D.C. soccer fans have had the Aug. 9 match-up against the Los Angeles Galaxy circled on their calendars ever since the club announced the signing of English superstar David Beckham in January. But thanks to recent acquisitions under the MLS’s new “Beckham Rule,” D.C. fans will be graced by international quality much sooner.
The New York Red Bulls, led by former U.S. National Team skipper Bruce Arena, have taken full advantage of the new rule. After signing National Team captain Claudio Reyna as their first of two possible “designated players”—players outside the $2.1 million salary cap—Arena and the Red Bulls spent last week solving their scoring problem in a big way with the acquisition of Colombian Juan Pablo Angel. Angel, formerly of Aston Villa in the English Premier League, is regarded as one of the premier strikers in European soccer.
Since changing its name in 2006 due to new ownership, the team has made a reputation for itself as a marketing giant and a welcoming home for aging European talent. Up until the end of last season, the Red Bull midfield was marshaled by the aging but ever-effective Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff, who played for the 1998 World Cup champions.
It’s fitting that this surge of soccer interest should occur in the Big Apple. Even the most apathetic of American soccer fans has to be excited about these shades of Pelé and the great New York Cosmos. The Cosmos were the talk of the soccer universe in the ‘70s, as Time Warner footed the bill to bring international superstars like Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia to join the Brazilian superstar in the States. Of course, Angel is not Pelé, and despite their marketing prowess, Red Bull is certainly not Time Warner. But in the new and improved world of sports broadcasting, American soccer does not have to repeat the media blunders that brought about the downfall of the Cosmos.
There are those who have criticized the rule, claiming that the foreign influx would hurt homegrown talent. But American soccer players stand to gain from the new plan.
Attention is a good thing. After an abysmal performance in the 2006 World Cup, the U.S. is in desperate need of revamping its fledgling program, and that is exactly what is already happening. Beckham is not due to arrive in the states until July, but the Galaxy have already made millions off of advanced ticket sales and an unprecedented demand for season tickets.
It’s not just national interest that will grow throughout the maturation of the “Beckham Rule.” The overall skill level of the MLS will also rise, bringing competitive European soccer to the hundreds of American players and improving the pool from which the United State National Team draws. The new MLS could eventually elevate the U.S. to the top tier of international play.
Although DC United has yet to sign a designated player under the “Beckham Rule”, fans in the District can be a part of the MLS initiative on June 10, when Angel and the Red Bulls visit RFK Stadium. With Beckham on the way and whispers of superstars like Zinedine Zidane to follow, the stage is set for a summer to remember for the MLS.
