Where Is The Love ?

You’ve two small children playing in a sand-box when all of a sudden a small eruption is created and the two though trying to be amiable to one another. For all sense and purpose, they actually do not like each other at all. What’s a parent to do ? Much less the adult that has to the two young kids within their custody ?

Hostile Galaxy fans make their feelings known towards the player David Beckham who's featured in picture. This was all part of an onslaught and crescendo in evidence during a midseason friendly that took place between the Los Angeles Galaxy and A C Milan at the Home Depot Center in Carson , California ,. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Gabriel Bouys ..........................

So it is with the non-sensical feuding that’s now allegedly taking place with perhaps the two most recognizable names on the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team. In one corner you have fledlgling superstar Landon Donovan and in the other you’ve got the over-hyped world soccer star David Beckham.

To my mind the Galaxy were sold a bill of goods when they chose to take their player within their fold. I can purely understand that it was done from a business standpoint to create a buzz for the game of soccer within the greater Los Angeles are and in particular amongs the Latino and Caribbean populace. That being said that experiment has become about as the McCain, Palin ticket ,that the Republicans deemed would be successful in garnering the party a further four more years in the White House. Well that ticket sank from the get-go,faster than a German U-boat that’d come under attack from the Allied Forces. And the same can be said about the apparent goodwill that was initially in place when Beckham came onboard with the L A Galaxy.

If ever there was a time for the player (David Beckham #23) to appease the fans in L A . Then now'd be the time for him to prove them wrong and that he can deal with adversity on various differing fronts. picture appears courtesy of afp / getty images/ Gabriel Rouys .............................

What initally looked like a PR dream has now become a complete nightmare of unimaginable proportions for not only the Galaxy’s hierarchy . But also for the Beckham, as well as the game’s sanctioning body for domestic league competition, Major League Soccer (MLS). And tje situation certainly hasn’t been helped by the team’s apparent lack of success on the field. Albeit that the initial large crowds that first greeted Beckham are no longer to be seen at the team’s home venue of the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. They’ve now become something of a rarity with regard to a large sell-out audience. And in terms of a the local or even national tv audience. It barely raises a blip on the Nielsen ratings nationally or even within the team’s own home market.

Ronaldinho of AC Milan is seen heree shielding the bal from the L A Galaxy's Landon Donovan in a mid-season friendly game staged at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Kevork Djansezian ...................

And it would appear that Landon Donovan’s critical review and assessment of his teammate though being his personal view. It’s apparent that those said view aren’t just shared by the player alone but also the fans of the L A Galaxy. Donovan’s comments though not disparaging were critical of Beckham as a teammate , a leader , someone who was also lacking in character but above all something of a narcissist. A great many words that succinctly describe a player who in many respects is no longer the highly skilled player he once was.

Ronaldinho (80) and Beckham (#23) Serie' A teammates share a brief congratulatory moment during the firendly game played between the L A Galaxy and A C Milan at the Home Depot Center in Carson , California. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Kevork Djansezian ................

And the situation may have been further exacerbated with the reluctance of the player to initially return to the team after his stint with the top Italian soccer club A C Milan . The tussle between the two clubs left everyone with the distinct feeling that Beckham no longer wanted to return to play competitive soccer in the United States. Much less honor the multi-million dollar contract that he’d signed with the MLS team. Whilst Beckham tries to exude that illusion of team camaraderie , it is clear that in terms of the word team as long as the ‘Beckham brand ‘ is front and center there for everyone to see . The word ‘team’ doesn’t at all srtictly apply to him. He may well exude that in the public and media interviews that he conducts. But then on appearance it is merely being done to legitmize the Beckham brand and to gain the public’s empathy.

Ronaldinho of A C Milan is double teamed by the Galaxy's Landon Donovan (center ) and A J DeLaGarza during the first half of the game played between the two teams. The game would end up in a 2-2 tie at the end of 90 minutes of regulation play. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Kevork Djansezian ................

And though the L A Galaxy fared reasonably well without the player while he was in Europe plying his trade. The fact of the matter can’t have been lost on the owners of the Galaxy in not having Beckham as their primary sales and marketing tool. It has led to a sizeable loss in revenues, as well as support for the team within its own market. And the team’s standing within the MLS Western Conference has been proving to be something of a disappointment. The team sits in fourth place entrenched behind the Houston Dynamo in first place, followed by the Seattle Sounders and Chivas USA.

Though the season hasn’t been a complete loss for the team . It is extremely hard to envisage how they will be able to make concerted effort to right an already unstable ship , in terms of their already tenuous situation. With Beckham now seemingly back into the fold . There’s no clear way to guage and assess how his teammates might feel. Albeit that Donovan , himself , has tried to recant some of the statements that’ll be part of an upcoming book about Beckham’s first season experiences with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Beckham is substituted in the second half of the mid season friendly played against Italy's A C Milan at the Home Depot Center in Carson , California. It was very much a partisan crowd in attendance for the game. And many of those fans in attendance showed their disdain for David Beckham throughout much of the game. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Kevork Djansezian ...................

The expose’ will give the public an inside look at Beckham and his teammates and explain his initial foray into the MLS market with the team. It will be seering in its analysis and is said to not pull any punches in the areas that matter most concerning the player and his teammates. If Landon Donovan’s initial statements are indeed anything to to by. Then this will indeed will be warranted in terms of a good read. But then again one might find the same type of tawdry details in any type of steamy romantic novel or even perhaps in a tabloid magazine. As it’s been often been said ‘…… any type of publicity be it good, bad or indifferent is still publicity worth having’. Otherwise how else are they going to get to know you , warts and all ?

As to the Galaxy’s postseason ambitions. They may well now rest with the possible momentum that the team can maintain over the remainder of the regular season. If they’re indeed then able to attain a postseason berth for the playoffs. Failure to do so and there will be a great deal of recriminations and allegations made as to what went wrong . And very much the reasons why. And n o doubt there’ll be fingers directly pointed at David Beckham , merely because of the player’s lack of effort and the very fact of his reluctancy to play and also to honor his original contract with the club.

Soccer? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Soccer

Low and behold it’d appear that the world seems to have slipped off its axis somewhat. Well it appears to be that way in the manner with which it’s been described how the US men’s national soccer team defeated Spain (2-0) in the semi-finals of Confed Cup being played in Bloemfontein, South Africa .

Clint Dempsey of the US celebrates the first of two goals scored by the team to defeat Spain 2-0 in the semi final of the Confed Cup being played in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The other goal scorer for the team was Jozy Altidore. picture appears courtesy of getty images / Joseph Block ..................

While it was a stunning upset of the world’s number one ranked team. In no way should it all be compared with ‘The Miracle On Ice’ . That was after all an extraordinary upset that ranks up there with the alltime great sporting surprises. And the scene of the event itself was the 1980 Olymic men’s hockey finals in Lake Placid , New York. This was is a meaningless competition that’s merely a warmup for next year’s World Cup to be played on the African continent in South Africa, itself.

If anything it gives the US team a boost in confidence and the mindset that they can compete with and beat the best. But since the US team has never been known as a model of consistency when it comes to the sport . The best that one can do is to congratulate coach Bob Bradley and his team on a job well done.

It was a bravura performance by the side and with goals coming from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey. It can be said that the team has far exceeded expectations in making it to the finals of the competition. There they’ll await the winner of the game between Brazil or the host of the competition, South Africa.

As to what this’ll mean to the fans in large may go now go a long way in the sport being finally well received in the eyes of the public. In order for the game to resonate at the professional level here in the United States. The men’s national team has to attain some level of respect at the international level. Thus far they’re not taken seriously at the international. But perhaps with this victory they may well be seen in a new light amongs their international competitors. What might even add to the luster of this victory , would be if they were win the competition outright . That if anything would signify that quite possibly the team has finally arrived at the upper echelons of the international game.

And while there’s the belief that Major League Soccer (MLS) has given rise to the level of competition of the players internationally. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything it has given some of the players on the team’s roster match experience. The real experience has been attained by the players who’ve sought to learn their craft abroad at the club level playing particularly in Europe. Where in fact they have the most competitive leagues , clubs and best players in the world competing.

Members of South Africa's national soccer team leave the field after their narrow loss to Brazil (1-0) in the semi-finals of FIFA's Confederation Cup played in South Africa. The finals now pits the US against Brazil. The South Africans put on a brave display at the Ellis Park Stadium in Joahannesburg, South Africa. picture appears courtesy of afp/getty images/ Antonio Scorza ...............

As we now can either surmise or contemplate what this now means for the sport of soccer here in the United States. It must be admitted that the victory as suprising as it was may well bring about a new found inspiration to the fans in large. Merely because it’ll add to the belief. If we can beat Spain then we’re quite capable of acquitting ourselves against the best that the world has to pit against us. The caveat being is the team capable of maintaining a level of consistency that’d be needed to win such a prestigious tournament such as the World Cup ?

If nothing else it’d be interesting to see that scenario be raised just to see how the team would fare.

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