RSS
David Beckham Must Go Home
He is the million dollar golden English boy who was supposed to rejuvenate soccer in America. That is not going to happen. Apart from his sprained right knee and sprained left ankle, David Beckham is still linked to England and that is where his heart is. England coach, Steve McClaren has publicly stated that Beckham will be called on to play for England in international matches and there are ugly rumors circulating that Beckham is in the process of negotiating a four-month leave from the Los Angeles Galaxy next year.
David Robert Joseph Beckham presently sits on the bench. His annual salary is $ 6.5 million He has only played six games out of twelve, for a total sum of 310 minutes. Crunch the numbers and that works out to approximately $ 20,967 PER MINUTE. That is great money for any midfielder even if his name is David Beckham.
In the 1970s, Soccer players bigger and better than Beckham tried to resurrect soccer in America. They all failed. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, from Brazil also known as Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Captain of West Germany also known as “der Kaiser” {The Emperor} and Johan Cruyff, “The Flying Dutchman” from the Netherlands all came to America and played for The New York Cosmos. Nothing much happened and the legends eventually went back to their respective countries. And of course, now it is David Beckham. Hampered by unfortunate injury, Beckham cannot do what he and the Los Angeles Galaxy want him to do, play soccer. So, Beckham is paid to sit on the bench, cheer, and inspire millions by his mere legendary presence. Will not work.
The money that Major League Soccer is paying Beckham should have gone to funding the American soccer team. Recurring tours of Brazil, Argentina, England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Tunisia, Israel and The Netherlands will do much more for American soccer than having one superstar come in. Winning international games and tournaments will light the fires back home. This was proved when the American women’s soccer squad won two World Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal.
Today, in America, Beckham has unfortunately become a walking advertising machine, while his Spice Girl wife, Victoria Adams, is busy setting up businesses in fashion, perfumes and sunglasses.
To put things in perspective. Beckham was dumped by England in 2007, and he found himself warming the bench for his club Real Madrid. So when America called, flashing dollars and a new life, David Beckham said yes. His friend Tom Cruise was living in L.A., which made it easier.
It would have been less complicated if England had written off Beckham, but across the pond, the English know that David Beckham is not finished yet. The next world Cup is coming on and so are many crucial England matches. Beckham is a real soccer player, a genius with the ball. The home for all quality football is in Europe; even American soccer players will acknowledge this.
Odds are that Beckham will soon tire of being in Los Angeles. Sitting on the bench, not playing, he sure has a lot of time to think about soccer here and football there. Even if he gets a hundred percent fit, the quality of players he will be playing against here in America is mediocre when compared to the European circuit. David Beckham plans to shuttle between Europe and America once he gets fighting fit. This is not the same as being there. The best thing David Beckham can do is go home if he wants to stay alive as a great soccer player. Sure, the money is great, and the endorsements are great but what about playing real football. Yes, that’s what they call soccer all over the world. In America, we really don’t know what real football is because the passion for the game is still not here. Given time, it is bound to happen. If Beckham had retired, if England were not interested in him, it would have been a different story. Beckham is still considered a serious contender and for that reason alone, David Beckham should go home. Celebrity is nice, money is great but football is greater. That is one saying that even Beckham cannot bend.
No Comments »
No comments submitted yet.