By Dario Camacho - MIAMI, FL (Nov 4, 2011) US Soccer Players -- It was a wonderful assist. A lobbing ball, kicked from just past the half field circle. It arched into New York’s box, bounced upwards once, and sat pleasantly enough in the air for Mike Magee to slot it far post into the net. To put it simply, it was classic Beckham. That little bit of bend it like Beckham charm is what resulted in a first-leg win at New York for the Western Conference Semifinal.
Even at 36, David Beckham has the magic right foot to produce passes of world-class caliber. Lesser players would have booted that into the keepers mitts, even lower players would have booted that to the stands. It's in those moments of technical athleticism that so few in the world achieve that we see the true value of the LA Galaxy’s #23.
And it’s this season more than any in his five year tenure, that Beckham has produced the kind of numbers and dedication that were so worryingly absent before. His play on the pitch in 2011 could be categorized as his best ever in Major League Soccer. Looking at the stats, it really is no contest compared to previous seasons. His 15 assists on the year is second to Brad Davis, all the while playing through a fracture back in the second part of the season. Aside from that, it helps that he has sustained a level of physical health that has dogged him before, that has shortened what amounts to be the biggest and costliest experiment that MLS has ever undertaken.
Then there's the MLS Cup. The championship that eludes him. The trophy that by any measure would cap his foray in MLS as a success. It’s also what will shape his legacy.
For all the good and legitimate reasons that The Galaxy decided to bring in David Beckham, the ultimate result should be an MLS Cup. The fact that it hasn’t materialized is encroaching on the goodwill that his name has done for the League on the field and off it. It’s a perspective that can be viewed in a singular manner. If he doesn’t win the Cup, he has failed. After all, he is the European elite football player, the marquee signing that elevates whatever team he is on to title contender. In a way it’s the truth, in another, it’s the weight he has carried since joining the League in 2007.
It’s also the very same thing that brings out the criticisms of what a designated player should be, a savior or a marketing opportunity. Beckham embodies that sentiment. It’s obvious what the headlines and critics were saying in 2007 when he signed for LA. That such a player was being courted west of the Atlantic onto American shores to ply his trade in MLS was a coup, but also an ugly precedent that our very own League was a pasture for old thoroughbreds that would end up eating valuable monetary resources.
Yes, in the early going, it looked like he was just that. With injury-plagued seasons, the LA star looked like a bust, not being able to contribute and collecting a check while at it. The only exception being the 2008 season in which he managed to play 25 regular season games, compared to the 23 combined for the ‘07, ‘09, ‘10 seasons.
Questions of his dedication also arose due to his loan stint to A.C. Milan. It didn’t help that an injury during that loan stint cost him most of the 2010 MLS season. To put it succinctly, he was a risky investment that wasn’t panning out. Sure, he had marketing clout, but the League couldn’t very well promote a player that wasn’t available to play.
If that 2010 season was the end of his contract, then maybe the answer to his legacy would be clear cut. This season changes things. 2011 is the year that his work rate has been dramatic, and his play just as so.
Even then, the question of his worth to the Galaxy will forever be accompanied to his success in the postseason. In 2009, LA lost on penalties to Real Salt Lake. Lost on no one was that RSL entered the playoffs as the lowest seed, with a low payroll. It was economy versus expense, and economy won. Last year, it was Dallas stopping the Galaxy in the Western Conference final.
So in his last hurrah, the final year of his contract, David Beckham sits again on the edge of a second opportunity. It’s only fitting that the same team that prevented him and the Galaxy to claim a third title in 2009 is the same team they’ll have to tackle to get back to that final game.
Now, with the certainty of at least one more game to play for, the question will loom once again about his legacy. If he wins, it might be a proper curtain call on his career in MLS. If he loses, questions linger. Either way, he ended up giving it a good shot.
Dario Camacho made the move from regular commentator as Pesmerga7 to columnist. He writes weekly for US Soccer Players. Follow him on twitter at DarCam7.
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