Titans clash: Champions League begins

I was hoping for an amazing game when I took time off to see Inter host Champions League title-holders Barcelona. Instead there was missed chances and too much defense. Well, actually mostly defense from Mourinho's side and lack of a finishing touch with Barca. Indeed, Samuel, Julio Cruz and Julio Cesar performed admirably by frustrating the Messi-Ibrahimovic-Henry attack. Inter also lacked commitment getting forward and a true #10 and possession. Eto'o looked lonely and Milito lived offsides. Aside from the finishing touch, Barcelona continues to look extremely dangerous and will be difficult to defeat as we move forward with the current version of the Champions League.

Elsewhere in Europe, Real Madrid looked like the kind of team they are supposed to be by beating Zurich 5-2 with Cristiano Ronaldo giving another scintillating performance. It would be a pity not to see him in next year's World Cup. Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa also seem to have improved by joining this Real Madrid team, not to mention Kaka.

Manchester United also looked powerful going forward with Nani, Valencia and Scholes. Pairing that midfield up with Rooney and Berbatov is pure dynamite. Even much-maligned AC Milan showed up at the Vellodrome to snatch all three points away from an impressive Marseille that now includes Gabriel Heinze, Lucho and Falcao.

Other teams like Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Lyon, Sevilla, Chelsea, and Wolfsburg maintained their dominance over smaller teams. Surprises are present too, however. Juventus and Atletico Madrid were unable to come away with wins. It's early in the process and there are many more top-tier soccer stories to be written. I'm holding Madrid, Barca, Man U and maybe Wolfsburg as the final 4 at this point. Things can always change.

Becks and his final move

It's true. MLS will never be the same because of Beckham. Now comes word that Becks will be splitting time between AC Milan and the LA Galaxy in a time-share type deal that includes a friendly between the two teams (that part I had predicted long ago). I think this isn't that bad a deal for either team(s) or player. Clearly, Beckham wants out of MLS so that he has a chance at being with England for 2010. Clearly this would not have been the case if his form had not faltered in 2007. Clearly, Steve McClaren's decision to part ways with the talented midfielder when he took the England manager position in 2006 meant a possible early retirement from international duty.



And yet, through it all, it seems that MLS and the US actually revived the former England captain's career (this is something I read in ESPN magazine of all places). He regained a spot in the England squad after McClaren's results in Euro qualifying started to fall apart. Capello always had a soft spot for Becks (much like Eriksson) and he decided to keep "Golden Balls" around in what I must admit is increasingly looking like an overage England national team. Beckham drew millions of fans, sold millions of jerseys (myself included), drew media attention to the league, opened the door for Blanco/Angel/Ljungberg/Lopez/Schellotto, and finally drew attention from another major team and league--AC Milan of Italy's Serie A. Beckham became only the fifth Englishman to win 100 caps when Capello recalled him to the England squad by Capello for the friendly against France on 26 March 2008.

S0 Beckham will now play the remainder of the 2009 Italy season with Milan (ending in June) and will return for the Galaxy beggining July 15th when the transfer window opens. A return to Milan on a free transfer in the winter 2010 window is already slated to occur. Let it be known that the man funded part of the deal and that half of his MLS salary $200K will not go against the Galaxy for the season, thus leaving space for the LA team to play around with their roster for the first half of the upcoming MLS season. I leave you with two plots from 2008 attendance analysis highlighting the man's effect on league numbers:

plot a) Last season's designated players in relative attendance terms averaged for the entire season:


Plot b) A comparison of actual attendance numbers with MLS's other great designated player, Blanco:

Galaxy blues: From Beckham to Donovan

I will not dwell on the Becks subject anymore. Besides the "deadlines," incessant squabbling and endless rambles by bloggers like your truly, we should face the facts: the league would be losing anywhere near $30-50 million per year were Becks to be absent for the next 3 years. It's only logical to make at least some of it back (say $15 million). Remember that Becks does have an escape clause after his third season (2009) so the league better act on it now if it's going to make any money from this situation at all.

Back to the point. Okay, let's say Beckham goes. AC Milan breathes a little easier (although Zlatan's Inter is probably going to take the Scudetto) and Bruce Arena can forget about the circus. What about that other marquee player "currently" in the Galaxian's ranks, Landon Donovan? Donovan is the poster child for US soccer and at just 26 he has amassed quite a resume, albeit incomplete. Last season's MLS top scorer and the leading goal scorer for the men's national team (37 and counting) has one missing piece: the pedigree of a place in a European league. Sure, he had his time with Bayer Leverkusen earlier in his career but he never quite settled into the Bavarian life and game and was shipped back to America only to blossom with the Earthquakes and then the Galaxy. I've seen the man in action and he's always dangerous for rivals. Who can forget the goal scored against Mexico in 2002? Not me, that's for sure.

And yet, recently, Galaxy made more than one potentially catastrophic loan to a club in Europe--Landon Donovan to Bayern Munich. This weekend, with the loss of Luca Toni, Donovan has his best and possibly last real chance at staying in Europe. Unlike Beckham and much like other Americans abroad, he has the stigma of being from a nation other than Brazil/Argentina within this continent--that is, you better prove it within 3 weeks or you're benched, loaned out or shipped back. Granted, Juergen Klinsmann likes the guy and trained with him in California, he will still need to score in an active competition in order for the Bavarian club to offer any sort of compensation to MLS for the loss of another prodigy.

Donovan is in a position where his career, MLS's image and US Soccer would benefit from a permanent move abroad. What's better than having the top scorer in US history play in a marquee league and team on European soil?

Potential outcome: MLS sells both Becks and Donovan. Part of the package in a deal like this would be to get a player from Milan (Sheva?) and/or Bayern Munich as well as (pointless but highly attended) friendly games. This could also open the door for DaMarcus Beasley to come back to the States and play under Arena once again. I hope Beasley stays in Europe, however, but I prefer that he switches clubs since Glasgow Rangers aren't giving him many nods on any given week. That said, the Galaxy will be very lonely, hurt and depleted. Only a truly big signing and perhaps repatriation of a player like Beasley might douse the wildfires set ablaze this MLS off-season.

The Beckham Circus

Backlash. Reverse Beckhamania. Beckham haters. Call it what you want. His time in MLS is almost up. After scoring two great goals for Italian powerhouse AC Milan and hinting at a potential exit from MLS, things look bleaker for the league. I like to think about how comments such as "he only plays well when there's good players around him" actually do make sense in this case. Around him are Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, Pato, Seedorf, Ronaldinho... the list goes on. Who does he have in the Galaxy? Besides Donovan and maybe Lewis, not nearly enough (no bashing intended, I love my American players... just being honest).
Looking at comments on SBI's story about his latest Milan exploits, that is, the general commentary by SBI readers, one can gain a great perspective on what American soccer fans really do think about the aging superstar. A good deal of "I'm tired of this story," "this is great for the league," "I'm so glad he's leaving," and then there's the fact that readers pointed this out: CNN's front page reads "Beckham leaving US league already?"
Word is also out that the league would be selling him for $11 million. I say much more if they want to get a final whoora from his stay here.
Here comes the reality check... Is the MLS a joke to non-believers here and abroad? I hope not. Then again I have to remind myself that I started watching more games in the 2007 season when his move to the US was imminent. I got entranced in the style of play and the promise of new, exciting stars to come. Becks gave way to the "Designated Player Rule," which allowed teams to have one star beyond their salary cap. In came Juan Pablo Angel (excellent acquisition for NY although not a factor in ticket sales), Claudio Lopez (downgraded from DP), Marcelo Gallardo (wants out and should be leaving this Spring), Denilson (complete bust for Dallas), Blanco (best overall and much more as a player than Becks) and Ljundberg (we'll see how he does this season). I will keep a cool mind and be objective about this. Designated players abound and in this time of economic hardship maybe it would be a good idea to think small for a little while. Instead, let's dream of some other players that may come our way--Figo, Henry, Michael Owen, Jared Borgetti, Ronaldo, even Ronaldinho eventually. These superstars dream of having a quieter life as their careers wind down... and what better place than in a league that doesn't take up headlines except for when one megastar enters/leaves the stage. Beckham, as Timberlake cheesily put it, made Americans care "that much more" about soccer.
A sad end indeed.
In the meantime, let's enjoy his latest, typical, "Bend it like Beckham" moment:

Kaka: For love or money

The record is set. Sort of. Maybe there's still some time for Kaka and AC Milan to consider the consequences of what could be a record-breaking $150 million transfer to Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City. There are many things to consider with this turn of events, if it occurs. Opponents of this move include Beckham and AC Milan teammates (Pato, Ronaldinho), the Milan fans, and even Hull City boss, who remarks that this is not football when a team can buy any player it likes in order to win. Even then, however, we can look at other sports like baseball (Yankees, Red Sox, etc) and Abromovich's own star-studded Chelsea that have not shied away from admiting they have bought the best players. MLS is not alone (Beckham, Blanco, Gallardo), even if the teams don't really pan out as winners. Right now, Man City boasts Robinho, Elano, Jo, Wright-Phillips and they are looking all over the world for more stars. Who can stop them if they have bottomless pockets in this present age when capitalism has failed?... unless you control the flow of oil. And yet that's the other story line to follow here. Italy is in economic crisis like the rest of the world and the city of Milan and the club are also looking for ways out. It is high ranking officials, ultimately, that may decide the fate of the former Fifa player of the year (2007). Also to consider is the fact that Kaka leaving may pave the way for a permanent move for Beckham, even if Milan aren't looking to spend the cash.
Surely, this is a test of mind over matter, money versus heart, and pure capitalism may have the upper hand.

Beckham leaving LA: Pros and Cons

Ever since Beckham decided to make a loan move to AC Milan for a ridiculously short period of time (January-mid March) there have been plenty of rumors and speculations about his future in MLS. Last month I ran a poll for my faithful readers to gauge their thoughts on Becks' future. I believe the end result was something like 80% for and 20% against. I can understand some of the animosity towards the player for whatever reason: cheesy, pompous, over-the-top, spice boy, whatever. The point is that no other player in the world has transcended the soccer-society boundary in America since Pele. Just today, Soccer Insider remarked about the lack of soccer commercials in the United States and while this may be true, if you stick Beckham in there should not be a problem in terms of endorsing anything from his own men's fragrance to Gillette to Pizza Hut.
So what's at stake here? Clearly, MLS's visibility in the world stage, the quality of play, and most importantly, the attendance. Right now, a variety of usual suspects are weighing in on Beckham's ultimate decision: arguing for his impending exit are former Galaxy president Alexi Lalas, current teammate Kaka and even color commentator and former Tridnidad and Tobago goalkeeper Shaka Hislop. Others, like former French national and Chelsea player Frank Leboeuf and the player's own spokesman have remarked that the England star will stay with the Galaxians. Ultimately, for me, I think at least one more season with the Galaxy should be considered. Now, with Bruce Arena at the helm, the Galaxy may have a shot at the playoffs and even at the title. What makes for a better ending than that? How about a game broadcast on national TV (ABC) of a final between the Galaxy and another foe (maybe Chicago) for ultimate MLS glory? So what are the pros and cons of keeping Beckham here?

Pros:

• Continuing international exposure of MLS
• New, marquee players joining the league
• International play in the Libertadores
• More media coverage
• More stadiums and causal fans

Cons:

• Beckham's future with England in peril
• Keeping Landon Donovan with the Galaxy (long shot, actually)
• Too much attention for just one team
• Beckham circus
• Continuing flood of maxed-out veteran stars into the league
  

Becks on loan to AC Milan: the dangers of a short season

April to October. November for the ridiculous playoffs. That's the MLS season. Some wonder why teams like the New England Revolution, DCU, Chivas USA with players like Marcelo Gallardo, Twellman, Sacha Kljestan could possibly lose to lowly Panamanian Tauro or Caribbean side Joe Public. No wonder Beckham will be going on loan to AC Milan for the duration of the long MLS break. Who's to blame? That's complicated. Assuming the loan is for the winter months and that Milan officials are expecting him to play for the remaining of the season in 2009 and possibly the UEFA cup then he would effectively be missing two months our of the 2009 MLS season (April and May since April 15 marks the end of the MLS transfer window) and possibly March if MLS officials decide on a longer season. In all fairness, continuous competitive play would keep Becks healthy and in good standing for future call-ups to the national team by Capello. In terms of the MLS, however, Becks's move would hamper ticket sales and credibility in the league both domestically and abroad.
Some of the "blame" could go to the salary cap currently imposed at MLS. I say "blame" because in reality it's not such a bad idea. I think that the minimum should be raised, however, from $9,000 to at least $30,000 and while also raising the team-wide cap by at least 2 times as much whilst at the same time keeping the competitiveness that reigns in MLS. Let's not forget that many European leagues are starting to look at MLS's salary cap as an important way to cut their expenses and encourage more competitive leagues instead of having the same 4 teams always at the top of the table and always present in the Champions League.
Another factor is the general lack of depth in MLS. When a team like Man City loses one or two forwards, they still have players that would be indisputable starters in other teams (Nery Castillo, Felipe Caicedo). Here in the US if DCU loses Moreno or Emilio they sometimes turn to midfielders like Quaranta.
There's definitely a danger in the Becks loan to Milan. Some say the move could be permanent at the end of next season. That would be atrocious for the league since they would lose the new fan base that may have taken a few more years to become permanent. Still, the LA Galaxy's ridiculous record (no playoffs for two seasons and over 50 goals against this season) is easily another factor. Ultimately, if Beckham goes, everyone loses here in the US and the only consolation prize may be the Designated Player rule--maybe adding an additional one won't hurt. Bringing players like Henry, Ronaldo and Figo may attract some fans but nowhere near as many as Becks brought to our shores. A longer season a-la-Europe may be a tough sell at this point but then again so is the idea of a single table due to the extreme distances between cities in this country. Another option is the two tournament style league that dictates, in South America and Mexico, places in the Concachampions, Sudamericana and Libertadores. Gazidis and Garber have hinted at future changes in scheduling. That is a start. But with the Becks dilemma and poor showings internationally, things suddenly look difficult for MLS... and they're thinking of expansion cities.