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Not sure if you guys have paid attention, but Beckham had a lingering injury from his England and Real Madrid duties in June that kept him from being able to play for the Galaxy since he got here. This past week is the first week where he could actually try to play more than a couple of minutes despite the fact that he is nowhere near game shape and his ankle is still clearly bothering him. The media attention has been annoying as it has focused on his celebrity and his wife, but not his ability since he hasn't been playing. But now that he is finally playing, he can be evaluated.
First game was mid week vs DC United who have one of the better teams in the league. He scored a sick free kick from outside the box that went over the wall and curved so hard that he hit the side netting. He then also played a perfectly weighted ball to Landon Donovan to break away, beat two guys and score a goal. They win 2-0. This team might be the second worst team in MLS, but they win the first time he starts for them. His passes all have tactical meaning--something that many American players still can't fully appreciate and he changes the shape of an opposing team both through the accuracy of his passes and his vision in seeing which passes to make. And he is still out of shape with a bum ankle.
Tonight he played in Giants Stadium against NY Red Bulls as a starter in front of 66,000+ fans. The game was wild. NY has an atrocious defense that has been torn apart by injuries and LA has an atrocious back line that has also been torn apart by injuries. I wasn't sure if that meant both teams were going to try to sit back and be conservative, or if they were going to try to exploit the other team's weakness.
NY went up early on a free kick by Juan Pablo Angel, a Columbian national team player, Boca Juniors legend (one of two top teams in Argentina) and recently a starter for Aston Villa in England before coming to NY. He sent a shot under the wall as they all jumped in trying to block a high kick and sent it into the goal. LA responds with two goals---both of which were headers by Honduran legend Carlos Pavon on beautiful free kicks (one was a corner) from Beckham. At the end of the first half, former US star Clint Mathis volleys a shot into the top left corner from the edge of the box. Crazy first half. 2-2.
Second half, NY strikes twice through 17 year old American Jozy Altidore (he does the Addidas commercials, scored 4 goals in the U-20 world cup, and has the size, speed and skill to be the best American striker ever). He is just awesome and has a good head on his shoulders. But after his second goal where NY is now up 4-2, NY was caught sleeping as LA immediately busts out and Landon Donavon rips down the right side and scores 6 seconds later. Game is still just a 1 point affair and LA has the momentum. LA gets a corner kick towards the end of the 2nd half that some sub I have never heard of hits onto the cross bar (via Becks of course) and it drops to LA's Edson Buddle (an American from NY actually originally) who just puts it in to tie it up. This is the craziest game---and while the defenses could be better, the finishing and creativity in attack have really created the scores.
In the closing minutes of the game, however, Clint Mathis busts out on a counter attack and rips a shot across the box that the LA keeper does a great job of leaping and parrying away, but Angel is rushing onto it with a man on his side, has no angle and drills it from 6 yards so hard that the keeper has to block it with his hands, but his momentum carries him across the goal mouth and the ball lands inside the line for NY to score at the end of the game.
5-4 in the largest MLS crowd ever. 3 assists given to Becks who played the full 90, even though he probably only had the fitness to play 65 (only 3 subs per team and an LA defender got injured in the first half, so they only had 2 subs). He sent 4 or 5 free kicks into the wall--but I think that was fatigue as well as the horrible field turf that Giants stadium has and not real grass. Current US captain Landon Donavon had a great game and a goal. Future of US Altidore had two goals. Best striker in the league who came in part because he saw that Becks was coming, Angel scores two including the game winner. Former US top striker Clint Mathis scores a goal and is responsible for tremendous midfield play.
It was like watching really great soccer (well except the defense) and showed that both the MLS and the US are really up and coming in this world. Great stuff.
Now next week, Beckham has been called up to England to play against Germany in a friendly on wednesday. The next day he is planning to fly back (that night) to LA to play a game for the galaxy. I don't think he can do it. He was limping much of the night, and will be physically exhausted. But wow...this is what happens when you bring a guy with those skills into a good, but developing league. He brings the crowds and also raises the level of both his team and his opponents.
In addition, he was the reason MLS has guys like Angel, Blanco (a Mexican legend and starter for their national team) in Chicago, Schelotto--one of the best players ever for Argentine club River Plate (although he is a bit over the hill--he has made Columbus, perennially one of the worst teams in the league into a playoff team). Young American talent only improves from playing with these guys. Great stuff.
First game was mid week vs DC United who have one of the better teams in the league. He scored a sick free kick from outside the box that went over the wall and curved so hard that he hit the side netting. He then also played a perfectly weighted ball to Landon Donovan to break away, beat two guys and score a goal. They win 2-0. This team might be the second worst team in MLS, but they win the first time he starts for them. His passes all have tactical meaning--something that many American players still can't fully appreciate and he changes the shape of an opposing team both through the accuracy of his passes and his vision in seeing which passes to make. And he is still out of shape with a bum ankle.
Tonight he played in Giants Stadium against NY Red Bulls as a starter in front of 66,000+ fans. The game was wild. NY has an atrocious defense that has been torn apart by injuries and LA has an atrocious back line that has also been torn apart by injuries. I wasn't sure if that meant both teams were going to try to sit back and be conservative, or if they were going to try to exploit the other team's weakness.
NY went up early on a free kick by Juan Pablo Angel, a Columbian national team player, Boca Juniors legend (one of two top teams in Argentina) and recently a starter for Aston Villa in England before coming to NY. He sent a shot under the wall as they all jumped in trying to block a high kick and sent it into the goal. LA responds with two goals---both of which were headers by Honduran legend Carlos Pavon on beautiful free kicks (one was a corner) from Beckham. At the end of the first half, former US star Clint Mathis volleys a shot into the top left corner from the edge of the box. Crazy first half. 2-2.
Second half, NY strikes twice through 17 year old American Jozy Altidore (he does the Addidas commercials, scored 4 goals in the U-20 world cup, and has the size, speed and skill to be the best American striker ever). He is just awesome and has a good head on his shoulders. But after his second goal where NY is now up 4-2, NY was caught sleeping as LA immediately busts out and Landon Donavon rips down the right side and scores 6 seconds later. Game is still just a 1 point affair and LA has the momentum. LA gets a corner kick towards the end of the 2nd half that some sub I have never heard of hits onto the cross bar (via Becks of course) and it drops to LA's Edson Buddle (an American from NY actually originally) who just puts it in to tie it up. This is the craziest game---and while the defenses could be better, the finishing and creativity in attack have really created the scores.
In the closing minutes of the game, however, Clint Mathis busts out on a counter attack and rips a shot across the box that the LA keeper does a great job of leaping and parrying away, but Angel is rushing onto it with a man on his side, has no angle and drills it from 6 yards so hard that the keeper has to block it with his hands, but his momentum carries him across the goal mouth and the ball lands inside the line for NY to score at the end of the game.
5-4 in the largest MLS crowd ever. 3 assists given to Becks who played the full 90, even though he probably only had the fitness to play 65 (only 3 subs per team and an LA defender got injured in the first half, so they only had 2 subs). He sent 4 or 5 free kicks into the wall--but I think that was fatigue as well as the horrible field turf that Giants stadium has and not real grass. Current US captain Landon Donavon had a great game and a goal. Future of US Altidore had two goals. Best striker in the league who came in part because he saw that Becks was coming, Angel scores two including the game winner. Former US top striker Clint Mathis scores a goal and is responsible for tremendous midfield play.
It was like watching really great soccer (well except the defense) and showed that both the MLS and the US are really up and coming in this world. Great stuff.
Now next week, Beckham has been called up to England to play against Germany in a friendly on wednesday. The next day he is planning to fly back (that night) to LA to play a game for the galaxy. I don't think he can do it. He was limping much of the night, and will be physically exhausted. But wow...this is what happens when you bring a guy with those skills into a good, but developing league. He brings the crowds and also raises the level of both his team and his opponents.
In addition, he was the reason MLS has guys like Angel, Blanco (a Mexican legend and starter for their national team) in Chicago, Schelotto--one of the best players ever for Argentine club River Plate (although he is a bit over the hill--he has made Columbus, perennially one of the worst teams in the league into a playoff team). Young American talent only improves from playing with these guys. Great stuff.