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Beckham’s Contributions to the Galaxy Amount to More Than Celebrity Stimulus
Cj Gunther/European Pressphoto Agency
David Beckham has shown his passion for the Galaxy since his return from A.C. Milan and mended fences with his teammate Landon Donovan. And he plans to return to Los Angeles next season.
By JERÉ LONGMAN
Published: November 9, 2009
CARSON, Calif. — David Beckham curled a beautiful 50-yard pass to Landon Donovan, beginning a sequence that ended with Donovan’s penalty-kick goal in the 73rd minute and a 1-0 playoff victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Victor Decolongon/Getty Images
David Beckham remains a part-timer with the Galaxy, but he has helped them reach the playoffs.
Back spasms forced Beckham out of the match Sunday against archrival Chivas USA, but he continued to exert his influence. When five minutes of extra time were added, he protested so fiercely to an assistant referee that Coach Bruce Arena had to intercede. And when a scuffle broke out at the final whistle, Beckham rushed into the scrum, shoving a Chivas player before calming down as a peacemaker.
In these moments, Beckham clearly showed his passion for the Galaxy, and fans rewarded him with a standing ovation. It was a stark contrast to midsummer, when he returned from a loan to A.C. Milan and found his previous effort and leadership harshly criticized by Donovan and jeered by Galaxy supporters. Essentially, they accused Beckham of giving up on a struggling team last season.
His Major League Soccer tenure, now in its third season, has not provided the transformational moment that league officials had hoped for. And Beckham remains a part-timer with the Galaxy. After the playoffs, he will return to A.C. Milan of Italy’s Serie A, believing that his play for Milan, one of the world’s top club teams in one of the world’s best leagues, will earn him a spot on England’s roster for the 2010 World Cup.
Still, Beckham plans to return to the Galaxy next July after the World Cup. At 34, as he has done several times, Beckham has reinvented and reinvigorated himself just as he was being dismissed as an A-list celebrity and B-list soccer talent. If his M.L.S. career has not been a complete success, neither has it been the failure that is often portrayed.
His elevated play helped the Galaxy reach the playoffs for the first time in four years. Beckham was to play for England against Brazil on Saturday in a friendly match in Qatar, but he will miss the game to play for the Galaxy in the Western Conference finals Friday. A victory over the Houston Dynamo would put Beckham and his teammates in the league championship game.
“I think he’s proud to be here now,” Donovan said. “That makes a big difference.”
Perhaps the best evidence of restored tranquillity in Beckham’s life is that he and wife, Victoria, are making tabloid headlines not in scandal, but for the aching decision of what to name their teacup-size pet pigs. Victoria apparently wants to name them after Elton John and his partner, and David favors Pinky and Perky.
If he does not name them Landon and Donovan, well, at least the two have mended their differences on the field. On Sunday, Beckham called Donovan “an exceptional player, an exceptional human being as well.” If there is any private tension, it is not evident in public.
“Now I would say they really enjoy each other,” said Arena, who credited Donovan’s professionalism for mending the relationship.
Donovan said it was Beckham’s renewed dedication to his teammates. He described how Beckham had addressed the Galaxy on Saturday and had recently taken the players out to dinner to celebrate making the playoffs.
“He’s done a lot of things to show that he wants to be here,” said Donovan, who has assumed the role of captain from Beckham.
Arena, too, played an important role as a mediator. He was close to Donovan, having coached him with the United States national team. And he had cachet with Beckham, having won two M.L.S. titles as the coach of D.C. United and having guided the Americans to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
“I’m kind of like Dr. Phil, but I don’t do it in front of the TV cameras,” Arena said with a laugh. He explained: “They both want the same thing. They both respect each other. There were some issues. The reason I’m married 33 years is I understand there’s give and take in these relationships. Or else I could have been divorced about 30 times.”
Donovan’s critical remarks appeared in the book “The Beckham Experiment,” written by Grant Wahl, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. The book was published in July, just after the United States had defeated top-ranked Spain and reached the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Donovan had played superbly, and his credibility was unassailable.
Donovan apologized to Beckham for the forum of his remarks, but never apologized for their content.
“I think Donovan did light a fire under Beckham,” Wahl said. “I think going public was the only way he was going to reach Beckham.”
Donovan said: “Sometimes, my fault is being too honest. But I don’t take back anything. The reason I don’t is because I care about what I do and this team. What I probably underestimated is that David does, too. When things went bad last year, we all had different ways of coping with it. The way he coped with it rubbed me the wrong way. But I think there’s a lot of things I probably didn’t do particularly well, either. I think we all learned a lot from it, and it’s clearly made us better.”
Beckham called Donovan’s remarks in the book unprofessional and said that disagreements between teammates should remain private. On Sunday, Beckham said the only incentive he needed was waking up each day. Yet it is widely believed around M.L.S. that Donovan’s words motivated Beckham, even as they irritated him.
“Any good player has a lot of pride and confidence,” Arena said. “Nobody likes to be knocked down.”
There were other factors in the Galaxy’s resurgence. Donovan has become routinely brilliant. And Arena remade a team that was woeful in 2008, drafting smartly and bringing in veterans who were more skilled and less deferential to Beckham. No longer is he surrounded by what Arena calls “fringe M.L.S. players.”
Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts allowed a penurious 1.03 goals per match. Gregg Berhalter and the rookie of the year candidate Omar Gonzalez anchored a defense that yielded 31 goals in 30 games, compared with a league-high 62 in 2008.
“I’ve got players around me who are not afraid to show their ability instead of just trying to give me the ball or give Landon the ball,” Beckham said.
Arena has played Beckham in central midfield, instead of his customary spot on the right. He seems more involved and dangerous as a playmaker, newly energized, more willing to throw himself into tackles and to challenge to win balls.
“There’s always tests in life; I’ve had a few in my career,” Beckham said. “I’ve been able to get over them in the fashion I’ve always believed in, which is hard work and enjoying myself.”
His season with the Galaxy has been similar to Alex Rodriguez’s with the Yankees — short on drama and long on performance. Beckham is a soccer player, no longer being portrayed, in the words of M.L.S. Commissioner Don Garber, as a “one-man stimulus package.”
The Galaxy’s home attendance dropped more than 20 percent in 2009, given Beckham’s long stint with A.C. Milan and questions about his commitment to the league. Yet, Garber said, in some ways, he has exceeded original expectations.
“There’s probably nothing we could have done to elevate the stature and visibility of this league than having David Beckham playing for the Galaxy,” Garber said.
Having Beckham part time is better than not having him at all, Garber said. Galaxy fans have come to the same grudging acceptance.
“All we are looking for is someone who is committed to the team,” said Cesar Cruz, 24, a season-ticket holder. “Everyone else is looking for a championship. Now it looks like he’s dedicated to doing it.”
Cj Gunther/European Pressphoto AgencyDavid Beckham has shown his passion for the Galaxy since his return from A.C. Milan and mended fences with his teammate Landon Donovan. And he plans to return to Los Angeles next season.
By JERÉ LONGMAN
Published: November 9, 2009
CARSON, Calif. — David Beckham curled a beautiful 50-yard pass to Landon Donovan, beginning a sequence that ended with Donovan’s penalty-kick goal in the 73rd minute and a 1-0 playoff victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Victor Decolongon/Getty ImagesDavid Beckham remains a part-timer with the Galaxy, but he has helped them reach the playoffs.
Back spasms forced Beckham out of the match Sunday against archrival Chivas USA, but he continued to exert his influence. When five minutes of extra time were added, he protested so fiercely to an assistant referee that Coach Bruce Arena had to intercede. And when a scuffle broke out at the final whistle, Beckham rushed into the scrum, shoving a Chivas player before calming down as a peacemaker.
In these moments, Beckham clearly showed his passion for the Galaxy, and fans rewarded him with a standing ovation. It was a stark contrast to midsummer, when he returned from a loan to A.C. Milan and found his previous effort and leadership harshly criticized by Donovan and jeered by Galaxy supporters. Essentially, they accused Beckham of giving up on a struggling team last season.
His Major League Soccer tenure, now in its third season, has not provided the transformational moment that league officials had hoped for. And Beckham remains a part-timer with the Galaxy. After the playoffs, he will return to A.C. Milan of Italy’s Serie A, believing that his play for Milan, one of the world’s top club teams in one of the world’s best leagues, will earn him a spot on England’s roster for the 2010 World Cup.
Still, Beckham plans to return to the Galaxy next July after the World Cup. At 34, as he has done several times, Beckham has reinvented and reinvigorated himself just as he was being dismissed as an A-list celebrity and B-list soccer talent. If his M.L.S. career has not been a complete success, neither has it been the failure that is often portrayed.
His elevated play helped the Galaxy reach the playoffs for the first time in four years. Beckham was to play for England against Brazil on Saturday in a friendly match in Qatar, but he will miss the game to play for the Galaxy in the Western Conference finals Friday. A victory over the Houston Dynamo would put Beckham and his teammates in the league championship game.
“I think he’s proud to be here now,” Donovan said. “That makes a big difference.”
Perhaps the best evidence of restored tranquillity in Beckham’s life is that he and wife, Victoria, are making tabloid headlines not in scandal, but for the aching decision of what to name their teacup-size pet pigs. Victoria apparently wants to name them after Elton John and his partner, and David favors Pinky and Perky.
If he does not name them Landon and Donovan, well, at least the two have mended their differences on the field. On Sunday, Beckham called Donovan “an exceptional player, an exceptional human being as well.” If there is any private tension, it is not evident in public.
“Now I would say they really enjoy each other,” said Arena, who credited Donovan’s professionalism for mending the relationship.
Donovan said it was Beckham’s renewed dedication to his teammates. He described how Beckham had addressed the Galaxy on Saturday and had recently taken the players out to dinner to celebrate making the playoffs.
“He’s done a lot of things to show that he wants to be here,” said Donovan, who has assumed the role of captain from Beckham.
Arena, too, played an important role as a mediator. He was close to Donovan, having coached him with the United States national team. And he had cachet with Beckham, having won two M.L.S. titles as the coach of D.C. United and having guided the Americans to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
“I’m kind of like Dr. Phil, but I don’t do it in front of the TV cameras,” Arena said with a laugh. He explained: “They both want the same thing. They both respect each other. There were some issues. The reason I’m married 33 years is I understand there’s give and take in these relationships. Or else I could have been divorced about 30 times.”
Donovan’s critical remarks appeared in the book “The Beckham Experiment,” written by Grant Wahl, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. The book was published in July, just after the United States had defeated top-ranked Spain and reached the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Donovan had played superbly, and his credibility was unassailable.
Donovan apologized to Beckham for the forum of his remarks, but never apologized for their content.
“I think Donovan did light a fire under Beckham,” Wahl said. “I think going public was the only way he was going to reach Beckham.”
Donovan said: “Sometimes, my fault is being too honest. But I don’t take back anything. The reason I don’t is because I care about what I do and this team. What I probably underestimated is that David does, too. When things went bad last year, we all had different ways of coping with it. The way he coped with it rubbed me the wrong way. But I think there’s a lot of things I probably didn’t do particularly well, either. I think we all learned a lot from it, and it’s clearly made us better.”
Beckham called Donovan’s remarks in the book unprofessional and said that disagreements between teammates should remain private. On Sunday, Beckham said the only incentive he needed was waking up each day. Yet it is widely believed around M.L.S. that Donovan’s words motivated Beckham, even as they irritated him.
“Any good player has a lot of pride and confidence,” Arena said. “Nobody likes to be knocked down.”
There were other factors in the Galaxy’s resurgence. Donovan has become routinely brilliant. And Arena remade a team that was woeful in 2008, drafting smartly and bringing in veterans who were more skilled and less deferential to Beckham. No longer is he surrounded by what Arena calls “fringe M.L.S. players.”
Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts allowed a penurious 1.03 goals per match. Gregg Berhalter and the rookie of the year candidate Omar Gonzalez anchored a defense that yielded 31 goals in 30 games, compared with a league-high 62 in 2008.
“I’ve got players around me who are not afraid to show their ability instead of just trying to give me the ball or give Landon the ball,” Beckham said.
Arena has played Beckham in central midfield, instead of his customary spot on the right. He seems more involved and dangerous as a playmaker, newly energized, more willing to throw himself into tackles and to challenge to win balls.
“There’s always tests in life; I’ve had a few in my career,” Beckham said. “I’ve been able to get over them in the fashion I’ve always believed in, which is hard work and enjoying myself.”
His season with the Galaxy has been similar to Alex Rodriguez’s with the Yankees — short on drama and long on performance. Beckham is a soccer player, no longer being portrayed, in the words of M.L.S. Commissioner Don Garber, as a “one-man stimulus package.”
The Galaxy’s home attendance dropped more than 20 percent in 2009, given Beckham’s long stint with A.C. Milan and questions about his commitment to the league. Yet, Garber said, in some ways, he has exceeded original expectations.
“There’s probably nothing we could have done to elevate the stature and visibility of this league than having David Beckham playing for the Galaxy,” Garber said.
Having Beckham part time is better than not having him at all, Garber said. Galaxy fans have come to the same grudging acceptance.
“All we are looking for is someone who is committed to the team,” said Cesar Cruz, 24, a season-ticket holder. “Everyone else is looking for a championship. Now it looks like he’s dedicated to doing it.”
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