As New York Sun columnist Paul Gardner points out, everything about the David Beckham signing has been positive for Major League Soccer-so far. The global publicity was “much more than we’d ever dreamed of,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said. Even better has been Becks’ return to the first team at both Real Madrid and England. Suddenly, the Americans’ great publicity ploy — written off five months as “finished” — is once again being mentioned alongside the game’s greats.
Great news, sure, but The Return of David Beckham has created two significant problems, Gardner says, one of which he believes is guaranteed. Now that he’s “saved” England, too, Becks will no doubt be recalled for crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers in September, October and November and a friendly in August — a particularly crucial point in the season for his new club, the L.A. Galaxy. Moreover, the transatlantic flights from Los Angeles will be tiring and taxing.
The second, and less likely scenario, sees Real Madrid trying to recapture him. Real President Ramon Calderon and Coach Fabio Capello have already admitted to making a mistake in failing to resign Beckham; if the Merengues win the Spanish league on Sunday, expect the Madrid board to step up its efforts to keep him. However, both the L.A. and Beckham camps deny the existence of “an escape clause,” which Calderon — who is often full of hot air — alluded to after the Real Zaragoza game on Saturday.