Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
Friday, January 19, 2007, Washington Post

U.S. Soccer Bends Over Backward

American soccer fans are excited. Last week David Beckham signed a huge contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

Beckham probably is the most famous soccer player in the world. He is known for:

• His haircuts (everything from a ponytail to a Mohawk).
  
  
• His looks (movie-star handsome).
  
  
• His wife (Victoria Adams, better known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls).

Oh, yeah, Beckham also is famous for his soccer, but he is no longer one of the world's best players. Even so, he's still wonderful at free kicks and corner kicks because of the tremendous spin he puts on the ball. No one else can "Bend It Like Beckham" -- the title of a popular soccer movie a few years ago. Beckham showed off his special talent most recently in the 2006 World Cup when he scored a game-winner against Ecuador.

But at 31 Beckham is getting a bit old for a tough, tiring game such as soccer. He has started just seven of the last 25 games for the Real Madrid team. No longer is he the all-around star who led Manchester United to six English titles and the European Champions crown. Real Madrid's Fabio Cannavaro, Ronaldinho of Brazil and dozens of others are much better players than Beckham.

So, Major League Soccer might have signed more of a celebrity than a soccer star. Beckham will bring lots of attention to MLS when he starts playing this summer, but my guess is that he will be a disappointment on the field. New fans may not understand why he doesn't dominate the game and score like LeBron James and LaDainian Tomlinson do in their sports.

Every few years something happens that has U.S. fans believing that soccer is going to grow into a big-time sport here. First, there was soccer legend Pel?, playing for the old New York Cosmos in the 1970s. Then the World Cup coming to the United States and the success of the U.S. women's team were going to start a soccer craze. A few years ago teenager Freddy Adu was going to save soccer. Now it's Beckham.

Maybe soccer in the United States doesn't need to be saved. Millions of kids play. College soccer is getting more popular. Thousands of fans attend MLS games. The league is building soccer-only stadiums that make the game more exciting to watch; and it is developing home-grown stars such as Landon Donovan.

Maybe U.S. soccer is fine the way it is. Without Beckham.