August 22, 2007
The arrival of David Beckham to America has created an effect among some people in our society that I never thought I would experience in this country; he’s only a soccer player, after all. I had seen this happen in some instances with NFL, NBA, MLB athletes and in most cases with artists or singers, but not with a footballer (word used to refer to soccer players in the rest of the world). He’s got non-soccer fans interested in FOOTBALL. I‘m sorry, I should perhaps refer to it as soccer. But the sad part of the story is the most of Beckham’s new fans seem to be more interested in his personal life, his looks, his wife’s looks, his famous friends and his social life than his achievements on the field.
Mr. Beckham has played for two of the most important and prestigious FOOTBALL Clubs in the world, Manchester United from England and Real Madrid from Spain. These are two of the most competitive teams in the planet. Only elite players like Beckham can manage to survive and succeed at this level of competition.
Beckham is one of the most recognized players in the world, due to his soccer skills and his life style. He’s one of those athletes that everybody wants to know about for good or bad. This global recognition helped him become a marketing icon and a selling machine. His former teams (Manchester United and Real Madrid) made extensive pre-season tours through Asia where Mr. Beckham has a great deal of followers. Asian companies, promoters and agencies would pay him and his club teams high amount of dollars just to bring the British icon to play and posed for photographers in their territory. But after all this global recognition I still firmly think that Beckham is a way better player than a selling tool.
Beckham’s successful football career began in 1991 when he signed with Manchester United as a trainee. His Premier League debut with Manchester United was in 1995 against Leeds. In the 1996-1997 season he caught everyone’s attention due to a magnificent goal that he scored from the half way line against Wimbledon. Since then, he’s won six Premier League Championship titles with the Red Devils, two FA Cup titles, and the UEFA Champions League title in 1999 (in one of the most exciting football games of all time, assisting in both goals that were scored in injury time to defeat German power house F.C. Bayern Munich 2-1 to become Europe’s Best Club Team that year).
In 2003 Beckham was sold to the world’s most recognized football team, Spain's Club Real Madrid, where he would spend the following four seasons. Real Madrid had been bringing in big name players in order to obtain a championship that had been denied for many years. Players like Luis Figo from Portugal, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo from Brazil, Zinedine Zidane from France and David Beckham, among others, were put together in the same field to achieve one goal, LA LIGA’s Championship title. They were called “Los Galacticos,” a team from another galaxy. They were so many stars and so many egos in the same locker room that the team did not do well at first. But this past season Real Madrid’s coach, the Italian Fabio Capello, found the perfect formula to make all the pieces of this complicated puzzle work together as one, and their dream came true. They won LA LIGA’s Championship title and became Spain’s best team. A Hollywood perfect ending for Beckham’s career in Spain. Now his future is pointing to Los Angeles, where he signed to play for L.A. Galaxy for the next five years and a record contract for a soccer player of $250 million dollars (most of which will be paid by sponsors). I strongly believe that this league will benefit from Beckham’s arrival. He would give this league more credibility than it already has and more great players will be willing to come down here and play at the MLS (Major League Soccer).
His debut in America was not as perfect as it might have been expected. On July 21, 2007, he stepped into an American field to play as a L.A. Galaxy player for the first time. Chelsea from England was the team he would have to face, as he did many times back home. A friendly match at Home Depot Center (Galaxy’s Home Field). He should have not played since he was suffering a severe ankle injury, but was still put on the field for a few minutes due to the pressure of the public that filled up the stadium just to see him play for the first time in America. It’s been a few weeks since Beckham arrived to America and his ankle seems to be getting better. It was just a matter of time. The other night (Aug. 15, 2007) he had the opportunity to play more without having to worry to much about his injury and he showed millions of people what he’s capable of. He scored a free kick against D.C. United in the semifinals of “La Super Liga,” a tournament consisted of four Mexican and four American club teams. He also assisted on the second goal scored by Landon Donovan, one of the best American players nowadays. I feel that as long as Beckham stays healthy he’ll have a great career here in America and he’ll help the league (MLS) to go the next level.
Facts about Beckham:
-- The David Beckham Academy was established in order to give young athletes the opportunity to develop their skills. Learn of the importance of team work, healthy living and most important of all “have fun while playing soccer.” [david beckham academy]
-- David is considered on of the most stylished man in the word. He’s been used to described the term “METRO-SEXUAL,” which stands for a man whose life style, spending habits and concern for his personal appearance are linked to those considered typical of a fashionable and urban individual.
-- David Beckham is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. His special focus was on UNICEF’s Sports Development Program.
-- More than 250,000 Beckham’s jersey’s were pre-ordered, even before L.A. Galaxy reveled the looks of their new jersey ($80 apiece).
-- Real Madrid sold more than a million of Beckham’s jerseys during his first six months with the team.
-- For more facts about David Beckham visit his official Website [link]