As the news has become official that David Beckham will leave Real Madrid to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS, and take what could potentially become one of the largest contracts in sports history once endorsements are factored in, one cannot help but feel that this is the beginning of Beckham's slide into football obscurity.
While the U.S. sports media will be interested for a few weeks in watching Beckham play the beautiful game, largely to grab a few quotes and see if he can't score a trademark free kick on debut for the cameras, he could well be known best for competing with Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie for gossip column inches rather than for contesting titles as a leading midfielder in world football.
Did the English Premier League's failed bid to bring Becks home represent the last chance to see him playing his best football in a place where it will be duly appreciated? Having signed a five-year deal in LA, Beckham will likely never be seen in the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, or even in English colours again.
The glitz of his arrival in Los Angeles will be little more than his christening as a fully-fledged off-field circus act, with Posh & Becks becoming the latest talk of Tinsel Town, as photographers and beat writers wonder where they’ll live, who they’ll be seen with, what parties they’ll attend. This is of course dependant on whether there isn't a more interesting story coming out of Hollywood or out of one of America's more established pro sports. Witness the fact that ESPN feels it necessary to poll its online readers about whether or not they will even watch MLS play with Beckham in town.
At least in England, the tabloid coverage of Beckham was occasionally for the sports pages. Opinion about his place in the game’s history or in rankings of the best players might be somewhat divided, but at least his talent and status as one of the finest exponents of the free kick, corners and crosses are recognised. Had Becks been dealt to West Ham, Newcastle, Arsenal or whichever team was willing to build around him for a few seasons, he could have possibly returned to stardom or led a team into title contention, and retired with dignity in a few years time having been given one last opportunity to compete at the highest level in his sport. And the Royal Family wouldn’t have complained if he happened to draw a few of the press away from Kate Middleton in the process.
Showing posts with label MLS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLS. Show all posts
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Bidding Freddy adieu
The 2006 World Cup was a key moment for the further development of soccer (it's still too strange for an Australian to say "football") into a truly dominant world game, as the success of the Asian nations like South Korea and Turkey in 2002 spread to Australia and other nations previously seen as minnows.
Of course, the final frontier for the sport is to find some penetration in the lucrative American market, where the money from potential sponsors and owners could easily create several new Chelsea All Star-type teams with the revenue available. Although Americans embrace sports such as gridiron (where 60 minutes of game time is spread over four hours of TV) and baseball (where the majority of the pitches result in no swing offered or a fouled off ball), the prospect of watching 90 minutes of continuous play on a soccer pitch does not inspire American sports fans at all.
And now, the best player to have ever graced American pitches (at least, the best one who wasn't on his last legs and trying to cash in on his own legacy. You've been outed, Romario.) has been banished from a major city in Washington to the sports back alley that is Salt Lake City. Freddy Adu was compared to Pele and other legends when he signed to D.C. United as a raw but electrifying 14-year-old soccer prodigy, and his name has been linked to such football meccas as Chelsea and Manchester United in recent years.
Only in America could a soccer player with such promise and such rare ability be treated this poorly. One only hopes that Adu is saved from the quick slide to obscurity in Utah, where he will never receive national media coverage or a big Nike deal which could propel him to stardom in America, and that he is signed to England, Italy or Spain where he can become the type of player which we would love to see. Unfortunately, such a move would likely end any hope of the U.S. becoming a new breeding ground for elite soccer talent as even if he were to live up to his initial hype this would likely be forgotten in the land of the Red, White and Blue.
Of course, the final frontier for the sport is to find some penetration in the lucrative American market, where the money from potential sponsors and owners could easily create several new Chelsea All Star-type teams with the revenue available. Although Americans embrace sports such as gridiron (where 60 minutes of game time is spread over four hours of TV) and baseball (where the majority of the pitches result in no swing offered or a fouled off ball), the prospect of watching 90 minutes of continuous play on a soccer pitch does not inspire American sports fans at all.
And now, the best player to have ever graced American pitches (at least, the best one who wasn't on his last legs and trying to cash in on his own legacy. You've been outed, Romario.) has been banished from a major city in Washington to the sports back alley that is Salt Lake City. Freddy Adu was compared to Pele and other legends when he signed to D.C. United as a raw but electrifying 14-year-old soccer prodigy, and his name has been linked to such football meccas as Chelsea and Manchester United in recent years.
Only in America could a soccer player with such promise and such rare ability be treated this poorly. One only hopes that Adu is saved from the quick slide to obscurity in Utah, where he will never receive national media coverage or a big Nike deal which could propel him to stardom in America, and that he is signed to England, Italy or Spain where he can become the type of player which we would love to see. Unfortunately, such a move would likely end any hope of the U.S. becoming a new breeding ground for elite soccer talent as even if he were to live up to his initial hype this would likely be forgotten in the land of the Red, White and Blue.
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