Apr 04 2008
David Beckham scores his first MLS goal
Not a goal in a friendly or SuperLiga, but in and MLS game.
Watching it last night, it sure looked offside, and conspiracies immediately started formulating that the MLS would keep that from even being questioned, as the commentators completely swallowed their collective tongue.
Watching it this morning… he doesn’t really look offside. Either that’s some fantastic 12-hour trickery, or more likely, that was a class finish from a gifted footballer. His assist to Donovan later was a perfect lofted ball as well. There’s plenty of reasons to hate on the man, his fame, his stupid wife, his idiot publicity stunts, hanging our with Kobe, playing for Madrid… but I’ve watched him play live and on TV a bunch of times, and you have to give it up to him on the field. He reminds me of Pete Rose, but without the shame, cause he’s never the fastest or the strongest, but he hustles and tries his damndest.
Of course, at 33 he’s not as spry as he was back in England, but for where MLS is right now he can’t even be considered old. There’s plenty of 36-38 year old farts out there. I could change my opinion about him real fast if he ends up bolting in the next year or two (a legitimate concern, if a place in the England squad looks to be fleeting he would by all rights leave for a more competitive league; however, since they ain’t playing for shit this summer after being knocked out of Euro2008 Finals, maybe he sticks around regardless of England playing time. Thank You Croatia!!) but if he sticks it out, shows the skill and improves the image of this league, I’m all for him. Even if he is again playing on the team I’m supposed to hate. I’m a Chivas USA fan.
He also says he would buy his own franchise after retirement. He already has a soccer academy. Soccer fans, I ask you, how can you hate a guy who is trying to do so much for US Soccer? (Snarky aside, the fact that he is doing it for money shouldn’t be a negative. Hell, how many times do we look at an American doing some sellout shit but say, well, but he’s getting paid to do that shit, so it’s alright.) And now I’ll stop talking about David Beckham as I’m at my three paragraph limit before I start blithering. Arriba las Chivas!!… USA!
2 Responses to “David Beckham scores his first MLS goal”
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I thought he was easily onside. When I watch him play I compare to a situation where an adult plays basketball with 7 year olds. He just does things better than everyone else out there. You do have to give him credit for trying to build soccer in the states. He is of course getting paid but he would have gotten that anywhere and seems to have a real interest in building the sport here. If you love the game you have to respect that, personal feelings for his celebrity status aside.
Absolutely. Thanks for saying what I was trying to say without saying as much as I said that didn’t need to be said.
The “real interest in building the sport here” part touches on another point: whether or not he actually deep down gives two fucks about soccer in America, he came to America while still very good (and yes, better than most of the MLS’ers) and is trying to make the sport a success when he could have taken a huge payday in so many places. I bet Al-Alihayd or whatever Arabian league club gives zillions of Euros to the likes of Batistuta would offer similar cash.
He is taking such a giant risk, it’s like Jordan trying to play baseball. Not to compare their professional careers on an achievement basis, but on a “taking on a really fucking big challenge” basis. It takes balls, man, Golden Balls.