I was wildly thrilled that Beckham was coming to America like Gretzky came to America and did wonders for hockey. You've got to give Beckham a pass for last year since he was injured. This year he's been totally healthy and his been able to practice with the team regularly and he's barely above an average player. That chance he had to score a goal from apprx. 30 yards out SHOULD'VE gone in! He has lost it since he would usually put those in. He has only done that once since he's been here and that was against Salt Lake. Then Arnaud takes a similar shot and nails it home!! And his crosses, free kicks, and corners? PLEEEEEEASE!! Give me a break! He may have a few every game that are very good but most of them don't even connect. It's nothing that special and other players could do the job almost as good. What's upsetting about Beckham is that he can't raise his level of play to make himself and his teammates around him better. Real superstars in other sports take it upon themselves to raise the team's play. Look at Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Gretzky/Lemieux, etc. When they are down they make their presence known in bringing the team back but Beckham hardly makes any difference out there. Just look at what Theo Walcott did instead of him. And WHAT happened to the great chemistry between Beckham and Donovan?? Don't you remember in the first few games of the year the were passing it back and forth at midfield like they could read each other's minds but that's mostly gone now!! They are supposed to get better as the more they play together not worse! Finally, Beckham should be really upset the team sucks so bad but I just don't see him really showing that fire to do anything about it!
Beckham isn't a big deal because he is a superstar player. He is a big deal because he has been in the british tabloids since he was 16 playing for ManU's youth teams. He played for ManU, Real Madrid and married a spice girl. He is in LA because he can't quite play at the level required for ManU or Madrid anymore. He came to LA to be with the other pretty people that populate the other pages in the tabloids that made him famous. I'm not sure what anybody really expected him to do? He is a right sided player that hits decent to great crosses. You can't build a championship team around that. If all you have for offense is crosses coming in from the right side that is easy to defend. So they move him into middle so he can get more touches and control the game... but then he is out of position and his element. The problem with the hook up between beckham and donovan is that Beckham can't get the ball in the first place to pass to donovan... and donovan has turned into a ball hog. As soon as he gets a pass the ball is his until he gets tackled. That is just my opinion as someone who watches on tv.
Maradonna at his peak couldnt turn this bunch of hacks into a playoff team, until Galaxy get more players who can pass and move intelligently, and kill a ball dead instead of the majority of them needing 2 or 3 touches, expect more of the same.
His declining play can only be blamed on him. We all know what he can do. for whatever reason, he's not doing it. I think his mind and heart are somewhere else. Maybe playin for the Galaxy is like driving a Corolla when you're used to used to a Ferrari. ok, fine, then stop driving! I liked him better last season when he was hobbling around but was at least trying and giving a shit.
Donovan is a ball hog? Wow. Then I looked up the team you support and realized you support Chivas USA. Well, that explains the hate.
Yeah, the first half of the season they were doing well but now they can't even find each other even if they were in a phone booth together!! You're supposed to get better the more you play and practice together so what the hell is wrong???
Donovan and Beckham suck. I would rather have a low salary player walk around and suck, because then I don't have any expectations. I think we play best when our stars aren't here. We need to sell both and buy players who run every once in awhile. Or somebody who can bend it like Beckham, since we obviously don't have that.
That pretty much sums it up. Beckham can't bend it for jack squat anymore. He did it twice in ONE GAME (Salt Lake) earlier in the year but has largely forgotten how to play since.
Hey I said that we suck 8 weeks ago and everybody freaked out. WE SUCK WE SUCK WE SUCK!!!! Maybe it has to with the fact that I'm a Clipper fan and I can more easily recognize the suck, but we've got, and it's going nowhere fast. It isn't Becks' fault. He touched the ball like 7 times yesterday.
haven't any of you consider that none of the internationals have been trained with the team last week? and Beckham had just got back from flying between 2 continents, across 4 countries within a week, straight to LA; then without enough sleep and hadn't train at all..flew to Kansas; then without enough sleep again and barely training - without barely played for a whole single game in the last week to get the required match fitness - he got selected straight into a game for the whole 90 minutes! i think his brains hardly even been functional during the whole game..how can you expect him to play better, let alone great? if you ever watch or read his interviews after the game, he couldn't even differentiate whether it was morning or afternoon during the press conference..and he couldn't even distinguish which one is the real offside line and which one is the f***ing NFL line for God sake!! he was confused for the whole game! and who was to blame for that?? -- Bruce Arena for selecting him and playing him for the whole 90 f***ing minutes.. and Beckham himself for not having the guts or brains to say.. "NO! please don't select me, or if you really need my help in this game, please don't play me for 90 minutes because I'M TIRED, HAVING FATIGUE..CAN'T YOU SEE OR YOU JUST BLIND??!". that is his curse and his worst quality of being a great professional because he would do anything and play to help the team if the coach select him even if he was injured. well..that wasn't much of a help now was it? hope he wakes up.
I kinda wonder if Beckham even trains anymore. He used to say how he would always stay late at practice doing free kicks and all that. Nowadays he probably doesnt even show up hence his terrible form. Seems like he forgot how to kick a ball.
Sad cruel world. Look I hate beckham more than anybody here. I think he is a joke and all hype. He is a british media marketing tool that has been shoved down the throats of all good redblooded americans to exemplify the persona of soccer in this country. He is a shallow, hollow human being with nothing more than a face or shall I say facade to project an image off of. He is the epitome of an empty-headed bleach blonde. He wears the #23 as if he believes he transcends the Great Michael Jordan. When in actuality he is no where near the man in any scope of talent or professional accomplishments. David Beckham doesn't have the right to play as poorly as he had, to question others motivations, and to make any excuse about the results unless that finger and girlish voice should not be aimed at himself for a change. I don't think the man has given 100% to this team since he signed the contract... and has been a phony and exposed by the highest levels and highest authorities in the game today. (i.e. Calderon and Sir Alex) He for all tense and purposes is a sham... a bait and switch on us the good fans of the Los Angeles Galaxy and to a lesser extent the fans of soccer and MLS in this country. If a new day is to come to this team it will take a very strong presence in the locker room or in the media to call out this man for what he is. He has been with team and league about 20 months and has a substantial losing record in games he appears. He makes no charitable appearances as a member of the Galaxy, does not do any media coverage locally, will not sully his good name with free clinics and exhibtions in this city or surrounding areas... unless it is to further his profitable David Beckham Academy. When the man should stay to practice late, go over game films, study his opponents - he is off doing what really interests him, going to movie premieres. expensive dinners & galas. doing any number of commercial shoots. making movie and television appearances. flying to foreign countries to make apperances. flying to foreign countries to keep his other job secured... instead of bowing out gracefully, and giving 100% to the challenge he said was the most important in his life... making the Los Angeles Galaxy successful. Well Davey it's not. and your highest paid salary now can only be quantified by the numbers of people who come to your games, (which by the way is becoming fewer, and fewer with each passing week this team loses). Your gigantic reputation is now dwindling down to earth and your being exposed like the wizard in the wizard of Oz. Your an absolute, perfectly porportioned state of the art middle of the road type player. There is nothing special about you that warrants the figures you make, it is in fact the most telling thing about you... that someone not even within the top 100 players in his own profession can have the audacity to command, even request the money you get and not feel just a modicum of guilt for almost stealing money outta the hands and minds of people who in my opinion falsely look up to you. You Sir are as low as they come in the sports game, your duping idiots in expensive suits who have more money than brains that run this team particularly and the network of soccer intelligencia in this country. It is our countries fault for being as ignorant to this sport, it is our teams fault for being and creating a state of stupification that befuddles the imagination when it comes to proper expectations. It is our fans fault for not doing there homework and lathering themselves into an orgasmic frenzy at your very mention. And should all these people have the right to be disappointed at your performance and results... absolutely. Because in the end you and your team of pushers sold us on this thing that is you. When deep down you and your team are nothing but pimps and drug dealers to an economy and soccer culture devoid of anykind of reasoning as to what it really wants or needs as it pertains to soccer in this country. The masses made you... you. It is the people like me who try to reel them in from ungodly expectations and keep them on track. But in the end your bound and determined to be a false profit and prophet in this country anyway. What's done is done. just dont insult us anymore by making anyone think you care. just take your ill-gotten gains and then when the contract expires, put the house up for sale, helicopter you, the stick figure, and the brood right into LAX and get the F*ck outta my country you a$$hole.
Tequila Joal: I agree 100% with your views. I did not like Beckham from the beginning. It was a fraud using a has-been player as a top of the line professional soccer player when I don't think he ever rated in the best 100 in the world group.
Re: Sad cruel world. Actually i think Beckham might be demoralised , have thrown the towel in and think whats the point, have you watched the team recently TJ. half the team couldnt trap a bag of cement. You claim to be a soccer pundit, one man does not a team make, i could not give a flying#uck if Beckham is here next season what i find sad is the vitriol you pour on this fella who is probably a far better human being than your posts portray you to be.
Re: Sad cruel world. Beck's isnt that kind of player you guys ask for. He is just a team player, not a team changer like a classic '10' is. He is just basically a defensive-mid/winger, he can cross good and pass good, he doesnt do deep runs into the box, he doesnt score much or use the option of shooting, he likes to stay deep and do long crosses. The guy is good at what he does, and right now the Gal's arent up to par with what he can contribute. You guys are asking for his head, but in reality it isnt his fault. He seems to gvie his all, at least from whati can remember, and those that think hes past his prime, before coming to LA he was being looked at by italy and clubs in england, not to mention him playing a key roll after being benched by Capello(cause of the LA Gal move) and then earning his respect and playing and helping Real Madrid win the title. The guy came to the MLS with a hurt ankle, never gave it time to heal and played through it for the fans and for MLS, and the final straw was that game vs. Pachcua. The guy gives his all and IMO doesnt give off that 'im better than you' vibe. I just dont see what you guys are talking about.
Re: Sad cruel world. Are you sure your posting on the right board sir, your comments are not knee-jerk, absurd, or just plain invention, find another board to post on ,your to rational for this one. Thank you for the reality check, i was losing hope for the posters on here.
I like Beckham but I expect him to play like a $ 5 million man. This is a sport and we want to win.This is also a business if you're no good you will have to move on.
Re: Sad cruel world. Top post. I read his post and it was a rambling bunch of useless words with no other purpose than to insult Beckham. The amusing part is him calling Beckhama phony? So the top teams in the world got it wrong? He also seems to not really understand why he left Manchester United. Beckham is a great player but he isn't a one man team. He can't make mediocre players great or even good. He needs people to retrieve the ball and give it to him. He also needs the team to show some movement when he picks up the ball so he can get the play going. As a man, role model and a ambassador of football few can match Beckham for his passion, commitment and love of the game. Questioning his support for his own football academy is more than just a little ridiculous and on top of that why should Beckham be forced to do further PR when he already contributes so much to the game? Beckham may be a disappointment but then I'm sure he is also thinking that about the standard of his team. I think the only thing that can help Beckham get some form is if the coach can get the team playing so he has something to work with.
I just don't think that Beckham wants to be here anymore, and really, can you blame him? The guy is used to playing on top European teams and in the Champions League, and now he is stuck playing on a bottom feeding MLS team. I think he realizes that he made a mistake in coming to LA, and now, his heart is no longer in it. I like Beckham, and I enjoyed watching him play the past two seasons. Despite that, I hope he goes somewhere else after this season, because I really don't think that anyone is happy about how it has all worked out.
You have some good points but Beckham started to suck even BEFORE he went on international duty. He's just not making plays and not connecting like he was earlier in the year. And TJ, I know Beckham carries a lot of hype and media sensationalism but he isn't THAT much of a phony as you claim. He just sucks as a player recently and hasn't lived up to his billing. He's not even playing as good as he's capable of.
There's really only one thing that disappoints me, which is that Beckham has been subpar at dead balls... based on performance in 2008, I'd rate Schelotto, Cooke, Guevara, and Jaime Moreno ahead of him. However, I would not say he isn't trying... I'm pretty sure that, if someone were keeping stats on how many tackles players have won, Becks would be second to Sean Franklin on this team. What is probably taking a toll is that he seems to be expected to show up for public appearances everywhere, both cutting into his training schedule and leaving him fatigued. That, and we're simply not a team set up for the kind of service he provides. Collectively, we have the worst aerial game in the league. Alan Gordon is our only half-decent threat to score on a set piece, and the shortcomings in his game more than negate his strength in the air. The closest thing we have to a natural center back is Troy Roberts, who is mediocre by MLS standards, and has spent most of his career shuttling back and forth between CB and RB. Which brings us right back to having to completely revamp the back line. Perhaps, if we had actual center backs, not only would we not be leaking so many goals, but Becks might have someone to serve the ball to?!
I've been thinking about this. The bottom line, Beckham is knackered. He probably doesn't even realize it, that at his age he needs more recovery time. He simply can't do it all. I think he thinks no matter what he brings it when he's on the field. But his play has suffered. Maybe he'll realize that he needs more rest, less travel, less glam. The team should be managing his minutes better, but we can't because we are so thin. His move to MLS was a business move and the Galaxy weren't set up for his game. We needed a dominating midfield and defense to allow him to play make from the right wing without defending as much. We can score with Buddle and Donovan but we are in disarray at the moment. The move for Ruiz was the nail in the coffin that did our season in. I also think the move for Lewis kills us for the next two years. Could you imagine a backline with Franklin on the right, Gibbs plus a new center back for next year and Jazic with Cannon in goal. Not a bad defense to start the 09 year with. Anyways, Beckham is the least of our problems and I hope Bruce realizes that and has a plan for our offseason.
Was Becks really brought in because of his soccer skills or was it more for the publicity. I would say the latter. On that he has delivered.
The issue isn't whether or not Beckham sucks. He doesn't. The question is, why is he playing so much worse then he did at the beginning of the year. You can ask the same of Donovan, but at least he still scores once in a while.