Matthew Hall
August 19, 2007
DAVID Beckham's travelling circus has arrived in New York and the early signs are his crusade to interest Americans in soccer might ultimately be successful.
Beckham, in New York for Los Angeles Galaxy's game today against New York Red Bulls, revealed his move to the United States was not all about sport.
"I didn't come to America just to be a soccer player," Beckham said. "I came to try and take this sport to a different level in this country.
"I want to achieve something that's definitely possible. I'm not silly enough to sit here and say soccer will be bigger than baseball, basketball, American football, and ice hockey but, so far, we've succeeded because the attention we've had on the Galaxy, and on the MLS, has been great."
Certainly, the photographers crowding the Galaxy team's hotel in midtown Manhattan were more used to snapping movie stars. After an opportunity with Beckham, several were heading across town to grab pictures of Madonna, who was filming a video clip nearby.
"The attention has surprised me to a certain extent," Beckham said. "But I'm not complaining about it. It's part of my life and part of my family's life and it's something I have to deal with, hopefully in the right manner. I was brought up to be polite."
The United States, especially New York, has fallen in love with soccer before Beckham. In the 1970s, New York Cosmos signed Pele and German legend Franz Beckenbauer. But the league crashed and burned and the city, and the country, moved on. Beckham, and Major League Soccer, are not planning for a repeat.
"I hope this attention will have staying power," Beckham said.
"The attention we've got is not just from the sports world and it's not a bad thing to have the celebrity side of things. It gives it a bit of glamour.
"But it needs to carry on. It can't be just one game and forget about it. But the games that we have played have been [in front of] sellout crowds and that hasn't happened in a number of years in the MLS."
The Galaxy team left their charter jet in Los Angeles and took a commercial flight to New York on Thursday. On Friday, Beckham drove uptown to a park on 137th Street in Harlem for an MLS-sponsored coaching clinic with young players from Harlem FC, a local youth team.
Beckham took part in games, and posed for photos with kids and their mothers until the script was interrupted by a group of locals that had gathered on the edge of the park, locked out of their usual hangout by Beckham's arrival.
"Yo, David!" yelled a ringleader, leaning over a metal barrier.
"They shut down the park for you - show some respect for the 'hood."
In a flash of spontaneity, Beckham pushed past his MLS minders and approached the group to be greeted by the gang with cheers and mock jeers.
"Baseball - it's No.1!" yelled one. "David - we're Dominican! It's all about baseball!"
Even for David Beckham, winning over the US won't be easy.
Source: The Sun-Herald
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