The David Beckham Experience 2.0

Pardon My Bias Bleacher ReportAug 3, 2010

http://spencer.kall700sports.com

It can be argued that David Beckham’s time with the L.A. Galaxy was a bust. Granted that Beckham had some up and downs, on the whole it ended with disappointment. While it did generate fan interest and the outlook was promising, it fizzled out soon enough. This can be attributed to Beckham’s reluctance to fully entrench himself in America. He was never fully involved with the Galaxy, and his teammate Landon Donovan let the rest of America know about it. But the main reason for the lack of continued interest could be the acquisition of a player who is past his prime. If Beckham came to the Galaxy in his mid-20′s we may have had a different story.

TOP NEWS

Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

Now with Beckham rehabbing that Achilles Tendon injury 2 more international star players have decided to come to the States and play for the New York Red Bulls. Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez have signed deals with the Red Bulls and will hope to urge other international players to come overseas. Henry and Marquez were teammates in Barcelona from 2007-2010 and will be looking to build off that experience together. Henry has already played in a game for the Red Bulls and he had 2 assists to teammate Juan Pablo Angel. Marquez just signed a 3 year deal on Aug 2nd and will be in uniform soon for the Red Bulls.

thierry, henry, rafa, rafael, marquez, new york, red bulls

http://threefourthreefc.wordpress.com/

So will these two new additions provide the MLS with the exposure and popularity that it longs for? Most likely not. While Henry and Marquez are two very good players, they are both in their early 30′s and their best days of soccer are behind them. On top of that, these two have been battling injuries the past couple of years and are no guarantee to remain healthy in the U.S. Even though Henry and Marquez are well-known and successful players in the International game, they might not be able to make the MLS a legitimate soccer league on the global scale.

The MLS needs to bring international stars who are in their prime, and not washed up or injury-prone. In order to build the MLS into a league that rivals the NBA, NFL, or MLB the MLS needs to bring in world class talent. The other 3 leagues have the best players of their respective sport and that is why they are so well-respected. The MLS needs talent that is comparable to talent in other soccer leagues, like the Premier League for example. While getting these good players is a start, the MLS has work ahead of them if they want to be a premier soccer league in the world and gain popularity for soccer in the U.S.