Good guy or bad, David Beckham remains what's best for Major League Soccer. The combined 50k-plus people who paid to watch him play in his first two games back from exile in Italy are proof enough.
Yes, the majority of those paying public turned up to boo the once white knight, but contrary to what teammate Landon Donovan thinks Beckham is not concerned over any identity crisis. A few finger-painted fan signs and the wads of monopoly money they threw the star's way in New York pale in comparison to what the then-Manchester United midfielder faced in the wake of his red card against Argentina at the World Cup in 1998.
Planet Beckham survived in '98 and will do so again in '09. The global soccer star has no qualms over saying what he thinks is best for his career at that moment in time, which right now is to remain on Fabio Capello's World Cup radar. I have a theory that it is this type of athlete honesty that confuses the North American sports fan, who is constantly tormented by the wishy-washy aging quarterback and/or the indecisive Swedish centre. And when in doubt, we boo.
Silent in the whole Boo Beckham-gate has been MLS commissioner Don Garber, who is savvy enough to know that even a villain is good for business. Inside Garber must realize that in no way was his league on the cusp of extinction before the arrival of the Englishman, but every season he stays will ultimately extend its expectancy. Garber has done a formidable job in growing the league to stretch 19 cities by 2011, but unless the commissioner can attract another big name player to the shores of America, that number of 19 might be where he starts counting backwards.
On the field the Galaxy looks like a team which feeds off the frenzy. I was in New York for the three-goal dismantling of the flat-footed Red Bulls, where ex-TFCers Edson Buddle and Alecko Eskandarian ran free while New York concentrated its efforts on both Beckham and Landon Donovan.
But all attacking aside, the Galaxy have been re-formatted since former GM Alexi Lalas finally realized he is a better analyst than architect. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and first-year defender Omar Gonzalez combine to form a 13-foot cross-collecting monster. In fact, watching Gonzalez play at the Meadowlands last week made me doubt for the first time Mo Johnston's decision to take standout Sam Cronin at No. 2 in the draft.
Gonzalez went at No. 3.
Cronin has played well beyond expectations in his inaugural campaign, but Toronto FC will never be confused for a team that plays well at the back.
There is no denying the fact that the Galaxy is susceptible to implosion at any moment, but if this clique can click over the final dozen games the villain may just win this time.
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