David Beckham and MLS

[james1985]

From another thread, I'd like to ask a few questions to my forum buddies in the US and Canada about David Beckham's recent arrival in the MLS playing for LA Galaxy.

Have you been to an MLS game?

What did you think?

Do you watch MLS on tv?

Do you watch any European/South American football on television?

What's been the general reaction amongst people where you are about Beckham's arrival?

Does his arrival make you more interested in the MLS/football in general around the world?

Do you follow the fortunes of the US national team?


Just a few added points from me and what I think about Beckham:

He's got one of the sweetest, most accurate right feet ever seen in football. He's won everything there is to win in club football and was an integral, if not crucial, part of the successful sides that he played in (especially the 98/99 man Utd treble-winning side). For England, he was a proud captain who unfortunately nevewr performed to his best in the major tournaments either through being injured and rushed back (2002), unfit (2004) or part of a general malaise (2006).
I know his arrival in LA has been a paparrazi storm, but I think he generaly does want to act as a pioneer for the game over there. he could've done a job at a top European club for the next two years. I think his ambition is genuine.



Any thoughts?

[mervap]

I am a casual soccer fan and watch occasionally...I think his arrival was kinda over-hyped here, more like a celebrity sighting or red carpet Hollywood thing. I have seen Beckham on the telly and well know what a fine player he was...I wonder what he's got left. Soccer has a strange history here in the US...ever since I was a tyke, I've been hearing that soccer would take over the country as a sport of choice...it's been 30 odd years and it hasn't happened. Youth soccer leagues have always been full, but there's nowhere for these kids to go after, say, college...MLS hardly gets any press here in ATL. Actually, the biggest soccer story of my lifetime was the US Womens soccer team's run....several world titles and some Olympic medals, right? Most of the soccer that is watched in my area is at Mexican restaurants...no kidding...univision carries a lot of soccer, mostly latin clubs.
Beckham is certainly welcome here, but I doubt whether he will improve the MLS' ratings much, especially if he stays hurt...that could not have happened at a worse time.

[chris]

i will mirror, in part, what mervap has said. soccer (since we already have a football, we evidently aren't sophisticated to have two sports called football) has been rumored for decades to be the national sport. it hasn't happened. i grew up a 3 sport regular as a kid (football, baseball, and basketball) and i not only never played soccer, i didn't know anyone who ever did.

the signing of beckham was of moderate interest here. but interestingly enough, the chicago coccer franchise, the fire (an obnoxious reference to a horrible fire that nearly depleted the entire city around 150 years ago) signed a player who, sports writers claimed, was even better that beckham, he comes from mexico. the truly sad part of it...i couldn't even tell you this guy's name.

but, as i drive around, it is not uncommon to see as many kids playing soccer as playing baseball. so there is hope. my daughter actually played on a little league soccer team for three years before the thought occured to her...why am i running around so much.

the only time i am really interested, is when the world cup comes around. i may not know much about it. and i may not be good at it, but something about winning one for your country seems to get me to watch every four years or so.

[james1985]

BUMP


any more thoughts?