David Beckham joins MLS

[Brett Favre 0]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id...465&cc=5901

 

MADRID, Spain -- Former England captain David Beckham will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and sign a five-year deal for MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy, he told Reuters on Thursday.

 

 

 

"This week Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract for a further two seasons," Beckham said. "After discussing several options with my family and my advisers to either stay here in Madrid or join other major British and European teams, I have decided to join L.A. Galaxy and play in the MLS from August this year."

 

 

Beckham, 31, who joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in June 2003, is the most famous player to sign up for Major League Soccer since it began in 1996.

 

 

He is also the biggest name player to move to club soccer in the United States since the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff played in the now-defunct North American Soccer League in the 1970s and early '80s.

 

 

Beckham's deal is reported to be one of the biggest in global sport, worth more than $250 million over an undisclosed amount of time.

 

 

Beckham has soccer academies in London and Los Angeles. His wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl, was recently photographed househunting in Los Angeles.

 

 

"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally," said Timothy Leiweke, president & CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Galaxy. "David is truly the only individual that can build the bridge between soccer in America and the rest of the world."

 

The news ends months of speculation about the future of the midfielder, whose contract with Real Madrid expires at the end of the season.

 

 

A starter since he joined Real Madrid, Beckham lost his place following the arrival of Italian coach Fabio Capello. He has started only five of Real's 16 league games this season and was known to be frustrated with his lack of opportunities in the first team.

 

 

The former Manchester United player said he was inspired by the challenge of cracking the American soccer market.

 

 

"I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own," he said.

 

 

But he insisted he would be giving his all for Real Madrid until the end of the season to try to win the major trophy that has eluded him since he joined the club in 2003.

 

 

"For the rest of this season I will continue to give 100 percent to my coach, teammates and fans, and I believe Fabio Capello will bring this club and its supporters the success they truly deserve," he said.

 

Beckham joined Real Madrid in 2003 after a successful run with Manchester United, where he won six league titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League title. But Beckham did not win a single major trophy with the Spanish club, and his spell coincided with Madrid's worst slump since the early 1950s.

 

 

Real Madrid has had six coaches and three club presidents during Beckham's stay, but the club has made a fortune -- in part because of the star's position as a cultural icon for soccer fans and non-fans alike.

 

 

His marketability was emphasized by the hit movie "Bend It Like Beckham," even as his skills deteriorated with age.

 

 

Beckham's contract included a clause in which half his image rights would go to Real Madrid. That helped earn the club millions, allowing the Spanish team to overtake Manchester United as the biggest earner in world soccer.

 

 

Beckham led England to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last summer, scoring from a free kick in the second round to beat Ecuador 1-0. But he was taken off the field early in the second half against Portugal with ankle and Achilles tendon injuries, and then watched as his team was eliminated in a penalty shootout.

 

 

A day after the game, Beckham stepped down as captain of the team -- a post he had held for 58 of his 94 international appearances. Then, on Aug. 11, England coach Steve McClaren dropped Beckham from the team altogether, signaling the end of his international career.

 

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

 

I'll probably start watching.

[Ginger Snaps 0]

I may start watching too.

 

I should watch more D.C United games anyway. They're the only D.C. sports team that not only wins consistently, but actually wins championships.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I still won't watch.

[The Decemberists 0]

£500,000 a week.... Jesus.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

This won't affect me. I'm fascinated by all the ancillary elements of English Premiership soccer: the rivalries, chants, parks, history, cultural ramifications of liking a certain team, all that jazz, but soccer is a really boring sport to watch. As for Beckham in MLS, this lowers Beckham's stock more than it raises MLS's. Soccer is never, ever, ever going to mean shit in America. We don't do "the world's game," we do our own games, and really, it's not even the world's game out of any inherent superiority, it's just cheap as balls to play. I'm tired of soccer being forced upon me. It's never gonna work. Why try? Beckham should just go play for Chelsea or something.

[razazteca 0]

That's great and all but who does MLS have a tv contract with? Why sign Beckham if he is never ever going to be on tv?

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

That's great and all but who does MLS have a tv contract with? Why sign Beckham if he is never ever going to be on tv?

 

MLS signed a new deal with ABC/ESPN in August

 

Highlights of the agreement:

 

ESPN2 will televise 26 regular-season MLS matches, primarily on Thursday nights

 

ESPN2 will televise three MLS playoff matches on Thursday nights

 

ABC will broadcast three marquee MLS matches - the season-opening match, MLS All-Star Game and The MLS Cup

 

Televised coverage of the first round of the MLS Draft

 

ESPN2 and ABC's MLS telecasts can be re-aired in full or abbreviated versions on any ESPN media platforms

 

Extensive footage rights for all ESPN media platforms such as SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN Motion, Mobile ESPN, ESPN360, ESPN Mobile Publishing, etc.

 

ESPN will produce all MLS programming and will be solely responsible for the content

 

 

Note: MLS will also be shown on Univision and Telefutura

[UZI Suicide 0]

Becks isn't what he once was but he's far and away better than everyone in MLS. It will be like a Soccer coach playing against a bunch of 10 year old's on his AYSO team.

 

I doubt it will make Soccer huge in America, but it will definitely bring it some popularity.

 

If people can get excited about Golf, people can get excited about Soccer.

[Guest Princess Leena]

The difference with golf is that Americans dominated the sport, and still do to a lesser extent. Having someone like Tiger that totally shook up the sport didn't hurt either.

 

Soccer gets very good ratings for the World Cup. The problem is that America isn't the best at it, and thus people won't follow it regularly. The same thing happened with tennis after the Connors/McEnroe era.

 

If the usual networks stopped the notion that we should only care about American athletes, it wouldn't be this way... but, then we get into an argument I've had 1000 times.

[Youth N Asia 0]

It's still just soccer. I don't think he'll help it catch on here

[RepoMan 0]

MLS is just trying to a form a niche for itself in the sports marketplace and more or less succeding. With the nation's changing demographics, soccer is only going to become more popular. Soccer isn't going to be huge in the US in the forseeable future, but it only has an upside. Signing Becks will help at the gate and gives the MLS a little buzz.

[Sideburnious 0]

Well, the important thing is that Victoria can now further her attempts to become an actress.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

I've been to one or two Galaxy games before. I may go to another because of this. At least he chose the right city.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I actually went to the Home Depot Center (Galaxy's home field) for the MLS Cup in 2004. It's a nice arena. With that being said, I may go to a game because of Beckham.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

With more info coming in on the deal it actually sounds reasonable

 

His actual salary will be around 10 million annually

 

The rest will be based on advertising deals, merchandise and profit sharing

[Matt Young 0]

Why is MLS' draft a "SuperDraft"?

[Red Baron 0]

That's great and all but who does MLS have a tv contract with? Why sign Beckham if he is never ever going to be on tv?

 

MLS signed a new deal with ABC/ESPN in August

 

Highlights of the agreement:

 

ESPN2 will televise 26 regular-season MLS matches, primarily on Thursday nights

 

ESPN2 will televise three MLS playoff matches on Thursday nights

 

ABC will broadcast three marquee MLS matches - the season-opening match, MLS All-Star Game and The MLS Cup

 

Televised coverage of the first round of the MLS Draft

 

ESPN2 and ABC's MLS telecasts can be re-aired in full or abbreviated versions on any ESPN media platforms

 

Extensive footage rights for all ESPN media platforms such as SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN Motion, Mobile ESPN, ESPN360, ESPN Mobile Publishing, etc.

 

ESPN will produce all MLS programming and will be solely responsible for the content

 

 

Note: MLS will also be shown on Univision and Telefutura

 

 

Thats more coverage than the NHL gets.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I think it'll be interesting to see if it'll have any impact on soccer in America. Of course, unless our football is catching on in the rest of the world, then it remains to be seen if their football will be catching on here as well.

 

I took a look at MLS' website yesterday and was interested in that whole concept of "Club Chivas USA".. apparently a Mexican league that established a franchise to rival the LA Galaxy? WTF? If they wanted to establish a Mexican club in Southern California to oppose an L.A. team, wouldn't it have made more to sense to put it in San Diego?

 

Either ways I won't be going to any of the games because there's only like what, 12 teams, and none of them are anywhere near the Pacific Northwest. WTF is Salt Lake City doing with a team but Seattle, Portland, and San Fran get left out in the dust?

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

An international sport for the most insular white-bread American city. Brilliant.

 

Speaking of spilling beyond your limits, I think the Patriots and Seahawks are playing a preseason game in Beijing, and the Dolphins and Bills will play a regular season game in London, counting as one of Miami's home games. Let's call a truce, world: we won't bother you with our football if you don't bother us with yours. God help us if the Italians get their hands on gridiron football: the quarterbacks will flop and sack themselves.

[razazteca 0]

I believe the only people that will be following Beckham will be tabloid photographers.

[Guest Vitamin X]

An international sport for the most insular white-bread American city. Brilliant.

 

Speaking of spilling beyond your limits, I think the Patriots and Seahawks are playing a preseason game in Beijing, and the Dolphins and Bills will play a regular season game in London, counting as one of Miami's home games. Let's call a truce, world: we won't bother you with our football if you don't bother us with yours. God help us if the Italians get their hands on gridiron football: the quarterbacks will flop and sack themselves.

 

I don't know how well the Dolphins-Bills game will go over in London, but at least in Beijing, and various other places in Asia as well as Latin America, the NFL is insanely popular for some odd reason. That game in Mexico City last season for a NINERS-CARDINALS game was packed. Imagine if they had two good teams there. And they have an "American Bowl" every year in Tokyo that always sells out.