Whatever country David Beckham finds himself playing in; he’s always a member of one of the top teams in the league. When he was in England, it was Manchester United. In Spain it was Real Madrid. In Italy it was AC Milan. And when he settled in the United States, he lined up as a member of the L.A. Galaxy.
Before the arrival of Beckham in 2007, the Galaxy was one of the most well known teams in the MLS, with the United States’ most recognized player Landon Donovan among the ranks.
When Beckham did arrive, it took the Galaxy and the MLS to a higher level. On the day of his debut, there was a special “Beckham Camera” watching his every move, from when he sat on the bench to when he first stepped onto the field.
Beckham was an instant success in the league, at least in terms of popularity. Most MLS jerseys you would see would have Beckham’s name across the back. People went to more MLS games so that they could see Beckham play against their closest MLS team.
Skill wise, Beckham has been one of the best players in the league. In the current season, in which the MLS Cup will be his last game in the league, Beckham has seven goals and five assists for the Galaxy.
But after a season or two, the novelty of having Beckham in the league seemed to wear off, at least over on the East Coast where I live, so I can’t really speak for how he was being perceived in Los Angeles. Of course he was still making great strides in the league, and his skill level didn’t decrease, but you didn’t really hear about him as much.
Therefore it would be incorrect to say that Beckham did not have an effect on the MLS, and how it is viewed in America. For one, he gave credibility to the league so that other European stars, such as Thierry Henry, would make the transition to the MLS as well.
He inspired more people to start watching the MLS, and they continued to watch, even when Beckham was not playing against their local team.
Of course Beckham’s career in the MLS wasn’t without several bumps in the road. He received criticisms for going on loan to AC Milan, and criticisms when the Galaxy didn’t make the playoffs in Beckham’s first two seasons with the team.
His criticisms came from everywhere, even from his own teammate, Donovan.
But they added more popularity to the league. It was being covered, whereas before the league was virtually uncovered.
The Beckham effect didn’t take long to effect America, and while it has been subdued over recent years, the effect is still felt across the country, and the MLS is certainly in a better place since Beckham arrived.
By Jennifer Calhoun @Calhouner
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