Whither David? Hollywood Ending

What now David?

It wasn’t nearly the bombshell that broke when David Beckham announced he was going to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, but it came as a surprise when he announced that the 2012 Major League Soccer Cup Final will be his last competitive match in a Galaxy uniform. As someone who got interested in soccer because of Beckham, it saddens me that he will no longer play in what is figuratively my backyard.

After winning last year’s MLS Cup, the Galaxy went into a funk at the beginning of this season. The three wins in its’ first 13 matches made it seem like the team wasn’t even going to qualify for the playoffs! Even with Beckham carrying the load for the first part of the season, it wasn’t enough.

Fortunately, with injuries and (perhaps) age catching up to Beckham, other teammates started to pick up the slack. A seemingly unmotivated Landon Donovan came back from World Cup qualifying matches for the USA to lead the Galaxy with 14 assists. Irish international Robbie Keane came back from the Euro 2012 tournament with a vengeance, scoring 17 goals (including playoffs) after July 4th. Midfielder Juninho somehow scored seven goals while playing a defensive position, and Omar Gonzalez shored up the Galaxy defense when he came back from injury. And if that wasn’t enough, Mike Magee was able to score timely goals when opposing teams were too focused on the three designated players.

That isn’t to say Beckham had a bad 2012 season, far from it. His seven goals and nine assists would be a career year for the vast majority of soccer players in MLS. He is not the best player on the team (that honor goes to Galaxy Captain and world-class midfielder Donovan), but Beckham’s celebrity status makes him the most influential player that the LA Galaxy and MLS ever had.

For all the problems Beckham, MLS and Galaxy fans have endured during his six-year tenure, there has been a transformation in American soccer culture. There were only 12 MLS teams when Beckham signed with Los Angeles, now there are 19. The Galaxy signed a $55 million television deal. MLS players make more money than ever before and big name international players (Ireland’s Keane and France’s Thierry Henry) now ply their trade in MLS. Even if Beckham wasn’t directly responsible for this transformation, his crossover appeal has allowed America to take notice of soccer, and the rest of the world to take notice of MLS. These positive changes happened while Beckham played in the league, and can not be explained away as mere fluke.

Who keeps photoshopping David Beckham's face on my body?

Beckham could have left after last year, but he surprised Galaxy fans (and fans of Paris Saint Germain for that matter) by playing one more year. He might feel he’s done all he could and move on. Even if he eventually plays overseas or ends up in the Galaxy front office as an equity partner, he’s earned the right to do what he wants. Not as the “savior” of American soccer, but just the guy who gave it a boost.

Previous Beckham/Galaxy Entry

Update: Great match for Becks to end his Galaxy playing days.  He didn't even have to score to be effective!