The David Beckham stories are coming fast and furious again, as MLS, ESPN, adidas and everyone else with a vested interest in American soccer prepare for his official unveiling tomorrow. Behind the glitz, glam and buzz lies the question of how Becks will fit in soccer-wise to the struggling L.A. Galaxy team. The 32-year-old tells the Times that center-midfield is the position he will play. “I’ve loved playing that position whenever I’ve been given the chance,” Beckham said. “You’re more involved in the game, and that’s what I like to be.”
To wit, the Times recalls that the last time Beckham played that position for England was during a 2005 World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, which the Lions embarrassingly lost, 1-0. Indeed, Beckham’s most successful outings for club and country almost never came when he played in the center. During Manchester United’s treble-winning 1999 season, Sir Alex Ferguson proved that by almost permanently deploying him down the right, despite his wishes. The same thing happened at Real Madrid — each of his appearances this year in the second half of the season came at right midfield.
The other question is how Beckham will fit in with his new teammates. Striker Landon Donovan jokes: “It would be kind of a nice gesture if he came in and just splashed the locker room with cash for some of the younger guys.” But there’s no doubting that Beckham’s social integration with the squad will be key if L.A. is to turn its season around. “A lot of us hang out together,” Donovan points out, “and when he’s invited, will he want to come out? Will he bring the kids? Will he bring Victoria? We’re fun to be around.”