Beckham Needs Help -- A Lot of Help
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by Nejoshi
Now that David Beckham’s long awaited debut for the LA Galaxy has come and gone, it seems logical to ask what’s next for the 32-year old midfielder.
First, I will make this proclamation: It will be hard, probably impossible, for the Galaxy to match the atmosphere that was created during their “friendly” with Chelsea on Saturday night in the future. The game may have been an exhibition match, but playing a team like Chelsea gave fans the opportunity to see soccer at its finest. The English club has an internationally renowned player at each position, and is one of the best clubs in the world. Adding Beckham’s debut to that storyline made the match a must-see.
The Galaxy managed to hold their own for most of the match, but eventually succumbed to the club from Stamford Bridge 1-0 on a header by John Terry in the 49th minute. Few actually cared about the score, most just wanted to see the English star in a Galaxy uniform, and when he finally entered the game in the 79th minute, it was great to see the fans truly embrace soccer, the world’s most popular sport. As expected, Beckham’s play was far from memorable, but just the mere presence of seeing him in a Galaxy uniform was enough for the thousands of fans that came to watch.
But, when Chelsea leaves for London and takes its superstars with them, there will be only one left in the MLS. Beckham’s entrance into American is a start, but watching him hobble around for 13 minutes made it clear that he can’t do it alone. The effort must be made to get more noteworthy players to come to America.
Fans will come in flocks to see the English star when the Galaxy come to town, but they will be disappointed if they think that he alone can make the quality of play similar to soccer-crazed nations like Brazil, Italy, or France. These countries have spent years developing a crew of world-class talent, and it has paid off.
The MLS has already instituted the Designated Player Rule, which allows teams to sign a player that is exempt from the very pedestrian league salary cap of $1.9 million. This is a move in the right direction, and has been used international stars like Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who came from Mexico.
That is just a start; now that they have successfully brought Beckham here, it’s time to get more.
