With the news of soccer star David Beckham’s decision to come to the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer when his contract with Spanish giants Real Madrid expires this summer, the league gained unprecedented worldwide exposure by signing one of the world’s most recognizable athletes. But what does this mean for Beckham, MLS, and soccer’s place in the American sports landscape?
As a business transaction, the big winner is Major League Soccer, L.L.C. Michael Jordan might be the gold standard for modern American athletic ubiquity, but Beckham has far greater name recognition around the world than Jordan could ever dream of, and MLS can now plaster Beckham’s pretty, empty face next to their corporate logo as often as they want. It doesn’t hurt that the official uniform supplier of MLS is adidas, which Beckham happens to endorse.
The deal to bring the 31-year old Beckham to MLS is rumored to be for a record $250 million over five years, including salary and endorsements. More importantly, he will put fannies in the seats, with which MLS has struggled throughout its 12-year history. Clad in brand-new David Beckham t-shirts and replica jerseys, they will applaud his every touch, turning virtually every match, wherever they play, into a home game for the Galaxy. Already the Galaxy have profited from the signing, with 2,500 season ticket packages sold on the day of the announcement, even though he will not arrive until the season is more than half over.
So what will we see from him on the field? Those who consider soccer to be boring are unlikely to change their opinion based on his performance. For all his fame, Beckham has never been a dominant player, the way Jordan or Wayne Gretzky were. His game is not built upon the dazzling footwork of the Brazilians, like Barcelona’s Ronaldinho, the flashy playmaker widely considered to be the greatest player in the world today.
Beckham’s specialty is the direct free kick, the shot on goal from a dead ball that occurs when a foul has been committed within sight of the opponent’s net. His ability to curve the ball around the wall of players, the skill from which the movie Bend It Like Beckham takes its name, and past the goalkeeper is astounding. But while free kicks look great on SportsCenter they only happen a few times a game, and more often than not they fail to result in a goal, usually going wide of the net or into the goalkeeper’s arms. Even in his prime at Manchester United, he never scored more than 11 goals in the 38-game English Premier League season.
Article comments
1 - RJ Elliott
I still don't understand why there aren't more great American soccer players.
Soccer is pretty much right up there with baseball in the pre-teen leagues. Then, once the teenage years hit, it falls below baseball, American football, and basketball.
Once you get to the college level, it's below ice hockey and girls volleyball. And by the time we get to the pros, it's beneath bowling, golf, billiards, p*ker, chess, and pretty much any other form of competition known to man.
Why???
2 - Dave Lifton
In order to consistently develop great players, you have to have a culture of the sport here, which we don't yet have. One of the main reasons is that, for the most part, we don't have parents who grew up with the sport, so you have a situation unlike with baseball, football and basketball, where the love of the game is transmitted down through the generations. You do see that, however, in immigrant communities, with Kearny, NJ probably being the most famous.
That could change, however, as MLS increases its visibility and footprint across the country. Expansion will give more kids the opportunity to see a high level of soccer and give them players to emulate on the fields. We're starting to see that now, as the kids who are turning pro have grown up watching the league and going to games, and that's very good news for the future of the sport.
3 - alessandro nicolo
RJ, that's the 64 000 question. I suppose television exposure is important. Potential athletes who play several sports always reach a fork in the road and soccer is the last they'll choose to make big money. The only option was to go to Europe. So why not stick to baseball or the other big sports? It is part cultural but soccer has always been popular at the grass roots level. It's a question of zeroing in and tapping into that. MLS may be able to do it. There is no doubt that there is a huge HUGE talent pool. I'm sure there are other reasons. I remember reading years ago that EVERY college in America had a soccer team but not necessarily a baseball team. Look anything is possible. Did anyone really think that football would one day surpass baseball? Dave, I agree with you.
4 - Dave Lifton
Thanks, Alessandro. One of the reasons why the US has a reputation of producing good goalkeepers is because of the multi-sport thing. The skills set is ideal for someone who grew up playing football, basketball and baseball.
5 - Jonathan
I would like to challenge the assertion that David Beckham has more "name recognition around the world" than does Michael Jordan. There is no way to substantiate a claim like that. Plus, I would guess it's the other way around.
6 - Christopher Rose
I agree that it isn't easy to measure, Jonathan, but football is played all over the planet and is the most popular game in most countries so that must tip the balance in Beckham's favour. Who is Michael Jordan anyway and why did they name a country after him?
7 - Mark Saleski
i have used this quote before but it's just so perfect...as heard on a sports radio call-in show:
"Soccer is the sport of the future, and it always will be!"
8 - Christopher Rose
It's also another one of those things that is only true in the USA, not that you Yanks are at all subjective about the planet you live on, oh no! lol
9 - Mark Saleski
i am in no way saying that the sport is somehow inferior. not at all. it's just that i doubt it will ever catch on here.
10 - Christopher Rose
Just give it time, Mark, just give it time!
11 - Mark Saleski
that's what they've been saying for over 30 years.
12 - Dave Lifton
Mark, the same could have been said thirty-five years ago about NASCAR or basketball (didn't CBS show the NBA Finals on tape delay?). Back then, boxing and horse racing were much more popular than they are now, and who cares about those sports now?
It's impossible to honestly say that it will never happen, just as it's impossible to say that it will. But in the past few years, MLS has made a handful of very good long-term, high-revenue deals that have all-but eliminated the talk of MLS' demise.
MLS is adding another team next year, and will have two more soon after that. That will mean more money, more exposure, and more sponsorships. That leads to more opportunities for American players, which improves the national team player pool, leading to better performances in the World Cup, which brings the sport national attention.
That's how it happens, but it does require patience and deep pockets, which the league's investors have shown that they have.
13 - Mark Saleski
we'll see. frankly, i think what's more likely to happen is that professional sports will become smaller and smaller....as the younger generations who are glued to their computers never look up.