The Great Beckham Debate

Almost every time the Major League Soccer is discussed these days, David Beckham's name is bound to be mentioned. I frequent a lot of websites where this topic is often discussed. While he has his staunch defenders, there are also those who loathe him. People willing to talk MLS and be indifferent to Beckham are few and far in-between, journalists who favor Beckham's arrival are even rarer.

Anti-soccer sentiments among most established American sports journalists are common and unsurprising, what I find startling is the opposition from American fans of the sport. There are rampant suggestions that he is over-rated, overpaid and past his prime. A large contingent is abhor to the media circus that he follows him, but that is part of the marketing machine that is David Beckham.

The MLS took a big step and an even bigger gamble with him. They should be commended for their commitment to the future. I can't see a better person to banner this project. Sure there are better players than Beckham. Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, and Ronaldo were all identified as targets. But those three combined do not have the marketing power that Brand Beckham has. In every country other than the US, maybe.

The claims that he is overpaid can be easily dismissed. So far, he has only played 12 minutes in a friendly but sales of his shirt are astronomical. Factor in the season ticket sales for the Los Angeles Galaxy which are head and shoulders above the previous seasons. So far, the investment has paid off.

When it comes to his skills, he might be past his prime but he is still playing at a high level. He may not have played a big role in the final match that won Real Madrid the La Liga title, but he did in the unbelievable run in the last few months of the season. He even got a well deserved call up to the England squad which sorely missed him. His skills may pale in comparison to Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, et al but his leadership skills were clearly manifested. As far as over-rated goes, people need to realize that he is a player who doesn't have the pace or on-the-ball skills to beat defenders, but he is such an excellent passer and crosser of the ball that he doesn't have to beat them. A few European clubs have expressed their interest hoping that the lure of Champions League will change his mind. Inter Milan and Real Madrid's approaches were quickly rebuffed. The man is still capable of playing top flight football for at least a year (maybe two). Yet he chose the Galaxy. This signals his sincere intentions of trying to improve the status of the league. He deserves to be admired for that choice.

There are constant comparisons to Pele and the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL). Beckham is not as good as Pele, they say. True, but they also fail to mention that Pele at that stage of his career was nowhere near the form that could earn him a spot in the Brazil squad. He was retired! The Galaxy will fold like the Cosmos, they continue. No, they won't. There are measures to prevent it such as the designated player rule or as it is more popularly called the Beckham Rule. There is also a TV deal in place which the NASL did not have. Financially, it will not happen. Look at the shirt sales.

I used to associate these fans to be part of a group labeled as Euro-snobs. These are the fans who support clubs from Europe and could not care less about the MLS. Their main statement is that "the football is not good enough." I do not disagree, but I would like to see it improve and thus I continue to support it. These fans, I'm not worried about. What worries me is the alarming number of MLS fans who want David Beckham to falter . It is appalling as they go out of their way to announce their disgust. The MLS has invested a lot in him, for him to fail would mean failure for the league.

These fans claim that they do not want these new uninformed fans. They've called them fan-girls and trendy fans. They claim that these fans could damage the sport. How much harm can pumping money into the league cause? We already have to contend with soccer haters such as Jim Rome, opposition coming from soccer fans is not helping the MLS or US Soccer.

Xenophobia and envy might be a big factor as Bryant Gumbel suggested in HBO's Real Sports. I think he captured the essence of this debate. I don't think that much soccer sense has been cramped into a little over a minute. To Bryant Gumbel, thank you.

 

Say it Ain't So

Stan Kroenke is poised to for a take-over bid pending David Dein's cooperation.  It seems like the plan is to make David Dein chairman should the bid be successful.  When Satan Kroenke first showed signs of interest, I was not against it.  With the way the ownership of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have gone, new ownership be it English or foreign seems to be inevitable.  To be able to compete with the spending power of the aforementioned clubs, an injection of cash is required.  This is such an attractive position for any capable investor because despite the debt incurred by the new stadium, the outlook is very bright.  The Arsenal is one of the best, if not the best, in efficiency based on profit-loss ratio.  As long as Arsenal competes in the Champions League, it seems there is no way for the club to be in the red.  A take-over would be good for the club.

Why do I not like Kroenke? Obviously the man knows how to make money.  You do not become that wealthy because you are an average businessman.  It seems like he is a very wise investor, which is why he desires Arsenal so much.  So, why do I not like him?  I have come to the conclusion that he does not care about Arsenal or at least follows current events.  He seems clueless about the club.

It is no secret that Arsene Wenger wants to keep Arsenal English .  And with speculation rife about Wenger extending his contract or not, and after Thierry Henry is sold to Barcelona, rumours of Cesc Fabregas moving to Madrid and Wenger being enticed by Barcelona.  Arsenal was described as a club in turmoil.  Fortunately, Wenger has signed Eduardo da Silva and Fabregas has pledged his future to Arsenal.  This helped in reducing the unrest within the club.  Wenger, in the meanwhile, remains vague about his future.  He says "I will come out at the right time ... maybe when you don't ask me the question. "

So, while the club is recovering from a stressful period, Wenger still has not signed a new contract, and Wenger has stated his dislike for foreign ownership, WHY WOULD YOU MAKE A  LOT OF NOISE ABOUT A TAKEOVER? 

If Kroenke knew a bit more Arsenal, or at least hired somebody who knows about the Arsenal, wouldn't he just wait a little bit?  At least until Wenger makes a decision?  Wenger is a man of his word, and if he signs a contract he will see it through.  Especially if David Dein is in the picture.

Real Los Angeles Galaxy-cos

Supposedly, Fabio Capello has a job offer from a club in the MLS . The club was not named, but who else can it be? The only clubs who have the audacity to do this would either be New York Red Bull or the Los Angeles Galaxy. Red Bull is doing quite well, so why would they be looking for a manager? That leaves the struggling Galaxy.

How many head coaches have been at the Galaxy since they won the double in 2005? Three or four, is it? They sacked the coach after winning the league and the US Open Cup, right? Reminds me of some club in Spain recently managed by one Fabio Capello. The signings of David Beckham, Abel Xavier and Carlos Pavon seem to be an effort to emulate that club. Xavier and Pavon are big names compared to 90% of the league. Didn't they try to tempt Zinedine Zidane out of retirement? Didn't they trade one of the most effective strikers in the league for the biggest (under-achieving) name in US Soccer? Was that a marketing move or a valid football transaction? Did they just change their colors to white? That new white home jersey is suspiciously familiar .

Did the MLS misplace the Real tag? Royalty does not go well with Salt Lake anyways, it sounds better with Los Angeles.

Should we start calling them Galaxy-cos?

Bend It Like Golden Balls!

July 13, 2007, Friday the 13th. Some say odd and unusual things happen on this day. Well, something unusual was happening at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA today. At 10am on a Friday, a crowd that can rival some MLS games has gathered with enthusiasm. There were kids, girls, parents, Englishmen, and Angelenos. Majority of the people were wearing either Los Angeles Galaxy, Manchester United, Real Madrid, or England shirts. They anxiously await "The Coming".

As David Beckham walks on to the pitch with an entourage including Los Angeles Galaxy Manager Alexi Lalas, AEG's Tim Leiweke, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The crowd breaks out into a rousing rendition of "There's only one David Beckham". Welcome to America by Def Leppard blares from the stadium speakers. A fairly large banner that reads "BEND IT LIKE GOLDEN BALLS" produces that familiar sheepish smile. He seems surprised at the size of his welcoming party which filled a quarter of the stadium. Lalas opens the ceremony with "if you have cameras, this is a good time to take off your lens caps." Lalas, Leiweke, Garber, and Yallop make short speeches before Golden Balls is introduced. Confetti drops as he poses with the new Galaxy home jersey before he proceeds to the podium. "I have played for the two greatest teams in the world, Manchester United and Real United, I have played 11 years for England and will continue to do so, but this is my biggest challenge". He continues by saying that "his family comes first, while footba .. i mean soccer comes second. I guess I will have to get used to that." He fumbles the word soccer every time he used it.

The mood changes as they present the shirt to Mayor of Los Angeles. The cheers turn into boos. He screams "Who Loves David Beckham?". But this insincere act fails to win the crowd over. I was amused by the crowd reactions and failed to listen to the Mayor's speech. Lalas announces that shirt sales are astronomical and are still available at official outlets. Beckham waves to the crowd, and then he's off. The crowd slowly disperses, most of them heading to the shop to purchase the new Galaxy shirt.

This is truly an exciting moment for American Soccer. Who would've imagined that a top CURRENT International will be playing in the MLS? Pele, Beckenbauer, and Cruyff are better players, but none of them played in the North American Soccer League while still being able to compete in the International Cups. Yet here is David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy who could be playing for England (should they qualify) for Euro 2008. Unbelievable.

The next few months in the MLS should be very interesting. How would this impact the league? How about the advertising industry? More importantly, how would this better US Soccer?

Being an Arsenal supporter, I've never been a fan of Beckham. I'm warming up to him now.

* Here is David Beckham's first advertisement for ESPN.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - Chicago Fire 0

July 4 - lots of fireworks around the stadium, not much on the pitch. Kyle Martino earns a legitimate penalty in the 16th but dives for a second in the 87th. Landon Donovan slots both penalties for the only goals of the game. He was mediocre for the rest of the match. Galaxy keeper Joe Cannon had a shutout and was idle for most of the match. On the other hand, Jon Busch of the Fire had a pretty good night with some great saves but his defense let him down by giving up the two penalties. Carlos Pavon made his debut but did not make an impact as the Galaxy midfield struggled to get him the ball. Not much else to talk about this match.


Cannon seeks divine intervention as Donovan takes the first penalty.

Donovan slots home the second penalty kick of the night.

Lalas of Lala Land

I dislike Alexi Lalas, but I've found him entertaining. He has outdone himself this time by claiming that the English Premier League is an inferior product. Yes, the MLS is more competitive that the EPL but obviously it would not be able to compete against the EPL on the pitch and off it.

I appreciate the fact that he is standing up for the MLS, but he has just made a fool of himself. I'm assuming that he got fed up with English media constantly bad-mouthing Major League Soccer but claiming that MLS players are on par with the EPL's is a bit much. He must have overlooked that Juan Pablo Angel, an average striker for Aston Villa in the Prem, is the most deadly in the MLS. Or that he claimed "Abel Xavier brings immense experience to the Galaxy" after he did not figure much for Middlesborough and was eventually released on a free. Or that MLS superstars such as Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard end up with mid-table clubs
in England. Or that Freddy Adu, whose shoulders used to burden the hype of being the saviour of the MLS, was deemed not good enough when he was on trial with Manchester United.

He also claimed that the US is not that far off compared to England. That is almost like saying Landon Donovan is not that far off from Steven Gerrard. Landon who couldn't get a regular spot in Bayer Leverkusen and gave up to come back to the US. Last I checked, Americans playing in the Championship are ahead on the pecking order when it comes to US Mens National Team players selection.

Ever since the signing of David Beckham, Lalas has been in the spotlight. The anticipation for Golden Balls' arrival has increased his media exposure. I am not sure if his antics are a marketing ploy or is he just loving the attention of being the Don King of the MLS? Somebody rein him in, please! Tim Leiweke? Don Garber?

He has just re-affirmed the assumption of most people that football and Americans do not mix well. He should apologize ... not to the British media, but to us. He has defamed not only the MLS and US Soccer, but all soccer loving Americans.

Thierry To Go?

The silly season has been frustrating for most Arsenal supporters. There are three unresolved issues in the Gunners' camp. The inactivity in the transfer market, delays in replacing David Dein, and the endless talk of Thierry Henry packing up for Spain. These three issues could all be tied up ... Thierry Henry has mentioned his disdain for Dein's departure fueling speculation that he might be headed for Nou Camp which is why Arsene Wenger has not made any moves in the transfer market?

Henry has been ambiguous with his future, refusing to fully commit to Arsenal. Even after threatening to sue France Football for slander, there are reports that Wenger has met with FC Barcelona officials.

Contrary to popular belief, I reckon Arsenal SHOULD sell him to Barcelona now. His recent actions are unbecoming of a captain creating unrest among the other players (and fans). These are signs that he will not be as committed to Arsenal as Dennis Bergkamp was. I just do not see it. His refusal to quell the transfer rumors by simply saying "I AM AND I WILL BE AN ARSENAL PLAYER" is a good sign. He has also shown his "loyalty" traits before. I do not know the whole story, but after Nike made Thierry Henry a global brand and got his Stand Up, Speak Up campaign off the ground, he went off and signed a contract with Reebok. Nike lost him on a pseudo-Bosman and I'm afraid so will Arsenal at the end of his contract.

Why can't he show the same commitment that Gilberto Silva has demonstrated? Now, there is a man deserving of the captain's armband. Or even Freddie Ljungberg who said he would rather retire than play for another club? Although, his wages may have something to do with that.

Henry is a lost cause. He will go to Spain sooner or later, whether to Barcelona or Real Madrid. Might as well be now while he can still fetch that much money.

I do not like the idea of an Henry-less Arsenal, but this seems to be the only way that will benefit the club. Let it be known, that he will not only be a loss to Arsenal but the whole English Premier League. He seems to be well-respected by other EPL players and clubs and he is also a massive marketing component in the post-Beckham EPL. I can not see anybody replacing him as the poster boy for the league. Ronaldo? Drogba? Gerrard? None of them have the same mystique that Henry has. As Henry Winter said before: Thierry Henry is England's most beloved foreigner. He transcends Arsenal.

While the loss of Henry seems to be an enormous one, what could be gained has the potential to be better. The transfer fee might be enough to buy a top tier striker plus a young developing striker. Or it can be used to shore up the defense or the wings as Robin Van Persie is ready to be the featured striker.

Wenger has proven he is a genius when letting go of players. Overmars, Anelka, Petit, Vieira, etc. The Patrick Vieira transfer to Juventus had one hitch, the fee was not even close to what Real Madrid offered for him the year before. I believe that the Professor is keen to avoid the same situation.

The Carling Cup run of the young Gunners have shown that they could be a better side without the captain. The football was flowing better as they were not looking for Henry. We all know about the other Gunners being gun-shy and would rather make another pass than kick it goalwards. The other players look up to him so much that sometimes their presence gets diminished. Without Henry, didn't the future look bright? I hope that future is this coming season

Au Revoir, Henry?