LA Galaxy – Page 2 – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Why Are People Jealous of David Beckham?

This week, David Beckham made a huge announcement that will shape the story arc in the final chapter of his exceptionally successful football career. On December 1, Beckham will play his last competitive game for LA Galaxy, and there’s no doubt he has divided opinion since his arrival to Major League Soccer in 2007.

Sometimes, the opinion of Beckham has little to do with him as a football player and more to do with him as a person. Despite the fame and fortune, Beckham has always remained a passionate football player. Ultimately, he just loves to play. He wishes he could play forever. And surely, the game would be better off with him prolonging his career for as long as he could, right? You would think so.

There seems to be an unnecessary undertone to some of the dialogue related to Beckham. Upon his announcement, fans took to social media to voice their opinions, and he is definitely a polarizing figure who can bring out the ugly in some people.

But why is this the case when Beckham has always been a solid professional, a great role model for kids and is generally a very good bloke?

Is there a tinge of jealousy in the air? Read my latest article on Bleacher Report. It’s definitely brushed with a little fun!

Soccerdiva Soundbite…David Beckham

Football superstar and pop culture icon David Beckham has provided the world with much to savour throughout his career. As he enters the twilight of his profession and faces the realization his playing days are inching their way towards the rear view mirror, his desire to win remains as fresh as it was all those years ago when he emerged as a youngster at Manchester United.

From Real Madrid, to AC Milan and now LA Galaxy, Beckham has given his all not only for the clubs he has played for but also for his beloved England. When he finally won the MLS Cup with LA last season, many thought he would walk off into the sunset, satisfied the American dream was finally achieved.

But David Beckham loves to play. He loves his football. And after deciding to re-sign with Los Angeles after spurning the advances of Paris St. Germain earlier this year, Beckham finds himself with yet another opportunity to win a championship.

I had the opportunity to talk with one of England’s finest exports following LA’s tough loss against San Jose in the first leg of their MLS Cup playoff. San Jose Earthquakes grabbed a controversial winner in injury time, despite LA dominating possession.

It’s not the first time San Jose have done that this season. They have become the masters of the last gasp goal! David Beckham spent a few minutes with us post game and despite the loss, he is definitely optimistic about the 2nd leg. There was even time to ask David Beckham about Luis Suarez and his amazing goal against Newcastle United at Anfield. Does Suarez make the Premier League history books? Does he join Beckham among the list of legendary Premier League goals?

Hear what the ex Manchester United superstar had to say about Liverpool’s current striking superstar!

Jose Mourinho loves David Beckham…

Football icon David Beckham was recently quoted as saying that Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest managers in football right now. As obvious as Beckham’s assessment of Mourinho may seem, it appears the two men have a tremendous amount of respect for each other.

When Beckham’s quote was presented to Mourinho in a press conference after Real Madrid thrashed the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-1 in front of a record-breaking crowd at the Home Depot Center, he reciprocated the compliment. “Beckham has always been nice to me. He has always had very good words for me. I’m sorry I could never be his coach. I would love it. Now it’s too late as David is in the last years of his career.”

Clearly Mourinho admires the ex-Real Madrid star, and he didn’t hold back about Beckham missing from Team GB at the Olympics. “There is something I don’t understand and I know because I was also inside the project. If now the Olympic Games are in London, it’s because of him. Yes it’s because of Sebastian Coe and other people, but he was the most important face of that project. I don’t understand why he is not playing though. I cannot understand.”

It’s a shame for Beckham that the Portuguese manager wasn’t choosing the side for Team GB. “I think in a group of 18 players you have football qualities to give, human qualities to give. I think he is one of the best soccer professionals to express the ideals of Pierre de Coubertin. I’m so sorry he is not there. I also participated in the London project and I don’t understand why such a big personality is playing in this preseason friendly match, when he should be at the Olympics.”

This is sure to reignite the debate about Beckham’s exclusion from Stuart Pearce’s Team GB squad. If the team goes on to win Olympic gold, all will be forgotten. For now, it seems even Mourinho is confused as to why England’s most iconic sports export is not present during one of the most important sporting events the country has seen since the 1948 Olympics, 1966 World Cup and Euro ’96.

Frank Lampard also shared the same sentiments as Mourinho when he was in the United States for the MLS All-Star Game. There’s no doubt there are plenty of people in Team Becks’ corner. So far, Team GB seem to be surviving without him. Do you agree with The Special One?

A Conversation With…Andre Villas Boas

There’s no doubt Brendan Rodgers will be under intense scrutiny and pressure when the new season starts. Taking over the managerial reigns at Liverpool and following in the footsteps of legend Kenny Dalglish will definitely be a tough task for the ex-Swansea coach.

However, if there is one man who easily wins the gold medal for “Manager Under the Most Pressure” it has to be Andre Villas Boas. Will we see the man who dazzled the football universe at Porto? Or will we see the AVB who failed miserably at Chelsea? As mentioned earlier this month on this site, I don’t believe lightning will strike twice for Villas Boas, who lived in the shadow of the Special One during his time at Stamford Bridge.

During Spurs tour of the U.S., the new Tottenham coach looked exceptionally relaxed and happy, and so did his team. I was lucky enough to spend some time with him. Enjoy A Conversation With Andre Villas Boas.

In the land of Donovan…

donovan Many in the media had suggested that Landon Donovan couldn’t hack playing football in Europe. And you really couldn’t blame the media for doubting the American star’s potential.

After a disappointing 4 years at Bayer Leverkusen and an unsuccessful loan spell at Bayern Munich last season, the hope for Donovan’s talent to transcend to the European game were all but over. But as we all know, anything is possible in the funny old game of football.

In the MLS season that just ended, Donovan led the LA Galaxy to the championship game and even though they were defeated, his MVP performances throughout the year grabbed the attention of Europe’s elite clubs once again. Donovan was being given another chance to prove himself on the big stage of European football and he was determined to make the most of his opportunity, especially heading into a World Cup year.

This time, the American chose the right club and the right country to play his trade. Everton are one of the most famous, traditional and prestigious clubs in England. And they have a great manager who is able to identify talent when he sees it. David Moyes didn’t hesitate in signing Donovan on loan to Everton. He needed him. With Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and a host of other fantastic players on the injury list, it seemed a perfect fit for both club and player. Sure it was a risk based on Donovan’s past European experiences, but Everton’s injuries meant they had to gamble. Donovan was given the famous #9 shirt by the club and he has certainly worn it proudly.

There’s no doubt Donovan has been inspirational at Everton. He has risen to the occasion, taken his opportunity with both feet and has starred for the Premier League team in many games, including victories over Chelsea and Manchester United. Donovan was just voted Player of the Month and a certain love affair might be brewing between the American and the Toffees faithful. His performances have engaged the British media and many are seeing Donovan as a completely different player. In fact, some Brits are a little more afraid of facing the United States team in their first game at the World Cup because of how Donovan has played!

Donovan now faces a very difficult decision. He finds himself in a similar situation to David Beckham following his successful loan deal at AC Milan last season. When football superstar Beckham extended his loan deal with the Italian club, Donovan was a huge critic as he questioned Beckham’s loyalty and dedication to the LA Galaxy team. After being quoted in the book “The Beckham Experiment”, Donovan made his feelings about his teammate’s contributions or lack thereof crystal clear. With things going so well at Everton, should Donovan follow in Beckham’s footsteps and extend his deal? If I were an Everton fan, I wouldn’t want to lose him. If I were David Moyes I wouldn’t want to lose him. If I were the LA Galaxy, I would want him back. But what does Donovan want? After all the criticism of Beckham, would he even consider staying with Everton until June?

As Donovan continues his preparation for the World Cup, surely staying in Europe is best for him and the United States team. Right now, it’s great to be in the land of Donovan…

I see Michael Owen…

Michael_Owen_280x39_840301a Do you remember how shocking it was when you realized Bruce Willis’ character in the Sixth Sense was actually one of those dead people the kid kept saying he was seeing? Well shoot the shrink people! We’re not even halfway through the summer transfer season and we already have a shock-of-a-transfer story that could rival the shocking twist of the Sixth Sense.

Michael Owen has been signed by Manchester United. Let me just writepeat that…Michael Owen has been signed by Manchester United. Who wasn’t shocked beyond belief when they heard the news? I was shell-shocked. Anyone who says they saw this coming is a complete and utter liar.

For the last 2 seasons Owen has been hovering around St.James’ Park like a ghost. He was deflated. There was no life left in him. He had become like a dull, dark cloud. Very much like Bruce Willis’ character in the Sixth Sense. And now Newcastle were relegated, who was interested in buying this one time phenom?

Hull City, Stoke City and some other mediocre City named sides were apparently interested! But were these the only teams impressed by Michael Owen’s famous past? Not quite. Just as Owen’s reps were preparing another mail out of that now infamous 34 page soccer sales brochure, he received a surprise phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson inviting him out for a spot of lunch. By the time they were done with their pudding, Owen was offered a contract at Manchester United. It was easy for the ex-Liverpool hero to accept. Perhaps there’s even a part of him that wants to prove Liverpool made a mistake letting him go to Real Madrid all those years ago.

Sir Alex Ferguson likes to gamble and the media is painting this as a huge one. But we all know most transfers are huge gambles. This one could end up being a great gamble. This transfer could be the shrewdest bit of business this summer. For one, Owen will be playing with world class players again. No disrespect to Newcastle, but Manchester United is a different breed of football club. There are players that can inspire Owen to be better and at United, he will be a star name among other superstar names.

You could compare Michael Owen’s forthcoming adventure to that of David Beckham’s recent experience. Beckham was playing for the LA Galaxy and then he found himself going to AC Milan on loan and all of a sudden he’s in the form of his life playing in Serie A, the UEFA Cup and also playing a part in England’s World Cup campaign. With the medical facilities at United and the talent that will surround Owen, he could find himself achieving the same. And how satisfying would it be for him to pull that England shirt on again and prove his doubters wrong?

Sometimes people grab their second chance and they savor it like a fine wine. Others throw it away like an empty beer can. Michael Owen was dead at Newcastle. You could see it. You could feel it. He will not let this chance pass him by. He is a very ambitious man who wants to show the world he still has it. Do you guys think he will find his world class form again? Can he stay injury free? Has Sir Alex Ferguson taken too much of a gamble and will he be saying “I see Michael Owen” for the rest of his life…?

Who said timeshares were a thing of the past..?

42-15534303 Grab your passports and shades. The timeshare is back people. I mean if fashion and style guru David Beckham
is doing it, surely it’s cool right? Um…actually, unless it’s a
Marriott type of deal, you really don’t want to be in the timeshare
business at all.

Think about it though. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all do that with our jobs? How do you guys think that conversation would go exactly…”Er hello boss. Listen I know I signed a contract to head-up your marketing department for a couple of years, but this other company that thinks I’m hot shit too would also like to employ me and I think it would help my career if I worked for you both. I won’t be long…just 6 months and then I’ll be back here knocking it out of the park again. Sound good? Hello..hello…hello..”

Well unless you are David Beckham, the likely hood of that little fantasy playing out is well below zero! I guess the only thing we have to be thankful for is that this back-and-forth is over…for now. Do we really think Becks will be back in Los Angeles in June to play for the Galaxy? Something tells me the only way we’ll see his behind this summer is if he’s vacationing and watching the Lakers go far into the NBA play-offs.

Another round of Becks please…

142496_u9fq3u8k_szuivkgks1lia6n_-736192 After playing in football wilderness with the LA Galaxy for 18 months, David Beckham is about to make an incredible comeback to the big leagues. His determination to keep his England career alive and his desire to become the most capped English player are the main ingredients that could trigger a crazy transfer for the never-say-die superstar. Why is anyone shocked? He’s made it clear he wants to continue playing for his country for as long as he’s asked. The quality of football in the MLS is not comparable to Serie A in Italy. And didn’t you all think the motive to go to Milan in the first place was to somehow wangle a permanent move to fulfill his final ambitions in the twilight of his career? The fact the LA Galaxy let this happen in the first place is shocking. Surely they knew this was coming.

When he landed in the States, LAX came to a standstill as fans and the world’s media greeted him and his wife Victoria. He did the ESPN documentary while Posh Spice appeared in a one-off reality show on network television. He became one of the many celebrity faces sitting court side cheering on the Los Angeles Lakers. Hollywood’s elite – Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will sSmith and Jada Pinkett Smith – rolled out the red carpet and hosted an extravagant welcome party for Lord and Lady Becks. But the truth is, as much as he loves all the attention and trimmings of fame, this Essex boy has only ever wanted to play football. He loves the game and now he believes he can play at the highest level again.

Ultimately, the people who will miss out are the LA Galaxy and MLS fans in general. It will hurt more though for those Galaxy fans. They have had to pay increased prices for tickets and merchandise in order to subsidize the wages of Mr.Beckham. They totally bought into the idea of #23 and were desperate for him to succeed by bringing the MLS Cup home. The hopes and dreams of the Galaxy fans could be dead. Meanwhile, for Becks, his dreams are very much alive…

Earthquake…

lagalaxymainlogo-7435321 There was an earthquake in Southern California today. Let’s hope that jolt will wake-up the LA Galaxy. Becks and Donovan need help. They can’t be a two man team. Buddle has pulled his weight too, but the other guys need to start mucking in.

Their start to the season was exceptional, but recently their performances have been woeful and they have been unwatchable at times. Looks like they are playing in a galaxy far, far away…