David Beckham, who sparked a wave of “Beckhamania” one year ago when he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy, has seen the fascination slow and Major League Soccer grow due in part to his arrival.
The 33-year-old English international midfielder still draws sellout crowds, quadrupling New York Red Bulls attendance to more than 46,000 earlier this month, and Beckham souvenirs remain among the league's most popular items.
While the hype has cooled, attendance leaps when Beckham arrives in MLS venues and he deserves a lion's share of credit for the growth spurt the US league is enjoying, the latest example being plans to add two teams by 2011.
“I'd like to think so,” Beckham said of his playing a major role in boosting the sport in America. “It's one of the reasons why I moved here, to be a part of growing the game here. Hopefully people are seeing the changes.
“Attendances are up 20 percent. Shirt sales are up 780 percent, so I heard. So it's going well. That's obviously what the game needs in this country. The hype is there and it's just about keeping it going.”
Beckham's 250 million-dollar deal to jump from Real Madrid to the Galaxy brought him and wife Victoria, better known to many as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, to Hollywood and they have been regulars on the celebrity scene.
While Beckham missed most of his debut season with injuries, he has fulfilled the promise of last year's hoopla this season in quieter fashion and helped ensure the long-term stability and growth of the USfootball league.
“Soccer is definitely changing in this country and it's getting bigger, but it's going to take time,” Beckham said.
“It's not just going to happen in a year or two. It's a long-term plan to raise the profile of the game in the country and it's going well so far.”
MLS has 14 teams, adding Toronto last year and San Jose this season. Seattle Sounders will join next year with Philadelphia to follow in 2010 and MLS commissioner Don Garber said Thursday that two new clubs will be added by 2011.
Cities being considered for the newest clubs include Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver in Canada and the US markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Portland, St. Louis and a second club in the New York area.
“There are a lot of people putting a lot of money into this league and trying to grow it, and in the next few years you going to see that emergence,” Beckham said.
“I've always said that the level here is a lot higher than people actually think it is. I've been here a year now and seen some of the talented players and teams that are in this league.”
Beckham, whose contract runs through to 2011, has scored five goals and set up seven more for the Galaxy in 16 MLS matches this year. The Galaxy missed the 2007 playoffs but is fighting for the Western Conference lead this year.
More time, money and support will be needed to transform MLS into a league capable of luring big-name stars in their prime from European clubs, but Beckham sees a bright future for US players such as Jozy Altidore, who went to Villarreal of Spain last month from New York.
“It's going to take longer than a year to happen, but this league and the teams in it will start attracting players from Europe,” Beckham said.
“It's not just about ticket sales. It's not just about attendances. It's not just about selling shirts.
“On the other side, you see Jozy Altidore go to Villareal and so if you're a good player in this league, you're going to have a chance to play in other big leagues in the world, in Europe.
“To be honest, I've always said that the level is a lot higher here than people actually think it is. Every game is a tough game. We do want to get it to the level of other leagues in the world.
“It will take time, but it's not that far away.”
Sunday 27 July 2008
One year later, US Beckham-mania slows while MLS grows
Klinsmann takes first Bayern defeat in his stride
Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann shrugged off his first defeat in charge of the German giants when his team were beaten 2-1 in a pre-season game by Borussia Dortmund.A crowd of 50,000 came to Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday night to see Borussia claim revenge for last season's German Cup defeat at the hands of Bayern as they raced into a 2-0 half-time lead.
Goals by Jakub Blaszczykowski and Tamas Hajnal gave Borussia victory as they won their own T-Home SuperCup.
But Klinsmann, who succeeded Ottmar Hitzfeld as Bayern coach on July 1, was unconcerned even though it was a near-full strength Bayern side which was beaten and only injured Frenchman Franck Ribery was missing.
“It was mostly a decent performance and an entertaining game,” said former Germany boss Klinsmann.
“We had our chances in the first half of scoring one or two goals.
“Dortmund took the lead and that made things hard for us.
“We trained hard on the morning of the match, but the team held back during the game.
“It is much too early in the season to read too much into the result.
“The national players only returned six days ago and we are still in the building period which will last three to four weeks.
“This is part of a completely normal process.”
His opposite number Jurgen Klopp, also in charge for the first time after succeeding Thomas Doll, was delighted to have beaten the defending German champions.
“The team played well,” said Klopp, who is predicting a different result when the sides meet on the second weekend of the new Bundesliga season on August 23.
“We got what we wanted, but people shouldn't draw the wrong conclusion from this game.
“We know most of the Bayern team have only been back in training for the last few days.
“In four and a half weeks, we will play against each other again, things will be very different then.”
Wenger at odds with the Arsenal board
The Daily Mail reports that Newcastle United have lodged a £4 million offer for Arsenal defender Phelippe Senderos. The report goes on to say that The Gunners have not accepted the bid, but that they have not ruled out the sale of the Swiss defender either.
This bit of news is reported to have infuriated Arsene Wenger who is finding it increasingly difficult to build a team given the number of players that have come in and gone out at Arsenal so far this summer.
Senderos is not a first choice defender at Arsenal, and far from a fans’ favourite after a series of high-profile blunders, but Wenger would like to keep him nonetheless.
According to the same report, the Arsenal board is willing to sell the player should the right offer come in. At the moment the Arsenal board believe that selling Senderos for £6 million would represent good business.
Kaka’ would join Chelsea for £1 million per month
Chelsea have been linked with the best Brazilian players over the past month or so and one of the player that is reportedly on his way to Stamford Bridge is AC Milan’s Kaka’.
Should Kaka’ switch clubs this summer, he is likely to become the most expensive player in the history of football, but that would not be the end of extravagant expenses for whichever club gains the right to enslave the Brazilian playmaker.
According to The Observer, Chelsea would have to pay Kaka’ about £1 million per month to tempt him to move away from Milan.
The same report goes on to say that this would not represent too much of a pay-rise for Kaka’ who currently earns over €1 million per month at AC Milan.
A source close to the player - cited in the same report - claimed that the offer which Chelsea made to the player was more profitable than his current deal.
Saturday 26 July 2008
Lyon show interest in Samuel Eto’o
Olympique Lyon President Jean – Michel Aulas has revealed that his club have started negotiations over Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroon and FC Barcelona forward Eto’o is out of favour with the Spanish club. However it is not certain at this stage as to whether the French club can actually afford the wages that the player will no doubt expect from such a move.
