Beckham, England, MLS and why it’s all going to be OK

By: Daryl | June 2nd, 2007

David Beckham was greeted like the second coming of well, David Beckham, at New Wembley yesterday and did no harm to his image with a solid performance against Brazil and a free kick so invitingly floaty that it would have been rude of John Terry not to head it home.

Right now Becks is on a normal European league schedule with Real Madrid and all’s well. But what’s going to happen after he enters the slightly odd world of Major League Soccer in July? Well, actually it’s all going to be fine.

LA Galaxy have dropped a considerable amount of cash on Mr. Beckham, but that was back when he was an international has-been. Now, thanks to a Steve McClaren rethink and MLS’s slightly off-beat calendar, Becks will be missing a couple of Galaxy games to go and contribute crosses to he Three Lions cause.

Legally, Alexi Lalas will have to grin and bear it. But missing Becks for the occasional international weekend won’t be the end of the world, and is balanced out by the extra value playing for England adds to brand Beckham (which whatever anyone says, is an important part of his role in America.) It reinforces the fact that he’s still a quality player and not the new Lothar Matthäus (who’s a total legend but his spell in MLS as a nearly 40 year old sweeper was nothing short of a disaster.)

The bigger (perceived) problem is also due to the MLS calendar. The season ends in November, so what’s Beckham going to do about the games in the meantime? Well, as it happens the last round of Euro 2008 qualifiers take place on 21st November 2007, and then (if England qualify) the Euro 2008 finals will take place in the summer, mid MLS season. So he’ll be match fit.

Talk of loaning Beckham back to a European during the MLS off-season is absolutely insane. The poor fella is 32 years old, not 17. He can’t play all year round, his legs will fall off. So everyone relax. Beckham will play for England, and then he’ll play for Galaxy (who desperately need him.) Then, all being well, he’ll play for England at Euro 2008 and then probably retire from international football.