MARC CHOQUETTE
Online Content Manager
A new era for U.S. soccer officially began July 21 in Carson, Calif. One man alone has breathed new life into a sport that has struggled mightily to obtain a foothold in the crowded American sports psyche, as British phenom and heartthrob David Beckham removed his warm-ups to enter the friendly match in the 78th minute for the Los Angeles Galaxy against English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC.
Outside of a few good free kicks and passes downfield, Beckham did little to make much noise in his 15 minutes on the pitch, but that did not matter for the MLS, an organization that seems to be banking on the fact that a lot of noise is being made off the field with regard to the newest high-profile addition to the soccer scene. Overnight, Beckham gave the struggling league a level of exposure few ever dreamed would materialize in a country long known for shunning a sport that has taken over the rest of the world.
I knew Beckham would make an immediate impact for the Galaxy as far as attendance and exposure is concerned. However, in the weeks following since his debut, my own skeptical but hopeful predictions continue to be exceeded by the absolute circus that follows his every move (see ESPN’s “Beckham Cam” next match).
The madness began shortly before Beckham’s first scheduled match against Chelsea. Wandering through the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, I walked by the Adidas store and had to stop and rub my eyes. Huge displays outside and inside the store portrayed Beckham as the English god who has come to liberate American soccer from the naysayers and the haters holding the sport back.
The Galaxy redesigned their logo and uniform to a sharp, more European resembling get-up just in time for his arrival, which immediately began selling like hotcakes at $85 a pop. Plasma TVs around the store showed Becks kicking it (literally and figuratively) with other Adidas-sponsored sports phenoms, showing off his soccer skills to gazing passers-by.
Attendance has skyrocketed for MLS matches when the L.A. Galaxy comes into town. Eastern Division cellar-dweller Toronto FC sold out the 21,000 seat BMO Field and provided a raucous atmosphere for their recent match against L.A., even though Beckham sat on the sidelines in a suit.
The next match against D.C. United brought out 47,000 to RFK Stadium and gave Becks a chuckle with a gigantic banner by fan group the “Screaming Eagles” which read “We Sing Better than Your Wife.” Thirty-five thousand fans showed up in New England, who have averaged barely 11,000 fans a game this year. Despite the craze, Beckham had yet to make much noise or even play beyond 15 minutes, still nursing a nagging ankle injury suffered in a Spanish League match a few months back.
But the coming out party for Beckham, which the MLS was holding their breath for, came Saturday, Aug. 18, when he got the start and played a full 90 minutes as the Galaxy took on the New York Red Bulls in front of the largest crowd ever for an MLS match: more than 66,000 at Giants Stadium.
Beckham didn’t disappoint. After New York scored four minutes into the match, rocking Giants Stadium to the core, Beckham, who was booed nearly every time he touched the ball, immaculately put up two successive balls which both found the head of forward Carlos Pavon and the back of the net within a five-minute span, setting off a stunned buzz from the crowd and a fired up Beckham taunting the New York faithful to “shhhhhhhhh.”
The “soccer-phobic” sportswriters in the United States were eerily silent following the epic 5-4 match between New York and Los Angeles, probably because it was the moment they were dreading. They keep trying to insist they don’t care and that the Beckham craze is shallow and will do little to further the game on this side of the pond.
But Beckham and the MLS see it differently. Bringing in the star was only part of the master plan the MLS has concocted in order to gain popularity. New, soccer-specific stadiums are being built for new franchises so the empty football stadiums will soon be a thing of the past. Clinics and new leagues are setting up an MLS feeder system. But bringing in Beckham was seen as a way to get the ball rolling with media exposure. It’s an attempt to attract even more players away from Europe and Latin America and to the United States.
While some may see Beckham only for his looks (or for his wife) or for what the tabloids say about him, he seems to be truly devoted to improving the stature of soccer in this sleeping giant of a country, a task that Pele could not complete and is long overdue. This genuine regard for the sport is why I support his efforts and will be attending some Galaxy matches this fall.
And you can bet soccer players all over this country will be crossing their fingers that, through his efforts, they might have a better chance to do what they love for a living. Isn’t that what the American dream is all about?
08-27-2007
