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MLS Will Not Lose Out If David Beckham Stays In Milan

goal.com — Former MLS commissioner and present Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis doesn't believe David Beckham is key to the future of football in the United States.

Who dugg this? Made popular Feb 26, 2009

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  • DrHoliday, on 02/26/2009, -0/+11Soccer will get its time in the future.

    Kids and teenagers are playing more soccer than ever before. The whole term soccer mom was coined after generations of increasingly numerous youngsters playing soccer. When these guys grow up and make an impact, we'll see soccer finally see its full potential in the States. They'll be flipping channels and settle on a game they loved and played not so long ago in High School...
  • EnderMB, on 02/26/2009, -0/+10I used to have a lot of respect for David Beckham. When he signed for LA Galaxy I thought it wasn't just a move in order to promote his brand outside of Europe and Asia, I thought it was a genuine attempt to move into a lesser-known league and play different football. I've always respected David Beckham for being one of very few English players with the nads to play outside of the Ivory Tower known as the Premier League.

    Now, I've lost a mountain of respect for him.

    He was never going to make an impact at LA Galaxy and those that believed that he would take the team to new heights just don't know anything about football, but at least he tried. MLS is an awful league when compared to even the minor European leagues. However, he made a promise to the league and to the fans and now he's turned his back on them for the illusion of football.

    He's still a good footballer that can play well in big matches, but he's no world-class midfielder, at least not any more. He needs to realise this, drop his big dream of playing years of world-class football in Milan and for 2012 for England. He made a promise to the American fans and so far he's not delivered.

    He deserves to give LA Galaxy his twilight years and to stop trying to shamelessly hunt glory, because if he leaves LA for Milan he'll get a short stint in the first team and drop into obscurity, and on top of that he needs to quit International football, not because he's not good enough, but because there is a country full of other kids that need a chance.
  • kratsnitram, on 02/26/2009, -0/+10As a season ticket holder for the Rapids, I could care less if Becks stays or goes, but I do want MLS and the Galaxy to get PAID if he goes, and by that I mean AC Milan needs to pony up around 12-15mm.
  • HappyScrappy, on 02/26/2009, -9/+18Football is doing well here. Soccer not so much.
  • compson13, on 02/25/2009, -1/+8not sure if i agree with him or not, but it's nice that he's optimistic
  • 420buddah, on 02/26/2009, -4/+11No, but Beckham's absence will reinforce the fact that the MLS is a complete joke.

    The MLS will continue to be a joke until soccer/football sees a sea change in how people see the sport in this country. Youth development is abysmal in this country. The coaches, for the most part, are complete clowns.

    Professional teams, in other countries, begin training their players from early ages. Not that they all make it to the professional level, but the discipline and commitment start early.

  • niffx, on 02/26/2009, -2/+9I think soccer is growing in the US as pointed out by the continued addition of MLS teams each season. This sport has a lot of potential among American sports fans that are fed up with commercial breaks every two minutes in football, basketball and everything else. Soccer is 45 minutes of non-stop playing and for me that is a big selling point.
  • partysan, on 02/26/2009, -0/+6I don't think that the success of football in the US also means success for the MLS. They are light years away from being anywhere close to European quality football, and not even close to the popularity of South American leagues. Even sports anchors that have absolutely no clue about the game are ridiculing it (Jim Rome, SportsCenter anchors), using the old dive stereotype, or the "they just stand around" argument. Sure there is diving, but not nearly as often as they make you think, and the average player covers around 9 kilometers per game. Plus the game is more dynamic than any of the big North American team sports, meaning there are less breaks in the game.
  • jb3designs, on 02/26/2009, -1/+7You have no idea what you are talking about. How would you know that coaches "for the most part" are complete clowns??? Youth soccer has a stronger youth development philosophy and coaching education than any other sport in the United States. Research the USSF and NSCAA coaching programs and you will find there are very structured and intense coaching certifications. Moms and Dads in local recreation leagues are not the epitome of soccer coaches.

    Soccer is a sport that has to be developed through its culture and it won't happen over night. The upcoming generation of U.S. youth will have a much stronger appreciation for the sport and will in turn teach their children about the sport. There will be a day when the U.S. population will embrace the sport. Ignorant statements such as yours will not be the norm.
  • K4Lic0, on 02/26/2009, -1/+6Who cares? He acted as though he could care less about playing in the US, let him stay in Milan.
  • exhume, on 02/26/2009, -0/+4It doesn't have to be as big to survive and thrive. There's 300+ million people in this country. Is NHL hockey "big" like the others? It's on Versus for crying out loud. And fewer kids play hockey than soccer. Yet no one goes out of their way to put down hockey in this country like they do soccer.
  • whorelock, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3Honestly, at this point, Beckham might be nothing more than a distraction to the MLS. One man won't bring the desired respect to the league. With or without Beckham, the Galaxies chance of making the finals is slim and none.
  • Valyn, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3Exactly, it will slowly grow in popularity.
  • KurtangleTN, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3As far as I know (and I'm possibly wrong) the MLS doesn't have any real direct connections with the US Team. It's like saying the MLB has a connection with the USA baseball team, NBA with the US team, etc.

    But I agree, it will take a run in the world cup to stir interest. But keep in mind only 7 countries have ever won a world cup. The US's best finish was third place in the first one in 1930, I think most US fans (or the realistic ones) would be extremely pleased to be semi finalist. I'm not sure how the average American would be, but keep in mind you can't jump down a flight of stairs.
  • StarFingHipster, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3The future of MLS is not buying older European and Latin stars to boost their image. Its building American soccer into something that can actually win World Cups, not just qualify and get eliminated after a round or two, to get US soccer out of what Robin Williams once said "in the special olympics category."

    Wake up MLS.
  • theg3neral, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3Dugg for AC Milan and football aka soccer.

    FORZA MILAN!
  • Hetman, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3***** beckham America will have a great soccer team/superstars eventually. The key is having more schools playing soccer. Once Soccer has saturated our elementary, middle and highechools, we will start to see great soccer players. It is only a matter of time. Soccer may not be for everyone, but it is a really fun sport to watch and play.
  • contracode, on 02/26/2009, -3/+6Maybe they should make goals worth 6 points. It'll trick the fools into thinking there's "more action".
  • Valyn, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3Thats one of the many reasons I am hoping that Portland makes it into MLS, would be awesome to have a MLS team in my backyard.
  • Hetman, on 02/26/2009, -1/+4That is not how you are going to get americans to come around to soccer.
  • Hetman, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3I agree. The man makes so much money in Asia and Europe I actually thought he was trying to do something for the sport of soccer in America. I was wrong. He is rubbish and america will be better for it, there is talent here, it just needs to be developed.
  • partysan, on 02/26/2009, -0/+3I just want to give you an example here. When I went to high school, soccer was the only sport the school didn't want to fork out any money for. Football? Sure, they bought all their gear and got buses for away games. Same with basketball and f-ing volleyball. But us? Hell no.
  • brownsound00, on 02/26/2009, -2/+4I thought Becks had to come back. Didn't AC miss the transfer window?
  • PullingTeeth, on 02/26/2009, -2/+4David Beckham has not made an impact in LA; he simply does not have the motivation to play well in the States, and if he stays there, it is almost assured that he will lose his starting spot, at least, on the England roster. If the Galaxy want to see the absolute worst of David Beckham, then they'll try to keep him as hard as they are now. If they have any sense, they'll sell him, take the money, and move on.
  • whorelock, on 02/26/2009, -0/+2Why was his comment ironic? Did it rain on his wedding day?
  • Valyn, on 02/26/2009, -1/+3Wait what? a low score means there is no action?
    Are you trying to imply that something like the NFL or baseball are just brimming with action? There are good reasons to not like soccer, but lack of action is definitely not it.
  • bilbohicks, on 02/26/2009, -0/+2lolwut?
  • HappyScrappy, on 02/26/2009, -0/+2I care about soccer only in as much as I would like my soccer-liking friends to have a game to enjoy.

    But really, I think right now MLS would be better to be free of the cost of Beckham. He only plays on one team, so it doesn't really improve all of MLS. It if had brought more good players to the US it might have been okay, but we still seem to get the same just over-the-hill players we already got.

    In short, a big part of the cost of Beckham is for his "star power", which isn't working in the US. So probably MLS should stop paying for it.
  • schwerve, on 02/26/2009, -0/+2the loss of david beckham (presumably) isn't going to hurt the mls, the league exists with a strong core following in a number of cities with profitable clubs. It will hurt of a couple of teams that used beckham as a draw to reap a single game windfall to improve their bottom lines (KC, NY, NE, Dal) but the majority of teams are on firm financial and footy footing (Chi, DC, LA, Sea, Tor, Hou, RSL)
  • thespiff, on 02/26/2009, -2/+3The acquisition of Beckham did nothing for American Soccer. It was profitable to American tabloids...but that's about it. So I can't really see how the loss of him would hurt American Soccer.
  • mborys88, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1HELLO?! The CREW!
  • nhansen, on 02/26/2009, -1/+2Nope. But thanks for playin! Douchebag.
  • K4Lic0, on 02/26/2009, -4/+5The game is 90 minutes long and the score at the end of the game MIGHT be 1-2? 'Non-stop playing' is misleading.
  • pennvneff, on 02/26/2009, -1/+2You've got issues
  • nhansen, on 02/26/2009, -3/+4I played soccer in the US all growing up, and in high school and after graduation on some city rec teams. Then I lived in England for a little while AND GOT COMPLETELY SCHOOLED BY KIDS HALF MY AGE AND YOUNGER. There's no incentive for kids to play soccer all the time in the US because their sport heroes aren't soccer players. Once we get a few born and bred US soccer stars (Landon Donovan doesn't count in my book) then the MLS will start to gain a better reputation.
  • Valyn, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1LOL, while I beleive your half right, that was funny.
  • CACuzcatlan, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1"That is a big change from all of the empty seats they had before he came here"

    HAHAHAHAHA, get your facts straight. Here is our attendance since moving to the Home Depot Center in 2003. Beckham arrived in summer of 2007.

    2003 21,983
    2004 23,809
    2005 24,204
    2006 20,814
    2007 24,252
    2008 26,009

    We were averaging over 20,000 per game for 4 years before Beckham. The real fans have always come out, its just that the media didn't pay attention to us until Beckham came.
  • PullingTeeth, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1When one talks about a player's impact on a club, first and foremost one should talk about the team's accomplishments with him. LA Galaxy are a medicore team, and while Beckham was once thought to be past his prime, his stint in Milan has shown he still has something left, and is still a special player. He, and his ambitions, are simply too big for the Galaxy, and they need to let him go.
  • mborys88, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1At the rate Beckham is going he's not going to have anywhere to go. He can only do so much on the Galaxy and I haven't seen him do much on AC. It's ironic that Donovan, the most vocal about Beckham going on loan to AC, is now playing for FC Bayern on loan. And he hasn't done ***** either. Regardless of "Star Power" I think the MLS will do just fine. They keep expanding. And being a Columbus Crew fan it's evident to see there's plenty of talent in the pool that the MLS doesn't need Beckham to make the sport more high profile. Last game I attended at Crew stadium there was over 17k ppl in attendance. And they weren't playing the Galaxy and it was earlier in the season before they were poised for the Cup. Forget about Beckham.... Galaxy needs a better coaching staff and team before they become a bigger laughing stock.
  • stevo3131, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1MLS transfer window is still open.
  • mborys88, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1Versus. Thank god for Versus. NHL and Cycling. Just add MLS and we'll be good to go.
  • contracode, on 02/26/2009, -2/+3How so? Toronto sells out every game. Seattle will also sell out this entire season. Chicago, DC, New England, Salt Lake... all great attendances. MLS is equal in average attendance, if not better in attendance than NHL and NBA.
  • HappyScrappy, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1I've watched enough soccer to know what I think about it.

    And I don't give a crap about playing Mexico, seriously. I have regional teams to root for, I generally just can't get interested in national teams. Not in football, not in soccer, not in basketball, and not even in my favorite sport, hockey.

    To really enjoy a game, you have to care about one side or the other, and I just can't bring myself to care if we're better than other countries at team sports. Once in a while I can get interested in an individual in the Olympics (not this year though), but that's about it.
  • CleoQKazoo, on 02/26/2009, -2/+3He's kidding himself
  • mborys88, on 02/26/2009, -1/+2Ignorant. Plain and simple. Go listen to country music and beat your wife.
  • EnderMB, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1He's not that bad, but one player can never make an entire team. If a player like Sergio Ramos were to sign for a MLS team it doesn't mean that that team would never concede, nor would the team score every game because they've signed Robinho. One player doesn't make a team.

    However, if MLS had any sense they wouldn't have bought Beckham in the first place and would've bought some top-class young talent like Mamadou Sakho, Theo Walcott, Fabio or John Fleck.
  • KurtangleTN, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1Well I generally agree with you, I normally could give a rats ass about national games, but the WC and US soccer is just different. The level of passion is light years ahead of even the best club games.
  • bbqsalad, on 02/26/2009, -4/+5I don't think soccer will EVER be big in the states, not nearly as big as football or baseball. Just not ever going to happen. They have been saying it would for a while now, not happening. nope. never.
  • CACuzcatlan, on 02/26/2009, -1/+2***** Milan and their fascist owner
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