The Beckham Experiment: A Resounding Success or a Dismal Failure?

It seems as though the David Beckham era in Major League Soccer may be nearing an end. The iconic English midfielder officially completed his 5-year contract with the LA Galaxy after a victory over the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup Final earlier tonight. If British newspapers and giddy French soccer club executives are to believed, Beckham could be joining heavily funded Paris Saint-Germain of France in the coming days. With North America's lease of 'Posh & Becks' now coming to an end, the question that arises from the mind's of most soccer fanatics is: did the Beckham Experiment work?

PSG's Parc Des Princes: David Beckham's New Home?

David Beckham will never be mentioned in the same breath as the Michel Platini's or Pele's of the world when it comes to his on-field play. He has never had the fantastic footwork of Ronaldinho, the amazing vision of Zinedine Zidane or the innovation of Franz Beckenbauer. Beckham is known as a dead ball expert, but so were Jay Jay Okocha and Juninho Pernambucano and the casual soccer fan has never heard of them.

Despite his shortcomings on the field compared to some of his contemporaries, David Beckham's greatest work for the sport of soccer has been as the greatest ambassador that the sport has seen since Pele. He has thrilled billions all over the world for his play on the pitch, but his effect off of it has been much more significant. Following Beckham's arrival to the North American game, the sport has seen its fan base expand substantially with the addition of more male fans, more children playing the game and the introduction of more female fans to the game. Some ardent North American soccer fans have seen the introduction of these new fans as a step back for the sport, where the game has lost a part of its soul at the expense of growth. Yet, for the longevity of the sport in North America, these new groups of fans are necessary. In this sense, David Beckham has played a major role in making soccer an inclusive sport in North America.

Courtesy: MLS

Beckham's playing career in the United States has often courted controversy. Most North American soccer fans appeared annoyed with Beckham over the years as it seemed like he longed for a return to Europe and looked to leave the MLS behind, despite being locked in to a multi-year deal. The situation hit a boiling point two years ago when he was even booed by his own LA Galaxy fans.

But in the last two years, Beckham changed. He focused on Major League Soccer and the LA Galaxy. He distanced himself from links with European clubs, despite the obvious interest shown by them. A focused Beckham, a rejuvenated Landon Donovan and a hungry Robbie Keane guided the LA Galaxy to this year's MLS Cup.

In the short-term, the Beckham Experiment can be deemed a success with a MLS Cup victory for the Galaxy, but the long-term benefits of Becks' stay in the United States will be remembered for years to come. The real gain of the Beckham Experiment will be seen in the next decade, as those young North American kids that David Beckham turned toward soccer during the last 5 years will continue to develop and push the United States and Canada ahead as footballing nations.

Rise and Shine! Two Must-Watch Matches in the EPL

In a matter of hours the next round of EPL matches will be begin with a couple of superb match-ups on the docket. The defending champs look to right the ship after an embarrassing loss last week and 2 members of last year's "Big 4" square off in a battle for London pride.


Manchester United at Everton - 4 a.m. on Sportsnet World

After last week's 6-1 drubbing at the hands of cross-town rivals Manchester City, Manchester United will look to rebound in the Premier League with an impressive win over 13th placed Everton. United dumped Aldershot out of the Carling Cup with their B team during the week, but that was expected against the lower league minnows. The Red Devils will face a real test against Everton at Goodison Park in one of Saturday's early games. Sir Alex Ferguson's side are welcoming back Tom Cleverly, Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans to the squad, while skipper Rio Ferdinand and all-world left-back Patrice Evra may be left out of the starting line-up after poor showings last weekend.

Everton, having been ousted in the Carling Cup by Chelsea during the week, hope to start a winning streak after a rough couple of weeks. Prior to beating Fulham at Craven Cottage by a score 3-1, David Moyes' men had been pummeled in their three previous league matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. But, Everton will hope former Manchester United striker Luis Saha can continue his good form, after finding the back of the net in each of the last 2 league matches.

Unfortunately, Everton will have not have chance in this match. They have the great misfortune of encountering the defending champions after one of the club's most lopsided losses in the team's storied history. You can fully expect Sir Alex to start all his big guns and have his team raring to go from the start, while Everton, who are tame on the attacking end on a good day, will have little possession and few chances. This could get ugly.


Prediction: Manchester United 4 - 1 Everton


Arsenal at Chelsea - 4:45 a.m. on TSN 2


In the second of Saturday's early matches, 3rd placed Chelsea takes on 7th place Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in a good old fashioned London derby. Chelsea hope to put their 1-0 loss to QPR last weekend behind them. In that match, Andre Villas-Boas' side had 2 players sent off and the Blues' captain John Terry was accused of directing racist comments at Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand. After that hiccup, the West Londoners have recovered quickly as they dispatched of Everton in the Carling Cup during the week.

Arsenal finally seem to be on the rise after a dismal start to their season. The Gunners have won 2 straight in the league with wins over Sunderland and Stoke City, and have racked up wins in the Champions League over Marseille and Bolton in the Carling Cup over the last two weeks, respectively. The chemistry between summer signing Gervinho and captain Robin Van Persie seems to be growing by the minute with the Dutchman notching 4 goals in his last 3 matches. It appears that Arsene Wenger has instilled some much needed confidence in his young side just in time for a big tilt with Chelsea. A win for the Gunners would lift them into a tie for 5th place.

The Gunners may be improving, but they are still not up to the level of the big 3 at this juncture of the season. Even a fully fit Gunners defense leaks goals and expect Chelsea's world class strikers to exploit lack of composure at the back. It will be close, but expect Villas Boas' stars to sneak by the North Londoners.

Prediction: Arsenal 1 - 2 Chelsea 


This Week's Gem From the Past


An absolute screamer from the 2009-2010 season from the feet of AC Milan's former midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo.

5 Premier League Players to Look Out for in 2011

The kick-off of the new English Premier League season is now just hours away. Unlike previous years, the beginning of the English soccer season is not taking the main headlines in (not-so) merry old England. Due to the unfortunate events that took place in Tottenham, London and spread in the form of riots and looting to other parts of the United Kingdom, there has been a cancellation of the Tottenham versus Everton match.

Nonetheless, the rest of the matches will go on as scheduled later today. And, with the beginning of a new season come new expectations for teams and their players. With over £288,000,000 spent by Premier League clubs so far this summer, there are plenty of new faces in new shirts. Both these new faces and the players held over from last year will decide the fate of their clubs.  Here are my picks for the 5 players to keep an eye on for 2011-12 campaign.

5. Andrei Arshavin - Arsenal FC 
The diminutive Russian has been an enigma at Arsenal. There have been times when he has completely taken over a match, for instance, his four goal display at Anfield two years ago. Other times, it seems like Andrei Arshavin does not even want to be on the soccer pitch. With the impending sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively, the Gunners will need somebody to provide offense input. Arshavin would be the obvious answer, since he has shown on occasion that he can be among the world's best. Arsenal really have no choice, considering their young English prodigy Jack Wilshere lacks the experience to shoulder the load just yet. So, with the coming departures of Fabregas and Nasri, it will be up to Andrei Arshavin to provide Arsenal's attackers with scoring chances and insert creativity at the top half of the lineup this season. Arsenal fans better hope that Arshavin has improved his fitness and worked on his consistency issues, or it could be a long season for the faithful at the Emirates Stadium.


4. Didier Drogba - Chelsea FC
In previous years, suggesting that a healthy Didier Drogba could start the season on the bench for Chelsea would probably get you verbally harassed and scolded by most followers of the Barclay's Premier League. Yet, unlike previous years, this may be a reality at Stamford Bridge this season. Under Carlo Ancelotti last year, the Ivorian sniper saw some of his playing time reduced and this continued after Chelsea splashed the cash to sign Spaniard Fernando Torres from Liverpool. In addition to Torres, the Blues have Nicolas Anelka, a new and improved Daniel Sturridge (who impressed while on-loan at Bolton Wanderers last season), and another Ivorian forward in Salomon Kalou on the books under new manager Andre Villas-Boas. It will be interesting to see if this season will be the resurgence of Drogba in West London or if he continues to lose playing time and move down the pecking order.

After a lackluster and injury plagued 2010-11, Drogba will need to re-gain his confidence early in the season

3. Brad Friedel - Tottenham
The Achilles Heel of Spurs for the last few seasons has been its goalkeeping. Howlers by Paul Robinson, Carlo Cudicini and habitual error-machine Heurelho Gomes have demoralized the club and its supporters time and time again. The club has lacked a big game keeper, that could steal a match against the Manchester United's and Chelsea's of the world, for sometime. Until now, that is. Harry Redknapp's superb acquisition of American Brad Friedel from Aston Villa (on a free transfer) will now give Spurs the steady hands at the back that they have been longing for. But, will the Spurs leaky defense hold up and aid its new keeper this season?



2. Sergio Aguero - Manchester City
Kun Aguero is no second coming of his father in law, Diego Maradona, but then again, that may be too much to ask any young Argentine. In 5 years at Athletico Madrid, Aguero formed a formidable partnership with Diego Forlan and hit the back of the net 74 times. After a couple years of being linked to Chelsea, Aguero moved to Manchester City last month in big £35 million move. Aguero now joins a star-studded line-up in the blue side of Manchester, where money continues to flow in from its Dubai based owners. Yet, most of the team's established strike force (Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Craig Bellamy) all look to be on their way out of Manchester by the end of month. This will put pressure on the Blues' young strikers: Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko and specifically Aguero, who is the only proven superstar of the three.

Copa America MVP Luis Suarez looks set to conquer the EPL this season

1. Luis Suarez - Liverpool
Any of the soccer experts that still doubted the football pedigree of Luis Suarez after last year's World Cup in South Africa were completely silenced last month. The Uruguayan hit man led his nation to victories in the Copa America tournament over Argentina, Mexico and eventually Paraguay, helping Uruguay claim its first Copa title since 1995. 2011-12 will be Suarez's first full season at Anfield and if he can stay healthy, it looks like he will make it a memorable one for Reds fans. Some may even forget about a certain Fernando Torres by the end of this campaign.

With the EPL Title Wrapped Up, the Real Fun Takes Place This Weekend

The battle for the Premier League trophy effectively ended last Sunday, when Manchester United downed the defending Premier League champions, Chelsea. A win for the team from the red side of Manchester saw them set an English record by winning their 19th league championship trophy. Thus, surpassing arch rivals Liverpool FC for the all time lead.

As entertaining as the race at the top of the table was, the relegation battle on the final weekend will undoubtedly provide more drama and many more increased heart rates for the supporter's of all the clubs involved. West Ham United was the first to fall to the second tier of English soccer, by losing to fellow relegation battlers Wigan Athletic this past weekend. The loss leaves West Ham, who has one of the most faithful followings in the capital, in a very tough spot. The East London club was given the right to play in the 2012 Olympic Stadium after the 2012 summer games finish. How will West Ham fill the Olympic Stadium, if they are still playing in the Championship during the 2012/13 season?

Avram Grant will not be signing autographs at Upton Park anymore. The club sacked him after Saturday's loss

With one match to go, Blackburn, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan are all in danger of dropping to the nPower Championship. Relegation is not only a shot to a club's pride, it is also a hard hit to its wallet. West Ham, and the other two undeterminded teams that are set to join it, will lose an estimated £40 million in revenue. Aside from revenue, they will undoubtedly lose their best players and top coaches. All of these negatives can pile up and cause damaging long-term finanicial issues for a club. The plight of once great Premier League sides tells the tale of what relegation can do to healthy Premier League clubs. Look no farther than the carcass of Leeds United. The one-time Premier League and Champions League titles contender, which employed the likes of Johnathan Woodgate, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mark Viduka, Rio Ferdinand, Eric Cantona and Robbie Fowler now lies in the middle of the pack in the Championship after falling to League One in 2007.

Yet, this upcoming weekend's losers are not destined for certain doom and gloom over the next decade. Newcastle United's resurgence this year shows that a club can bounce back to the Premier League. Key players like Jonas Gutierrez, Jose Enrique, Steven Taylor and Joey Barton stuck with the club despite its misfortunes and aided the Geordies back to safety in the Premier League. Yet, the Newcastle United of the late 1990s and early 2000s is certainly gone for the forseeable future, as they are more likely to compete for a spot in the top 10 and not the top 4 spot they were accustomed a decade and a half ago. Thus, is the price of relegation.

So, who will suffer a similar fate to West Ham United? We will all find out on Saturday. And the best thing about it: all the games will start and be played at the same time, which means nobody will know what teams are relegated until the final whistle!

Here are my predictions:

15th) Wolverhampton Wanderers - 43 pts (Win over Blackburn Rovers)
16th) Blackpool - 40 pts (Draw with Manchester United)
17th) Blackburn Rovers - 40 pts (Loss to Wolverhampton)
18th) Wigan Athletic - 40 pts (Draw with Stoke City)
19th) Birmingham - 39 pts (Loss to Tottenham)
20th) West Ham United - 33 pts (Already Relegated)

Hassli's Physicality Brings Jubilation and Frustration for Whitecaps FC

Many things went right for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC during their inaugural MLS match against Toronto FC last Saturday. To start, even before the match started the clouds parted and the sun made a surprise appearance over Empire Field. What followed during the rest of afternoon not only shocked those at Empire Field, but also soccer fans across North America.

The Whitecaps dismantled Toronto FC by dominating in all parts of the pitch, trouncing the Easterners 4-2. The defense made all the necessary plays. When Toronto did score, it was through two great finishes by Dwayne DeRosario and Maicon Santos. Davide Chuimiento pulled the strings in the midfield and set up two goals in the first half and Terry Dunfield scuppered attacks by Toronto FC's attackers. But, where the Whitecaps dominated most thoroughly was up front where Vancouver's designated player Eric Hassli and Atiba Harris at times toyed with the three defender system employed by Toronto FC.

Toronto FC is still getting used to a new 3-4-3 formation, their relatively new back line trio of Nana Attakora, Ty Harden and Adrian Cann employed by coach Aron Winter undoubtedly played a role in TFC's defeat on March 19th. The team is simply not used to its new formation just yet. But, the physicality of one Eric Hassli also took a significant toll on the defenders. Hassli backed into, tossed to and fro, and systematically wore down Toronto's physically smaller central defenders and it payed immediate dividends as TFC's defense and midfield was stretched and exploited for 4 goals.

Fast forward to earlier today as the Whitecaps took on the Philadelphia Union. Hassli started the match against the Union the same way he did against TFC, throwing his body into defenders. As in the previous match, the burly Frenchman picked up an early (and slightly soft) yellow card in the 27th minute for a trip on Philly's defensive juggernaut, Danny Califf. The physical play continued into the second half and then Hassli saw red. In the 59th minute, he was sent off on a follow through on the Union's defender Carlos Valdez. Definitely worth of a second yellow.

Even prior to the sending off, the Caps lacked creativity in the midfield against the Union. The loss of Davide Chuimiento was evident, there were a number of misplaced passes, and Hassli did not get the same service he did in the team's first match, as the striker was forced to generate scoring chances on his own. The Whitecaps did not have a quality scoring chance in the entire game. Coupled with suffocating pressure on the ball by the Union, the Whitecaps did not look like they would score on Faryd Mondragon at any point during the 90 minutes.

Whitecaps coach Teitur Thorardsson has clearly given Hassli instructions to play as physical as he possibly can this season. Playing a big striker with a smaller, slightly more athletic and quicker forward (in this case Atiba Harris) is a formula that was used by last year's MLS Cup champions, the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids' attack was and is still led by hulking U.S. international Conor Casey and speedy Jamaican striker Omar Cummings, the classic thunder and lightning combination which led the Rapids to last year's championship. The Whitecaps expansion cousins, the Portland Timbers have also attempted this with their own big man, Kenny Cooper.

What is unique about the Hassli experiment is that the big Frenchman is still trying to figure how the North American is refereed. In his first match, it looked as though he tossed around TFC players at will with very few of these instances were whistled down for fouls. Yet, in the second match, the referee called anything and everything, slowing down the game considerably and saw Hassli get sent-off after he came in with a late tackle.

Ultimately, until the Whitecaps can figure out what level of physicality is just right for their top striker to play, and MLS referees can achieve a consistent standard of rule enforcement, Hassli and Caps' fans may be in for more mixed emotions in the coming weeks.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Toronto FC - March 19 2011 - PT 2

The Southsiders going bonkers after Eric Hassli's 1st goal

The temperature rises after Terry Dunfield's goal to make it 2-1

Caps' fans on their feet as the final whistle is blown by the referee

A tired Adrian Cann walks off the pitch after his team is defeated by a score of 4-2

The Whitecaps and their fans celebrate their first MLS win

More celebrations at full-time

The captain leads his victorious team into the tunnel

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Toronto FC - March 19 2011 - PT 1


The Vancouver Whitecaps kicked off their inaugural season in the Major League Soccer with a bang today in front of a raucous crowd at Empire Field. Here are some images from the Caps monumental 4-2 win over Toronto.





Enroute to Empire Field

 



The Caps & TFC warming up 1 hour before kick-off

 

Gone are the days of the solitary camera man at Swangard. An army of photographers following the Caps now.

The sun is out just in time for kick-off at Empire Field

Captains Dwayne De Rosario and Jay DeMerit leading their teams on to the pitch

Festive atmosphere in the Southwest end of the stadium