp?newsid=161582

    By Blogger TheBusbyBoy, at 2:33 PM  

  • Sorry fellas, not like me to go quiet on an issue like this.

    I have heard some serious guff this week on this issue - none more so than from Alexei Lalas interviewed on the BBC. Lalas compared MLS to Euro leagues saying Beckham in MLS will face players of equal skill levels to what he has faced!!!!
    Bottom line is Beckham is past his best and has dropped his desire for top class football by coming down to this.

    However, for Beckham I cant fault him - for himself this is the best deal on the planet, good for him - I wish it was me.

    As for the league - I cant fathom how a league that is crap, and which has limited money is going to make money of this. The BBC guy pushed Lalas on this and Lalas did his best to duck it all. MLS must take a loss on this but is praying long term that he sparks a soccer revival/interest among the masses. I just cant believe it will - as Beckham will get people in there once but why would they come back again?? The product is crap, the atmosphere is horrific. Its often more about tailgating than the game itself here.

    MLS I think could have paid far less to make this deal happen, how Beckham bent them over for twice what Alex Rodriguez makes (in a sport yanks do care about) is astonishing. Does he really need 130 million pounds? Couldnt MLS have got him for say 80 million which is still ridiculously overpriced? MLS have gotten a shining star which will generate short term interest but I think they have way overpaid for it.

    In terms of quality, Beckham will take corners, penalties, free kicks and keep his goals/assists numbers decent without actually contributing a lot more is my suspicion. The league will still be crap and loaded with Argentine and Brazilian 'stars' which in essence are crap or failed South Americans (see DC United signing Emilio today - a BRAZILIAN.. who played in Honduras..).

    I know its not fair to compare MLS to the Premiership but I can compare MLS here to the mistakes of the NASL. In 1979, NASL signed Pele at wages beyond belief and the league folded within 5 years of that catastrophe.

    By Blogger WhatsupWheaton Simon, at 11:11 AM  

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