Analysis: LA Galaxy Puts Its Hopes in Beckham, Maybe Zidane

Authored by Jay Baage on April 17, 2007 - 12:26pm.

LA Galaxy general manager, Alexi Lalas, is hoping to tempt French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane to join former Real Madrid teammate David Beckham at the L.A. Galaxy, according to fresh reports. And while the addition would be welcomed, make no mistake, the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer (MLS) still have a long way to go.

We attended the opening home game April 8 of the most important season for the Galaxy to date. The boys struggled until the end, when a barrage of shots finally found the net, giving the Galaxy too little, too late in its 2-1 loss to FC Dallas. A pitifully played game on the part of the Galaxy, they looked like a team in need of a reminder that Bend-it-Like-Beckham won’t be around for another 3 months.

In the beer line, one of the few people donning an LA Galaxy jersey turned to us and complained:

“These guys really suck!” We nodded, thinking that was all. But no, he pressed on. “I mean really! They suck! We’re not going to win a game this whole year!” This man’s mental breakdown occurred, mind you, at halftime.

Confidence is shaky in these parts. The sour mood might change when Beckham joins the Galaxy sometime in July. His contract expires June 30 with Spanish Premier League club Real Madrid. Beckham signed a reported five-year, $250 million contract with the Galaxy on January 11. Maybe they ought to buy Beckham out before his contract expires? Give the home crowd some hope?

Beckham is not expected to kick a ball at the Home Depot Center until the Galaxy's July 21 exhibition against English Premier League team Chelsea. He is scheduled to make his MLS debut Aug. 5 against host Toronto FC, an MLS expansion team.

But make no mistake: David Beckham is already a full-fledged member of the squad. He occupies a similar presence at the stadium to Home Depot itself…a brand and an image, singular in importance to the LA Galaxy and its symbol of high expectations. The Home Depot Center is, after all, a beautiful pitch. And Beckham lingers somewhere near the forefront of every marketing ploy the club has to offer. There’s a constant feeling at the game that the marketing folks seem determined to evoke: “We are going to be legit, and you know this because David Beckham is coming.”

I now understand what the Japanese must have felt when they heard Cecil Fielder was leaving Major League Baseball: Happy, yes, but dismally aware their league was second-fiddle.

One undeniable conclusion from the game, however: There are fans, and if properly serviced, the game could have traction in LA. The effect of David Beckham – when the man, not merely the image, arrives – is still to be determined. Will the squad have won a game by the time he takes his first set play? Will it matter?

Joakim Baage and Scott Goldberg

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Comments

Beckham, Galaxy, Cobi Jones

Submitted by Brandon (not verified) on April 23, 2007 - 12:50pm.

ok, yeah LA Galaxy is doing pretty bad, but i'm from LA so i got to support them. regarding beckham's arrival in late July-- i'm conflicted. it will be a completely different game, is that good or bad? I guess we'll just have to see for ourselves. likewise, with all this hoopla regarding Beckham, i really wish people would focus a little more on Cobi Jones' career and his impending retirement after spending 11 years on the team. I salute that Cobi is also doing a publicity stunt of his own with http://cobi.kabillion.com (new kids network like nick or Disney) where he teaches kids how to do soccer tricks and then they can upload videos of them doing their best trick and the best one each week wins an autographed Cobi Jones soccer ball. I think Cobi really gets what it's all about, and that is the children. Likewise, the site has music, complete free original programming such as Bobby's World, games, chat, and lots of other goodies. Check it out, and go GALAXY!