During the summer of 2006, I spent a considerable amount of time watching the soccer world cup. It was the first time since watching the Africa cup of nations tournament in 1996, while at the time I was living in The Republic of South Africa, that I had really watched soccer. The Africa cup of nations had a profound effect on me at the time. I grew to not only appreciate, but also really like soccer. It certainly helped that I was living and working among black South Africans, watching the love they had for their team, playing with them in the dirt fields of their townships, and then joining in the celebrations that ensued upon South Africa’s championship run. The jubilation was more than anything I had experienced sports related. Everyone was happy. You see, I grew up in Northern and then Central California in the 80s and early 90s as a die-hard San Francisco 49ers fan. I knew the thrill that came from seeing my team win the ultimate prize on multiple occasions. If you’re a frequent reader of my blogs, you’ll also quickly realize that I’m a huge Los Angeles Lakers fan, meaning that I have seen my share of championship basketball runs. Additionally, for the past four years I’ve been living in Miami and have seen the city celebrate both a World Series title and an NBA championship. Although I’m not a fan of these teams, the atmosphere in a city where a championship has been won is palpable. That said, it was nothing compared to being in South Africa when Bafana bafana (the nickname given to the team) won the Africa cup of nations. The world cup last year rekindled my passion for soccer. I loved the games. I started playing pickup soccer again on Saturday mornings. I even chose an English Premier League (EPL) team (Tottenham Hotspur) and followed them closely, via the Internet and Fox Soccer Channel, during last season.
While watching the world cup last year, I selected some favorites to follow. Of course, the United States topped my list. Unfortunately, they were quite disappointing. They were clearly out of their league. I also chose to cheer for Germany, the country my ancestors once lived, Argentina, the country that many of my dear friends are from, and England, if only because I knew that some of the best soccer in the world is played there. Watching Germany play the opening game of the tournament against Costa Rica and score four goals, one of which was one of the most beautiful goals I’ve ever seen (Torsten Frings’ rocket from about 40 yards out), I was immediately hooked. It was fun to see Germany go on and place third. It was fun to watch the Argentines appear to dance with the ball, almost as if they were stars in a musical. They play beautiful soccer. Watching England, who was ultimately also a bit disappointing, was good, but mainly for one reason – David Beckham. Nearly every good thing that England did in the world cup last summer was a result of something he did. His passing is superb. His free kicks are legendary. I remember hearing that he was washed up and past his prime, but after seeing him play, thinking that he was still an amazing player.
This brings us to why I chose this time to reminisce about last years world cup. David Beckham is now playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy, which plays in Major League Soccer (MLS), America’s version of the EPL. Now, I freely admit to watching several MLS games and being VERY unimpressed. After following the world cup closely last summer, then a full season of EPL, the MLS is very second rate, and possibly third or fourth rate. If you’re familiar with Major League Baseball, I would place the MLS around the AA level when compared with the EPL. With Beckham playing for the Galaxy, I must admit that my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to give watching another attempt. The other night, I saw Beckham’s first start, in a super liga match against another MLS team, DC United. This DC United team, as far as I understand, is one of the better MLS teams and had quite handily beaten the Galaxy just a few weeks prior. With Beckham on the field however, the team played well. Beckham scored his first goal as a member of the Galaxy with one of his famous free kicks, then followed that up with a precision pass to a streaking Landon Donovan to put the Galaxy up 2-0, which would be the final score. His intensity and energy were apparent early and often and seemed to be an inspiration to his teammates. His aggressive play even earned him a yellow card, exhibiting even more of his competitive fire.
I’m not naïve enough to think that somehow, David Beckham will bring soccer to a level that could rival the NFL, MLB, or the NBA, but I do think that he will be good for soccer in this country. He will definitely show Americans how elite soccer is played. He may even inspire others to come here and raise the competitive level of the MLS to at least be respectable to the rest of the world. To David Beckham, I say welcome to America. Here is one American who is very glad that you’re here. To America, I say welcome to soccer. It is a fantastic sport that truly captivates the rest of the world. Getting acquainted with soccer will be easier when we are able to watch a master, David Beckham, at work in our own backyard.
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