Not really what I meant. I'm saying if it weren’t for the Beckham signing, I don't believe the league will have expanded the way they did after his signing in 2007. I know there was a lot of talk about expanding the league but I believe signing Beckham definitely helped kick start many of the following expansion teams from 2008 onward... San Jose (2008) Seattle (2009) Philadelphia (2010) Vancouver and Portland (2011) Montreal (2012) New York City and Orlando (2015) Atlanta and Minnesota (2017) Los Angeles (2018) Cincinnati (2019)
Disagree. The new management was interested in early 2006 (if not even earlier), before Beckham, and exercised its option roughly in July 2007, roughly contemporaneously with Beckham's first Galaxy game, a friendly against an EPL team. Beckham cannot take credit for the re-born San Jose Earthquakes, or even a material slice of such credit.
As mentioned, San Jose was on its own trajectory. It bears mentioning, though, that Toronto was a huge and unexpected success in 2007, commencing before Beckham arrived that summer. I was told by a high ranking Quakes official at the time (yes, in 2007) that Toronto's success caught MLS entirely by surprise. MLS' recognition of urban cores, supporters groups, and hipsters, appears to have originated more with Toronto than with Beckham, and, when the real history is written, that pivot away from soccer moms will probably be given greater credit for MLS' accelerated success than Beckham.
Yeah the Quakes were in the works but didn’t they exercise their option sooner because of the buzz? I seem to remember Lew Wolff was high about coming into the league right away after Beckham signed. They announced the Quakes return in spring or summer of 2007 I believe. Maybe it had nothing to do with it but it could indirectly have expedited their return. I’m sure that is what happened for the PNW teams....
I've already said that the exercise of the option was contemporaneous with Beckham's arrival, but the two events were unrelated.
Yeah ok. Either way, aside from the Quakes, the main point is his signing helped with expedite other expansion teams.
Exactly in 2007. Beckham signed after New Years in 2007. Not so sure how serious they all were about expanding into the league. They had USL teams in place forever and never really made much noise about joining MLS. As I recall, Joey Saputo in Montreal for example was very reluctant about paying the expansion fee.
Philly was already in the works and high on MLS' expansion wanted list prior to Beckham signing with MLS.
Saputo was reluctant, but he still wanted in.. Portland was trying to get into MLS before Seattle joined, they just couldn’t work things out before. Seattle, on the other hand, is all due to Beckham. Joe Roth had attended multiple WC and MLS games, but wanted in on the action after seeing the excitement around the Galaxy due to Beckham’s signing.
Especially as a San Jose fan , at the time I never really liked the Beckham signing. To have AEG take away Landon , implode and move our team the way they did, and turn around with the huge contract a year later , in most countries around the world would be considered scandalous at best. Luciano Moggi and the Calciopoli scandal by comparison looks tame. I also never really cared all that much for him as a player. He was a good player and maybe even an all star to a point but to be considered one of the greatest players in the world in my opinion was at the time exaggerated. I did watch his games when he went on loan to AC Milan and he held his own. Actually in the few games he played in, he did fairly well. He did have help from Maldini , Pirlo, Gattuso , Inzaghi, Dida, Nesta , Zambrotta and Ronaldinho. I’m not sure how any good player won’t do well playing with players of that caliber. Still, I learned to appreciate the player he was and looking back, I recognize what he brought to the league. In that respect, I believe his signing was invaluable. The Miami debacle on the other hand is a different story. I’m wondering how things would have been had he instead chosen either Las Vegas , LA2 (if the league would have allowed it) or San Diego? Looking at the emergence of other clubs around the country, I’m thinking by now he would have already had a viable team in place with a championship. I mean no one in 2012 would have believed Atlanta would have been as successful as they have become or that Cincy would even be mentioned.
On his prime the guy was an absolute blast, his crosses where pinpoint perfect , his free kicks very difficult to stop and a great ball distributor. I remember a Manchester U - Real Madrid game. United were lost and the guy entered in the second half and turned it around by himself. Manchester couldn't qualify but his performance was amazing. I thnk that was the time when Real decided to aquire him.
I thought Beckham went to Real after Sir Alex threw his shoe at him because he contributed to the 2003 FA Cup loss?