And So It Begins

HOTTIE

"I’m sure he won’t be able to hold back his anticipation to come back to LA after he plays at the San Siro in front of 60k. That Derby match against Chivas in front of 19k will have him peeing his pants with excitement."

You nailed it, Jon.

Oh I should have included the funny from the other day in the drop-off line... we were too involved talking LAG and some lady in her Range Rover (I drive a piece of shit inherited old Ford Taurus with like 65 LAG stickers from 96 on all over it) started honkin' I lean out the window and yell, "hey, we're talking football here! If you don't have anything to say about Becks and Milan, just go around us already!" I hope I didn't get my ACB connection fired...

I'll be screamin' "betrayal" if he doesn't come back to LA from Milan. I'm thinkin' it'd be totally crass NOT to come back but... nothing would surprise me at this point.

I love seeing his delicious service and his feistier moments on the pitch at the HDC, but really, I want a solid side with or without him. I want to see good football again, I want to see results again. LAG has and always will be my home side... I can't escape them, I want them to succeed.

BTW, an ACB lady works the drop-off line at my kids' school. Every morning we do the drive-by chat, talking smack about Becks, Brucey, whomever, maybe singing an ACB song or a LARS chant... that's football-life. I just can't wait until opening day. I didn't buy season tix. Too expensive for four people. They should have a family deal. But I'm buying a couple of six or ten packs and going. I can't wait to see Edson & Sean... my boys. I'm missing ole Petey already... but I cannot wait for opening day, no matter what, with or without Becks.

Also, I'd recommend watching this interview with Tristan Bowen; he seems like a really nice guy.

http://thelagalaxy.blogspot.co...

I'm not so sure about our new GK Ricketts. He played in the English League 2 (4th Division). MLS is definitely much better than League 2. Has anybody seen him play? I know he's the Jamaican national team vice-captain, but is he any good?

Hi Jan, thank you for the summary. It's such a shame that we have to pay extra to follow any sport on TV. We should get the matches/games free -- and pay extra for the pundits ;-) .

A lot of sensible opinions and some petty/nasty ones. Becks has soccer/football in his blood and loves to PLAY more than do the PR work but he still does plenty of PR anyway and as said above with maybe only a couple of years real playing time left, That's what he wants to do. He can tour and talk to kids (More) when he retires until then he wants as many games as possible so i don't blame him for going where the Action is. I don't want to see him 'go out' a shadow of the player he was and if he's prepared to really work at raising his game... (when let's be honest, he could live on his Laurels and Money from now on... without playing) then i'm behind him all the way. I've enjoyed too many years watching him him to quit now. Also re The Galaxy, one man can't do it all... and while we do have some good talent there, hopefully Bruce will be able to 'bring it all together' next year. I hate that we lost Vagenas, a very reliable and I thought strong player. Once again, good luck Landon i'll be following your play. Also Diane, I am so Jealous of you watching GOL TV I used to love it and don't have it now.

You guyz need to calm down and realise that this could actually be good for LA galaxy and the league. Beckham will get better if he plays in Milan and bring with him a desire to achieve. Also, he'll bring back new attention from the world as he comes from a big club. This equals more fans and now LA has no excuse to fail because Bruce will make sure he'll have a good supporting group from defense to offense.

Did you see Galaxy signed a new GK, Donovan Ricketts. this should be interesting.

http://thelagalaxy.blogspot.co...

I'm sure he won't be able to hold back his anticipation to come back to LA after he plays at the San Siro in front of 60k. That Derby match against Chivas in front of 19k will have him peeing his pants with excitement.

Fair enough, Robert and Jeff, re this season's performance (second half). No one I know who follows La Liga or Beckham's European career can figure out the length of his slump in both motivation and performance. We've seen all players at every level have one at various time, but Beckham's have been know to be on the shorter side and certainly in terms of self-motivation.

I can't simply blame the front office because other guys on the team gave more than could have been expected of them (which I enjoyed seeing in the younger boys tremendously). But I still wish the fly on the wall would come comment on whatever was going on up there. The absence from the MLS cup I can understand -- for all we know the league didn't want the distraction from the game, something I was happy about as it was a great match -- but absence from the events of the previous days, another mystery.

As I said, no argument with much of the criticism, especially from ticket holders, but those who follow international ball should know that the one place Beckham is NOT all about himself is on the pitch -- any pitch. And to be honest, no matter what their state of mind during the Galaxy season, what player on that team wouldn't get the thrill back at the prospect of running out with Maldini, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Shevchenko...

I've taken up way too much space on this top but I do want to say that if a player on the Premiership team that I've supported all my life, who was playing poorly, had the chance for a loan to Milan or any other big club where they might get recharged or learn a few new tricks, I would be ecstatic and also enjoy the excuse to follow another team for awhile. One of our best young players has made that exact request in the past week, actually, and I think it would be great for himself and my club in the end.

So I sympathize with outraged Galaxy fans, but not over this, and not enough to write off Beckham's motivates for joining the Galaxy -- if the Galaxy sell him before his opt-out clause kicks in.

* shakes head *

......i dont really understand what people are all up in arms about. I foresaw this coming the moment he came to the states. To be honest, when he signed, the last thing i thought he was going to do was actually PLAY for Galaxy, let alone play a majority of the season for them.

As a person who hates Beckham, he did all he could ( sell some tickets, sign some autographs, added 10 seconds more of football highlights on Sportscenter ). Guys need to relax lol, this isnt a betrayal, its a mutual understanding of the situation.

Diane- it's a betrayal to MLS and to any true soccer fan in the states. He came here with the intention (so he said) and enthusiasm to help build this sport and league. Honestly, what has he done for the past two years? I have to agree with Evan- he’s all about himself. And as a season ticket holder and passionate fan of the Galaxy, I’ve had enough of this guy. I had all the hopes he was coming here with the truest intentions- creating exposure (I will give him that), supporting league expansion, and help build our youth systems. In other words, giving a shite (your word, not mine) about the Team, the League and giving back. I am sorry if I sound pissed but I believe everyone soccer fan in the states should be disgusted with this guy.

“The Ambassador to MLS”…the guy who decides to attend a LA Lakers game while the MLS Cup final is being played down the road…..awesome!

Diane, those are all very good points, by betrayal I meant how hard I expect he is going to play for Milan and contrast that by his play here for his "Home team". Maybe betrayal is to harsh a word but I expect from him as I do my kids 100 % effort or why bother.

I feel his motivation is to his country before caps.

Beckham is all about one thing--Beckham. His brand and profiting from it is his biggest concern.

Hi Charles. You made a few points I hadn't been thinking of, the last being close to my heart. We too often forget how short an athlete's career is, and how conscious they are that it might end, due to injury or business, in a flash. Whether they are interested in getting as much playing time in or making as much money as possible -- in most cases I believe it to be both -- I think that is something we have to take into account.

In the case of both Beckham and Donovan I believe that the playing opportunities way surpass the money motivation at this point -- even more so than Beckham who is set to make plenty elsewhere when he retires.

I also can't reiterate enough the certainty that helping England to a World Cup final is the focus of Beckham's England dreams (and almost beyond imagination a title?) and not cap numbers. Anyone who has witnessed the lengths to which he has gone to put right club losses, will understand what the possibility of being involved in a potentially successful England team would mean.

I do hope that this attitude translates to getting it right for the Galaxy. I have no idea what got to Beckham's head the second half of the season, but I have no argument with everyone's assessment of his performance. It would be a different player than we've seen for the past 15 years if he isn't able to get his attitude right. Or else circumstances that aren't visible to me at least.

Wow, Diane... How quickly folks turn against the big-name stars! This is "L.A. Wear-n-Tear" in its truest form. If David feels like his chances to get several more caps for his country while he still can are better when playing ON-LOAN w/ AC Milan... GOOD! GOOD, for him and England. I don't think he has hidden the fact that first and fore-most "ENGLAND & NT-Duty" comes first. Then, club. If he returns back to LA in late March,and plays for the Galaxy, what will all the hungry dogs refer to him, then? "Italian Play-boy", perhaps? Amazing, the way emotions and sentiment grabs so many of us. I got an idea... let's actually stand behind our players' decisions - good, sorry, or bad. If this club is going to get back on its feet and foundation - it will take followers who actually got the strong stomachs to swallow and expel the 85% garbage that media continue to feed us. It takes serious MONEY to wheel-and-deal before a season begins. Landon over at Bayern is getting MONEY, TRAINING, PRACTICE, & EXPOSURE. David over at AC Milan is getting the same things, but probably on a larger scale. But, each of them, are doing what gifted, professional footballers do... Make the most of their time & situation while they still can in a career that has NO FORGIVENESS!!!

Robert, I completely agree with your assessment of Beckham's performance during the second half of this season, I just wouldn't call it a betrayal. He played poorly and looked mentally defeated and if I were a paying season ticket holder I would be pissed. I think what will bring him back to LA, if he does return, is the desire not to have failed here on the pitch. He's already made back any money invested in him, so the fans and teammates are who he will have let down last season and if he hasn't become a completely different person (anything's possible I guess) since arriving in the U.S., that is what he'll want to put right more than the fulfillment of his business commitments.

Tommy, I would agree with you as well if Beckham were younger. But remember that he probably only has a year or two left where he might be able to play with the players he'll at least be practicing with in Milan, and I wouldn't begrudge that to anyone who had the chance.

I also agree with Bruce Arena about Beckham's hopes of being involved with England at the 2010 World Cup, rather than being on a quest for caps. As Arena says, it has to be any football player's dream to represent their country in the WC finals, and Beckham has particular motivation to try to help "put right" England's history in those.

Whatever they get paid, these guys are human--as well as young when you think of it, they can be shite (as my dad would say), and they have their own dreams as well. As I've said, I believe that any involvement with England and Milan can only make him sharper, and if he can't bring that back to the Galaxy this season it won't be due to those experiences.

He has states 100 times he is only their on loan and still is a Galaxy player. Donovan hopefully will stay in Munich.

I think he will not stay in Milan. He has tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship contracts that require him to stay with the Galaxy. He will be back.

He should be touring across the U.S., helping the youth of America realize the fun, and potential of playing the beautiful game. Not gunning for a personal record. This is what was expected of him, this is what was promised. God forbid he goes to Italy and picks up a nasty, career ending injury. It's all moot.

It's Betrayal because he hasn't done what he came to do.

I wouldn't feel so betrayed if I felt he was putting his best effort in towards the end of the season, I WAS a season ticket holder and he didn't sure didn't look like he wanted to be here much less risk injury by actually pushing himself.

How can it be a betrayal if Galaxy and Milan aren't rivals?

All this sounds more like we are children being left behind while the older ones go off to play with the cooler kids. Ok, so Milan are both older and cooler, but still...chins up! I'm not sure why Galaxy fans wouldn't want Beckham to go anywhere necessary if it would help him sharpen his game again, and he'll certainly have to step up considerably just to train.

If he doesn't get injured -- and he could get injured crossing the street or, say, bungee jumping -- this could be plenty of fun. Always fun to watch if someone plays well and more fun for next season if he keeps playing well.

BTW, why isn't the permanent departure of the hometown hero less of a betrayal than a loan request by someone who has no need, beyond having given their word and an aversion to leaving a failure, to return to LA at all. And no, his income would not diminish significantly for some time even if he retired tomorrow.

As might be expected, I'm just hoping for health, improved play, and to be impressed by what Arena puts together for next season. In the meantime, I'm having fun watching the rest of the world now that I have entered GolTV heaven.

Maybe now American fans can -REALLY- feel the sting of club betrayal. I can't wait for the Judas signs to come out..

Because it is a betrayal.

I'm guessing Landon and Becks are gone, hope I'm wrong.