While we would not expect this to make international headlines as the “mega-transfer” of the summer, it is curious that even MLS has kept such a low profile in promoting the signing.

Read more…

But Beckham might soon be jumping for joy.

Tour #1) In 1999, Donovan joins Bayer Leverkusen at the ripe age of 17, turning down training offers from Manchester United and Arsenal. After two years, with a hard case of homesickness and no senior Team appearances, Donovan negotiates a loan to MLS’s San Jose club where he leads the side to two MLS Championships in four years, scoring 32 goals. In 2002, Donovan inspires the US Squad into the World Cup Quarterfinals with a second half goal against arch-rivals Mexico.

Tour #2) Given his success for both club and country, Leverkusen calls Donovan back to Germany in 2005. After only seven appearances and two starts in the Bundesliga, Landon negotiates a return to MLS to join LA Galaxy, his hometown club. Many speculate his budding relationship with future wife and little known US soap opera actress Bianca Kajlich (who?) plays a major role in his decision to return home to LA.

Tour #3) Bayern Munich Manager Jurgen Klinsmann brings Donovan back to Germany to train with the club in November 2008. Signed to a short-term loan, Donovan is unable to settle and plays second fiddle to established stars Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Lukas Podolski. Hoping to have signed permanently with Munich, Donovan is forced to return to L.A. and and face friendly foe David Beckham for the start of the 2009 MLS season.

So can the US Golden Boy make good at Everton? >>

Many people – including Americans themselves – assume that soccer isn’t big in the U.S.  That’s because in a country with such successful professional sports leagues, Major League Soccer isn’t one of them. But how many countries are there in the world that are full of football-hungry fans, yet have no decent domestic league of their own with which to feed themselves? Actually…the majority of them – especially those outside of Western Europe. Continued on next page…

This was a disappointing result, not only for the Galaxy, but also for MLS officials who undoubtedly wanted photos of Beckham hoisting the MLS Cup to be beamed around the world. At 34-years old, Beckham made a valiant effort to even stay on the field for 120 minutes considering he had received 3 pain injections to his injured foot before the match. Becks revealed afterwards that the medication wore off in the 50th minute explaining an apparent limp that become more pronounced as the match wore on. And who knew Goldenballs had a asthma? Cameras caught Beckham frantically huffing on his inhaler prior to extra time. But don’t worry England and Galaxy fans, Becks and his red inhaler are in good company as the likes of Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes suffer from the breathing disorder.

Becks sneaks a puff in front of the cameras

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

Sunday night’s MLS Cup Final is set with an unheralded Real Salt Lake squad squaring off against the LA Galaxy, David Beckham and his ever-growing collection of tattoos. LA overcame crosstown rivals Chivas USA in the quarterfinals. A spectacular one-touch cross from Beckham to a streaking Landon Donovan sparked the attack that resulted in the game-winning penalty kick. The diagonal cross from midfield was a thing of beauty, as Beckham sent a slicing ball with his right foot 50-60 yards to the feet of the charging LA captain at the edge of the box. While Beckham’s performances on the whole have been relatively pedestrian, this move was a subtle reminder that Becks still possesses certain skills no one in MLS can equal. LA then knocked off a strong Houston Dynamo squad, led by US national team regulars Brian Ching and Stuart Holden, to reach the final.

Real Salt Lake spoiled MLS front office dreams of an LA-Chicago final by beating the Fire on penalties. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando made three sterling saves, all to his left side, to help Salt Lake reach its first ever final. Undoubtedly, the League would have preferred the Fire, led by Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Brian McBride. This would have pitted MLS‘ two most popular and controversial international stars against one another, not to mention the current and former Golden Boys of American soccer: Donovan and McBride. But alas, MLS executives must do their best to promote a match between the Galaxy and a Real Salt Lake outfit best known for its ridiculous name and for selling Freddy Adu to Benfica. No doubt they’ll also focus their television cameras on Salt Lake’s  two biggest stars, US national team fringe players Robbie Findley and Kyle Beckerman, who sports dreadlocks that would make Bob Marley proud (”Yeah mon!”).

So who will win...Tattoos or Dreads?!

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

A far cry from the 14-year old prodigy who made headlines as the youngest MLS scorer back in 2004, unsuccessful spells in Portugal and France have seen Adu’s numerous admirers back off wary at his failure to blossom. Freddie’s arrival at Belenenses represents his last chance saloon at cracking Europe.

The young American’s lack of success on the continent has a far greater impact on US soccer abroad. With the likes of Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies and Michael Bradley trying to make a living away from home, Adu’s ineffective stay could encourage fewer European clubs to dip into the US market. Depriving US hopefuls of a more challenging apprenticeship would handicap a US team whose current success is founded on a squad, of whom 50% turn out for top tier European clubs week in, week out.

Freddie Adu running out of chances to celebrate

Click here to view the embedded video.

In case you haven’t been following Becks in the US… The Galaxy has been a laughing stock ever since Beckham’s arrival in the States two summers ago. They showed signs of life during the early part of last season but things quickly took a turn for the worse. Half-assed training methods, ineffective player acquisitions, and rumors of player unrest soon affected team performances. Ruud Gullit was replaced by Bruce Arena, and the former US National Team manager took on the unenviable task of stopping the rot.

Arena promptly revamped the roster calling in some “old reliables” (we stress the word “old”) from those 1999-2006 National Team days. To shore up LA’s leaky defense, Arena convinced Eddie Lewis to return from England, and Gregg Berhalter to quit Germany. Racking up 4 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws since Becks’ return, the club is this season poised to compete for the title. While the former Man U and Real man has hardly been the star of the show, Saturday night’s strike is a promising first step toward redemption.

Beckham bounces back into favour

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

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Related articles:

Beckham Can’t Catch a Break

An L.A. Story

Will David Beckham return to the MLS?

David Robert Joseph Beckham: A tribute

We fully expect Beckham to take up the challenge in the future. However, we also predict he will leave the show in the middle of the taping, fly to Milan for a Dolce & Gabbana photo shoot and declare, “I have to stay in top modeling form ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London. I’m committed to the Shaq project, but right now, for my country, I need to be with D&G.” Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan will then publicly rebuke Beckham’s leadership and lack of commitment to American pop culture.

The USA has produced some world-class keepers in recent years: Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller come to mind. But who knows?  With the wingspan of a small jetliner and hands as big as oven mitts, 37-year-old basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal could end up being the best of the bunch.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

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Related articles:

An L.A. Story

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David Robert Joseph Beckham: A tribute

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LA fans would welcome him back with open arms, right? Los Angeles – a place where stars are idolized despite their misgivings (see star basketball player Kobe Bryant’s rape allegations from 2002) or their perversions (queue your favorite Michael Jackson tune). They would still love their golden boy with the multi-million dollar smile, tattoos, and sponsorship deals, right? WRONG. The fans lashed out at Beckham hurtling boo’s and displaying banners admonishing his two-timing ways and “commitment” to their club. At halftime, while heading to the locker room, Becks approached one of the groups berating him and whilst pointing to the ground in front of the stand yelled up, “come down here!” One zealous fan leaped out of the stands and before either he or #23 could throw a punch, security, as well as a host of players from both teams, were on the scene. Even a huffing and puffing Ronaldinho rushed to support his former teammate. Landon Donovan… not so much.

Who says we don't care?

LA tied the match 2-2 with Becks assisting both goals. Substituted in the 75^th minute, Beckham jogged off to a mixture of cheers and boo’s. This entertaining saga still has life in it yet. Two things we learned from recent events:

1) The MLS fan is more evolved than anyone knew prior to Sunday. The MLS fan can get angry when one of its megastars acts as if he’s bigger than the club. The MLS fan will charge from the stands if provoked, regardless of the consequences.  The MLS fan will buy your $90 jersey one day, and spit on it the next if you don’t give your heart and soul to the club. Take note Becks, this didn’t happen in DC, NY or Chicago, but right here in sunny and mellow LA. Kudos, MLS fan!

2) Becks can turn this around. LA has been the laughing stock of the league ever since he joined, but they are currently on a 4-game win streak and charging up the table. If Becks can ride the tide and contribute to the Galaxy’s run into the MLS Playoffs then he’ll undoubtedly turn these fans back on side once again. Or, at least until his next rendezvous with his mistress in Milan.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

Nevertheless, what can the American faithful deduce from their most recent performance? A turning of the corner on the road to success… or a one-off moment of footy genius in their perpetual quest for respectability?  And what does the national side need to do to make sure they build on their success over Egypt and enter next year’s World Cup strongly?

· Will the real Clint Dempsey please stand up?

Lamps introduces Dempsey to English football

The strong, nifty attacker has a habit of popping up in the right place at the right time.  Case in point: his sensational equalizer against Ghana in the 2006 World Cup.  Or how about his two goals against Liverpool which saved Fulham from relegation in 2007.  Some are even saying that his play against Egypt saved U.S. Coach Bill Bradley’s job. But for every man-of-the-match performance comes an early substitution as Dempsey too often is found clinging to the ball, tripping over his own skills, and reluctant to challenge defenders.  The bottom line: Dempsey needs to show some consistency.

· Michael Bradley must avoid careless bookings.

Another star falls victim to a Bradley special

Despite suggestions of nepotism, Michael Bradley didn’t make the U.S. national team because his father is coach.  (Or at least that’s what his father says!)  To his credit, the tough-tackling and attack-minded central midfielder has so far performed admirably at the Confederations Cup.  But we can’t help but feel that his game is always threatening to spiral out of control.  His yellow card in the second half against Egypt was the result of another careless tackle – the kind that has plagued Bradley throughout his career and will continue to limit his progress unless his game and temperament mature.

· Unleash Charlie Davies.

We're not the only ones keeping an eye on Davies

Unless you’re a fan of Swedish league football, you probably haven’t heard of Charlie Davies. But he’s our bet to be the starting striker for the U.S. at next year’s World Cup. At 22 years of age, he has speed and agility to match the more-celebrated Freddy Adu, except with one key difference – he scores goals! His first, against Egypt, was no stroke of beauty, but demonstrated his quick feet and strong presence in front of the net.  Last season he scored 15 goals for Hammarby of Sweden, and he’s already dispatched 6 goals in 11 games during this campaign.  If he keeps it up, it won’t be long before the top European clubs come knocking.

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

]]> http://footyfactor.com/3203/an-african-nightmare-becomes-an-american-dream.html/feed 1 http://footyfactor.com/3144/sepp-targets-mls.html http://footyfactor.com/3144/sepp-targets-mls.html#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:39:11 +0000 Footy Factor http://footyfactor.com/?p=3144 Sepp Blatter is a man full of unsolicited opinions, and this week he tossed some advice towards Major League Soccer: Bring your March-to-November season in line with the international calendar and you “can have success.”  If you don’t adjust to the international calendar, “you will not attract star players from Europe to play six or seven months.”

Even Beck's has found time to enjoy himself

Blatter’s criticism seems justified.  MLS runs right through the middle of the summer, when European stars (and CONCACAF stars, as well) are shifting gears to international competition. MLS has mulled the idea of a “summer break” to let its most popular players leave for tournaments like the Confederations Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the World Cup without draining the league of its money-makers. But alas, MLS has not yet instituted this idea.  As a result, the closest thing the league has to international superstars – players like Landon Donovan from the U.S., as well as Jamie Moreno of Bolivia, Amado Guevara of Honduras, and Mexico’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco – have been and will continue to be consistently at risk of missing major chunks of the summer season due to national team commitments. And as MLS continues to attract a younger talent base from CONCACAF and South America, this issue will continue to become more problematic, with the league’s younger stars like Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein of the U.S. and Freddy Montero from Colombia also missing in action.

So switching to the international calendar sounds like a no-brainer, right?  Not so fast.  Don’t forget that MLS was designed economically to survive the long haul, due to the fact that ineffective financial management had squashed earlier attempts in the 70’s and 80’s at maintaining a top professional league in the States.  So here’s the major problem with Blatter’s idea: WEATHER.  England and Scotland are able to maintain attendance at matches during the cold, gray days of winter partly because they have a long tradition of doing so. M.L.S. fans, in general, haven’t developed the same level of devotion.  In most M.L.S cities, games are seen as an opportunity to spend a nice day out at the park, with maybe a couple of hours barbequing and drinking in the parking lot beforehand.

Could M.L.S. maintain winter attendance levels in cold weather cities such as Toronto , Boston , New York and Seattle ?  Maybe.  But it’s a huge risk for the league. The league maintains a salary cap that has only recently been significantly altered to allow each team to sign one Designated Player (also known as “The Beckham Rule”) at no restriction to salary. This rule has worked splendidly for the league in attracting the likes of Beckham, Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel, and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, but it has also backfired with the signings of Marcelo Gallardo and Denilson.

Blatter's MLS comments, another mis-kick?

The important point here is that M.L.S. is still struggling to maintain attendance in places like Kansas City and Salt Lake . It’s not warm there at all during the winter. Moving away from a summer schedule could spell their extinction.  Maybe that’s not a bad thing, as long as recent expansion teams continue to flourish in terms of attendance. Just this Wednesday, the Seattle Sounders drew more than 29,000 fans for a mid-week fixture versus DC United – a number unheard of in MLS for a weeknight match. And that leaves MLS with the tough decision between attracting top talent from Europe by switching to the international calendar versus potentially leaving a large portion of its fan base, quite literally, out in the cold.

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We at Footy Factor would like to thank Andy Taylor from Washington DC for submitting this article.

]]> http://footyfactor.com/3144/sepp-targets-mls.html/feed 0 http://footyfactor.com/803/leaked-document-top-paid.html http://footyfactor.com/803/leaked-document-top-paid.html#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:34:19 +0000 Stan Hughes http://footyfactor.com/?p=803 Life of the euro riche

"Thanks Man City, but I'm doing fine in Milan"

One year ago Footy Factor received this confidential email from an anonymous source. At first glance the data is hard to digest. Upon further investigation, truths about player salaries become crystal clear.

- Kaka’s annual salary at AC Milan is roughly £7.5 million. You wonder how much Manchester City were willing to shell out in January.

- There are two players from the Bundesliga on the list, both from Bayern Munich, Luca Toni at #22 with over £4.5 million a year and Oliver Kahn at #35 bringing in over £4 million a year.

- 33 year old Sol Campbell is paid more than Raul, Rio Ferdinand, Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Samuel Eto’o.

- There are 5 goalkeepers on the list, the highest ranked, Iker Casillas brings in nearly £6 million per year and the lowest ranked, Petr Cech receiving £3.5 million.

- The Premier League boasts 14 out of the top 20 on the rich list.

- David Beckham at #44 is the sole representative of the non-European leagues, helping to boost the MLS profile with LA Galaxy.

- There are 3 African players, 3 Dutch, 3 French, 1 Ukraine, 1 Australian and 1 Swede on the list.

- Chelsea have 4 out of the top 10 and 5 out of the top 15 highest paid players.

- At 20 years old Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid is the youngest player on the list raking it in at #34.

Its fair to say that football salaries have gone berserk and are completely out of touch with modern economics, and that was a year ago. But in football, as in life, if you don’t ask then you don’t get. Full credit to Darren Bent in that respect.

Leaked Document 1 of 2

Leaked Document 2 of 2

World Cup glory in Italia '90

Lothar Herbert Matthaeus, the name alone sounds intimidating. Equipped with a stocky, 5 ft 8 inch (1.74m) frame, this diminutive libero enjoyed an illustrious career that spanned over two decades.

Winning 7 Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and a single Serie A title with Inter Milan’s Matthaeus ended his playing career with a season in the sun at the Metrostars in the MLS.

But its his international performances that best captured the hearts and minds of football supporters around the world. After painfully finishing runners-up in the 1986 Mexico World Cup, Matthaeus gained iconic status captaining the West German national team to victory in World Cup Italia 90. Composed, assertive and tireless, Matthaeus marshaled the midfield and cajoled his team into action. A nervy final against Maradona and Argentina was decided by an Andres Brehme penalty.

Often considered a midfielder, much like celebrated countryman Franz Beckenbauer, Matthaeus could play anywhere along the back line and in the sweeper role. With strength and balance in abundance, The New Emperor epitomized the magic and energy of a generation of great European competitors.

Coming Soon

This article was on the front page of the NY Times Sports section.

Beckham couldn’t conquer America. Maybe Jose can!

The Italian Job

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/index.html

We know all the knocks against David Beckham by heart. The underwear ads. The haircuts. The fact that all too often he’s a one-trick pony on the pitch. But we here at FootyFactory believe it’s time to give Becks his just deserts. Year after year his football career has been thrown in doubt. Yet each time he’s battled back and proved the naysayers wrong.

It all began with that red card against Argentina during World Cup ‘98. A few seasons later came that metatarsal injury. Then there was that moment when Fabio Capello said he’d never again play for Real Madrid. Or that time when Steve McClaren dropped him from the England squad a few caps short of 100.

Beckham's England pride

Now Becks is at it again. After a self-imposed exile to the Siberia of football that is the M.L.S., Becks is on loan with AC Milan, hoping to secure a permanent move there. And despite some of the rhetoric coming from the L.A. Galaxy…and despite Posh’s movie career hanging in the balance…it looks like this transfer is going to happen.

The bottom line is, you can never count David Beckham out. He’s one of the most resilient and dedicated players in the sport. For him, the football clearly comes first and the celebrity and endorsements come second.

Of course, if Beckham succeeds in orchestrating his exit from the Galaxy after barely two seasons, some will declare his mission to raise the game of football in America as an utter failure. But once again, those people might be a little too quick to judge. There’s a good chance that Beckham’s legacy in M.L.S. will be that he has blazed a trail for other established ‘galacticos’ to try their luck in the United States. Thierry Henry lining up for Miami? Andrei Shevchenko kicking it around with Chicago? Michael Owen back in his stride in Houston? If anything like that happens in the next couple of years, we can only conclude that the Beckham in America experiment was a resounding success.

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://footyfactor.com/448/david-robert-joseph-beckham-tribute.html/feed 1 http://footyfactor.com/31/david-beckham-adds-serie-a-appeal.html http://footyfactor.com/31/david-beckham-adds-serie-a-appeal.html#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:28:39 +0000 Stan Hughes http://footyfactor.com/?p=31 Becks in paradise..?

David Beckham kicked off his AC Milan career today by training with Paolo Maldini and co. in Dubai. As ever the crowds flocked to see ‘Goldenballs’ train for what looks to be his last European team. Beckham is currently on loan from Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy. Beckham has been promised consideration for the England national team by coach Fabio Capello on the proviso that he maintain his fitness levels. With the MLS season currently on end of season break, Beckham’s decision to join Serie A and AC Milan is fuelled by his desire to earn additional England caps. The question that begs to be asked is will David Beckham ever return to the LA Galaxy?