Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Sports fans still resisting the media circus of David Beckham’s arrival missed Major League Soccer’s ideal introduction of the English megastar.
Those who tuned in to Fox Soccer Channel on Saturday night saw a crowd of 66,000 at Giants Stadium and were treated to the MLS game of the year. Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy fell 5-4 to the New York Red Bulls.
Not only was Beckham involved in three of the Galaxy’s goals, he was clearly invested in the game and was at the center of controversy when he took exception to a Dave van den Berg tackle in the first half. The shoving match that followed should only endear him to American sports fans who will value his passion for the game as well as his skill.
Although Beckham’s ankle problems temporarily derailed MLS’s original plans for his arrival, his performance thus far when healthy has been encouraging. For someone still obviously bothered by his ankle, Beckham seems to be the difference between a team that was destined to miss the playoffs and one with a chance to turn its season around.
Much of the popular media have judged Beckham to be the best player on the field in the appearances he has made, and to a point, I agree.
His passing repertoire brings a new element to the Galaxy attack that no team in the league can possibly replicate. He showed an uncanny ability to free up teammates down the wings into open space, and the undeniable quality of his free kicks will be the source of instant offense for a team that has so far struggled to score.
From a critic’s point of view, Beckham has never been the prototypical ball winner, and that has been obvious in each of his four appearances. He has been generally unwilling to exert too much energy defending, though that can be attributed to his balky ankle.
On one notable goal he simply stood and watched as Micah Richards drove toward goal, resulting in a Red Bull’s goal.
Beckham is obviously not completely healthy and for much of the second half, it seemed he was content to play deep, avoid contact, and feed long passes to teammates. I think we will see a completely different Beckham after he recovers from injury.
While he will never be a player who beats players off the dribble, once healthy he will still make runs into dangerous space closer to goal and contribute more around the opponent’s goal.
Reports from England suggest he will sit out most, if not all, of England’s friendly with Germany this week at the new Wimbley in England, and a rested Beckham will undoubtedly continue to improve the Galaxy’s play and coverage of Major League Soccer in general.
Beckham has shown he has the ability to be the class of the MLS and the enormous turnout in New York is a positive sign for league growth. This growth must be sustained to continue improving the league, and to do this Beckham must remain healthy. It remains to be seen how his ankle, and the Galaxy for that matter, will hold up for the remainder of the MLS season, but signs are positive that soccer has a foothold in American culture.
— Edited by Amelia Freidline
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