David Beckham in MLS – Good or Bad?

Everyone is mesmerized by the international popularity of Beckham because of the insane amount of media hype on his debut in America and the MLS. Everyone is excited about his arrival especially with his lovely wife, Victoria. Will the inclusion of David Beckham in the MLS a good thing for them? Here’s my opinion:

For Soccer:

David Beckham’s inclusion to the MLS is great for soccer. Some people say that it hurt the European soccer scene when they lost a great star player. That did not happen. The best soccer is still played in Europe and the number of superstars is rising daily in their respective leagues. Beckham is a force to reckon with both on and off the field. There are several quality players left to catch the viewing public in place of Beckham’s shoes. These players are Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldhino Gaucho and Steven Gerrard. Europe will not suffer. Just compare it to Barry Bonds. He’s a great player but even if he left the league will not be any different. The other superstars will keep it on track.

MLS will be the one who is going to benefit from all of this. Beckham is a great soccer player on the field. On top of that, he has a rock-star popularity that brings in hoards of new fans to the MLS. Naysayers will say that there had been international superstars who joined the MLS in the past but made very little impact on its progress in the US. Usually international players that make this transition are past their prime. For example, we have the players Roberto Donadoni, Youri Djorkaeff and Lothar Mattheus. Each one of these players was great athletes during their day. But when they joined the MLS, they went over the hill. Not one of them performed spectacularly in the MLS and they retired soon after they arrived.

On the contrary, Beckham is at his prime. Last year, Real Madrid won the championship at the Spanish La Liga and a big part was due to his efforts. Without his presence in the English national team, the Three Lions suffered significantly. It went away when Beckham returned. How he perfectly crossed Peter Crouch in the 2008 Euro qualifier of England in the game against Estonia is a perfect example of how good Beckham still is. It is hard to find another athlete who could deliver a cross like that. For MLS, this is definitely a wise choice. They got a brilliant player with impeccable skills and could use his fame to bolster the league.

For Beckham:

Beckham benefits as well as his wallet are now $250Million thicker together with a 5 year contract signed with LA Galaxy. His children will benefit too as the US offers its citizens a lot of opportunities.

Nishan Wilde is the VP of Sales at Robbins Sports and Athletics. It is an online resource that sells Track Uniforms, Basketball Uniforms, Gym Bags and Portable Scoreboards.