Beckham Might Miss Rest of Season
| 12
|
by Rawbeezeitz
The David Beckham experiment might be put on hold for some time. The AP is reporting that he may miss the remainder of the Galaxy's regular season matches. Beckham has a sprained right knee, which he suffered from the hands (or feet, rather) of a CF Pachuca midfielder in a SuperLiga match. He will be out for at least 4 weeks, which would mean he could play in the last 3 Galaxy matches of the year. However, the injury might take longer to heal, and to restart playing so late in the season might prove unwise. The possibility that Beckham has played his last American soccer of the year is very real.
This story will not be covered nearly as much by ESPN as his MLS entrance, or any of his matches. And it probably won't have any bearing on the fate of the last place Los Angeles Galaxy. Which really shows how meaningless David Beckham has been on the field.
I'm all for guys like Beckham, who were stars in Europe that can no longer keep up with top clubs over there, to come to the US and play here. It gives attention to soccer, it boosts some gate receipts, increases TV ratings, and it benefits the game. However, stuff like this won't catapult the MLS into the limelight of American sports, nor will it increase the prestige of the League on the international stage. It's akin to Michael Jordan playing minor league baseball; attendances for his games will skyrocket, they'll be on national TV, but that's about it.
Unless every MLS team had a David Beckham - a major soccer star known well by non-soccer fans in America (there probably is only one such example and that's Beckham himself) - then the League won't be affected.
The real future of the MLS is being overlooked, and overshadowed by the hype surrounding Beckham. The next generation of American players who will populate the League in years to come will be the real determining factor in MLS's quality and popularity. Most of these players won't be the stars, but will be the backbone of the League, potentially raising the level of play and quality of the game. Also, the MLS's ability to recruit young foreign players from the Americas will be imperative to drive up the League's quality. I think Toronto FC will do wonderful things in increasing the game's popularity in Canada. And having close relationships with Mexican and other CONCACEF Leagues will be vital.
Beckham will return to the MLS next year, stadia will sell-out, free kicks and crosses will bend, Beckham highlights will dominate coverage of LA Galaxy losses, and a disinterested Posh Spice will be endlessly photographed. And it won't matter. It is all just shadows and dust, showbusiness crap that fires up the TiVo once a week and nothing more.
What could be amazing for the League, and what might help catapult it will be when it produces a true superstar, that goes on to Europe to stardom. And no, not Landon Donovan, or Brian McBride, or even Brad Friedel, or Kasey Keller. I mean a superstar among the top tier of European and Brazilian players. Someone whose face becomes associated with the game. A player whose number is known by all. The MLS can produce such a talent and personality, but it cannot hold onto it. At least, not yet. But once a steady flow of Americans come out of the League and over to Europe, the League will be respected worldwide. European clubs will begin loaning their young talents to the States. As the talent level of MLS increases, and the capability of the US National team surpasses the likes of Ghana, the MLS will be able to hold onto domestic stars, as well as attract some foreign born ones.
Of course, the MLS hits a ceiling if it ever reaches a certain level. The EPL, La Liga, 1. Bundesliga, Serie A, and the European leagues all offer Champions League play, the biggest annual stage for the game. The MLS can never offer anything to compete with that. However, I think that someday the League will be on the same level as Argentina's or Brazil's. This will be at least 40 years from now. Which is good, because it means that everyone will forget about this overworded and probably incorrect article by the time they can truly say to me "HAHA, YOU WERE WRONG!"
