Beckham’s stateside experiment in danger of turning sour
Following David Beckham’s confrontation with a Los Angeles Galaxy fan this weekend on the back of the torrent of abuse he has received since his return to the US, things appear to be turning ugly for the former England captain in the MLS. Beckham has insisted that he is committed to the Galaxy’s cause and that he has made a positive difference to sport in the country since his arrival, but the evidence suggests otherwise.
His fanfare arrival two years ago was heralded as a watershed moment for the MLS yet left many questioning the wisdom of his decision, especially given that he clearly still harboured international ambitions. Whilst Beckham was clearly intent on “making a difference” to the sport across the Atlantic, the standard of football was, and still is, recognised as being pedestrian.
Few would have begrudged him the opportunity of what was initially agreed as a three month loan spell at AC Milan, and given Landon Donovan struck a similar agreement with Bayern Munich, nobody could have accused Beckham of disloyalty to his parent club. However, during his spell at the San Siro, Beckham was clearly reminded what it was like to play for a top class club with top class players in a competitive league.
His attempts to extend his stay at Milan (which would have been permanent had it not been for the clubs’ failure to agree a transfer fee) is testament to this and effectively signalled the end of any kind of rapport he had built with the Galaxy’s fans. It is easy to see why they feel so aggrieved. The fact that Beckham was happy to miss the first 17 games of the MLS season to remain in Italy serves to higlight the fact that his heart is simply not with the LA Galaxy.
Furthermore, he has indicated that he is willing to do the same next season. Beckham appears determined to play a part in England’s 2010 World Cup campaign, and to this end he is dancing to Fabio Capello’s tune in seeking competitive football wherever he can get it. Ultimately, this is not in Los Angeles and few would be surprised to see him end up in Serie A or the Premiership in the not too distant future in an attempt to do ‘whatever it takes’.
Beckham’s desire to make raise the profile of football in the US is commendable yet totally juxtaposed with his desire to prolong his international career and play football at the highest level. It is also important not to lose sight of the fact that the Beckham project has cost the LA Galaxy a significant amount of money and, put simply, they have not been getting what they paid for. Whether the frosty reception for Beckham gets any warmer over the coming months remains to be seen, but the player certainly has his work cut out to convince anybody that he wants to be there.
