Do You Think David Beckham Made The Right Choice By Moving To La Galaxy?
I’ll tell you something, I know what he was trying to do. Back in Pele’s time, he played pro in America for a few years because he wanted to show football to America, as they lacked knowledge of this beutiful sport. He introduced REAL football to them and made it more popular in America. Mr. Beckham here tried to copycat that and guess what? It did not work. He should have stayed in Real Madrid and continued being an all star.
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On what grounds can you say that Becks’ first season in LA “did not work”? If his goal was to make professional soccer more popular here – and that is true – then he has so far been successful. For 2007, league attendance was up for the first time ever over the prior year, and also did not decline during the season. Both of these can be attributed to his arrival in mid-season. MLS attendance is now on a par with the Eredivisie and SPL, and is closing in on Serie A.
Admittedly, the growth is slow, but it is still growth, and Beckham is clearly a part of it. But if anything, slow growth is preferable over flashy attendance numbers that die off after a relatively brief period, as was the case with the NASL of Pele’s day. Moreover, Beckham was dogged by injuries and barely played in the half-season he has been here, but still sold tickets and merchandise. And beyond that, the LA Galaxy were mediocre at best in 2007. With a healthy start to next season, and a much improved team next year, the Beckham effect and the resulting growth can only be expected to continue.
Low attendance numbers must also be considered in light of the wide array of sports and entertainment options available in the US. Thus soccer in the US not only has to overcome the problem of unfamiliarity, it has substantial well-entrenched competition for fans. At various points in its season, MLS competes with all the major professional leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL), as well as their college counterparts (for example, the MLS season kicks off in the middle of NCAA March Madness!). This kind of competition simply does not exist in most other countries where soccer is the dominant spectator sport.
Beyond that, Beckham has raised the international profile of MLS significantly. I doubt that many Europeans would know anything about MLS were it not for his presence. The Galaxy’s recent Australian tour was also a huge success, with unheard-of crowds down under for two friendlies.
Additionally, I am sure that it was a good decision on a personal level for Beckham and his family.
Comment by John F — February 6, 2010 @ 8:04 am