Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
David Beckham's contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy expires at the end of this season, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his stint in Major League Soccer is over.
Beckham and the Galaxy are in Toronto for tonight's match with Toronto FC at BMO Field, and when asked by reporters on Tuesday if he would return to MLS next season, Beckham replied, "Yeah, there's a chance. I haven't made any decision about what I'm going to do after this year."
Beckham, 35, has repeatedly stated his desire to play for England again, whether it be in a World Cup, the European Championships or as an overage player in next summer's Olympics in London. If he could not secure a consistent starting spot overseas, a return to MLS could afford him the playing time necessary to remain match-fit for the long haul.
Do you think Beckham will return to MLS next season? Cast your vote after the jump:
Beckham's MLS adventure has been a bit of a roller coaster. Between the loan moves overseas, the injuries and the lack of trophies, he hasn't helped the Galaxy on the field as much as most would have expected. From a marketing and box office standpoint, he's been everything MLS could have hoped for by making the Galaxy a tremendous road draw and bringing international attention to the league.
He's gotten off to a strong start this season, assisting on three goals and contributing as a central midfielder as he tries to help the Galaxy to an elusive MLS Cup title.
How did you vote? Can you see Beckham returning to MLS next season? How would you rate his time in MLS thus far?
Share your thoughts below.
This was the point of my question. Being a defensive liability and bad tackler are not signs of disrespect for the Galaxy or MLS. I assume he wasn’t brought onto the Galaxy to perform either one of those tasks. As for the “jogging” around – not sure how that makes him that much different from most MLS players – it isn’t the most high-tempo league.
Also, he was back in LA in early March, I believe. So he missed a couple strength and conditioning weeks with the team. It’s not like he was lounging on a beach – he was working in what I would imagine are intense training sessions.
I’m competely fine with criticising his play if you feel it is warranted, but I just think he gets wrongfully accused of being disrespectful of the league and not trying.
Non-factor meaning he didn’t bring millions to the league as well as priceless media attention not only domestically but internationally?
People are delusional if they believe he was brought in to play soccer and win cups.. He was brought in as a playing ambassador to create money and attention.
For that, he succeeded and continues to.
Does Beckham even matter any more? He really can’t run and is ever less important as time goes on.
He also rubs me the wrong way with his me first attitude. I think he should go somewhere else and won’t miss him
I’m pretty sure his contract states his MLS team can’t be in LA/NY.
That’s funny you guys beating up on Becham. My concern as a RB fan is what if HENRY DOES return? Heaven help us?? He has already done an excellent conn job on Backe and Co and so far has been injured ( or claims injury at least 70% of the time) He should now be past the hand ball psche, the Wcup in So Africa, His cat passing away, his lost car keys, and whatever other excuse we can think of? Bottom line he has been a terrible disappointment. He is too old now Yeah he HAD talent but lets face it at $5MM we deserve alot better. He aint no Ryan Giggs who still looks amazing at 37. He is better off calling it quits now.
Call me Negative or just call it the TRUTH Henry is past his prime waaaaay past.
No he doesn’t really want to be here and him and posh haven’t got the movie deals they thought they would.
in other Becks news…:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTLVMKtn0Ew
doesn’t even remotely look real.
Not fit?! Doesn’t care?! Are you on crazy pills? Whenever he needs to save face after a poor pass or being dispossessed, he chases the ball like a wildman, and lunges in with some ridiculously reckless challenge that is usually mysteriously overlooked, and often ineffectual.
But for the rest of the time? Yeah, you’re pretty much right.
agreed. his job is done really, he boosted our league a lot. i’m grateful. and now we just keep it moving. deuces becks… or stay in LA, who cares.
I can’t see Beckham staying in MLS. He wants to be in Europe, likely at AC Milan or Tottenham. MLS now have Henry to help promote the league worldwide. There are other aging European stars to court, too. I expect Beckham and MLS to part amicably at the end of LA’s season.
I voted no. I think he wants to go out with a championship, so if LA wins it all he’s definitely gone. If LA doesn’t win the MLS cup, then it depends on several factors: If Beckham plays poorly (or even average) I don’t see how LA brings him back, and I don’t think any other MLS team will offer to pay him what he wants. If Beckham plays great but LA doesn’t win the cup then there will be some interest (both from LA and from other MLS teams). But money could still be a sticking point. Also, I think Beckham wants to go back to Europe.
It will be some backwards deal, that continues to take advantage of MLS and the Galaxy.
He’ll be back for an obscene 4 year contract.
That allows him to play in England Jan 2012 through the end of the season and allow him to play in the Olympics. He’ll be back for the end of the season but be spent.
He’ll have a farewell 2013 season where the league plays it up like he’s a retiring hero.
He “coaches” for the remaining years of his contract. Then ditches LA for NY Cosmos.
Great. That will set him up to pursue a winter Euro loan, which he will then seek to extend, to start off the MLS season. Then in the middle of the MLS campaign he can take off back to London for the Olympics, before returning once more to play out the MLS season, tired, disinterested, and quite possibly injured.
I can’t remember exactly where I read it but I thought I heard he’s pursuing ownership for Miami FC to push them into MLS…? Any truth to this?
Avi, can you add a “I don’t care” to the poll? That would be my answer. Unlike Teddy Sheringham and Ryan Giggs, Becks is useless in his mid-30’s. He is nothing but a name at this point of his career. He hasn’t wanted to be in MLS since his loan to Milan. He obviously doesn’t care about the Galaxy or MLS, so let him go home.
No. If it was up to Beckham, he wouldn’t have been playing in the MLS this year.
He’s missed so much time with the Galaxy so far that if he decides to not retire, he needs to be playing with the Galaxy.
When Onyewu was injured at Milan, he offered to play the next season for free to make up for it. Becks should take a page from his book and give back to the Galaxy for an extra year to make up for all the grief he’s caused with his injuries and Euro-galavanting.
I went with he will be back with LA because I think he would like to win a championship and not sure they will do it this year. Also not sure he can play much in England.
Curious as to what the disrespect is? Well….let’s see: he jogs around the field during the Galaxy games so he is either not fit or doesn’t care (option 2 is probably more likely). He’s a terrible defensive liability. He doesn’t track back (you think Cristiano Ronaldo is bad at tracking…). Furthermore, have you EVER seen him go in for a tackle and if so how many times has he not gotten injured as a consequence?
As a Galaxy fan, I feel like the money could be much better spent on several young players (either American or foreign) who want to be there. Okay, so Beckham gave the league notoriety, but then he compromised that when he left for AC Milan, and then Tottenham. Why didn’t he return for preseason training? Is he too good for the team? The message he gave is that he’d rather be training with an EPL club than with his OWN team that pays his salary. Would something like that happen in a Euro league? That is gravely disrespectful to the club, league and fans.
The Galaxy played much better without him last season. I can’t wait until he’s gone for good and Bruce probably agrees!
My theory is that Becks will keep playing as long as he has a new hair style to rep. The current Argentina/Spanish hairband style will be around until his next injury/off season. As long as he figures out a new style for next season then we’ll see him back.
Doesn’t figure out where he’ll end up but I stick by my theory that his hair dictates his career decisions and not his performance on the field.
I don’t understand all the vitriol.
Of course, he’s said some things that he didn’t live up to.
Of course, he’s not earned his salary.
But he does put (some) butts in seats,and he does draw international attention.
He was put to the fire by Grant Wahl’s book, and he seems to have worked hard to re-earn the respect of the Galaxy supporters and his teammates.
Let’s look at some of the top players in the top leagues (No, I’m not saying Beckham is a top player). How many of them would really behave that much differently? All of you who expect a ridiculously rich, famous, talented, foreign soccer player to be America’s greatest boy scout are delusional.
When he first signed for the Galaxy:
1. I didn’t believe it
2. I bought tickets, because I was happy to see someone of his obvious quality come to a stadium near me
3. I made no illusions to myself that he would do all 5 years of the contract.
For some reason I can see him going to Toronto.
As far as I can tell the Canadians are gaga for Euro-trash. I can also imagine him being buddies with Klinsy.
I totally agree. The Galaxy lineup sometimes look like a “whose who” of former World Cup teams, or, an elephant graveyard. But there is no denying that Arena would more likely give marginal veteran a contract over an unproven player. If there is willingness for Beckham to stay in the MLS, the Galaxy will make it happen. Besides, didn’t Beckhams contract include the opportunity to purchase or buy-in to an MLS team?
Galaxy should cut ties and find another DP that actually wants to be there. Beckham never got it, never will. Go chase the dream of playing cameos in friendlies and MLS can move on.
Sadly he’s been a non-factor in the grand scheme of this stunt.
Yeah but only After he sees the success of the new Atlanta expansion side…
pipe-dream.
yeah, i was/am not happy with capello. it’s well known he was not happy when Becks said he was leaving Madrid for LA. Madrid had just won the league, and while Becks didn’t play a lot of that season, he was a huge reason Madrid was able to finish strong and win the league. Capello stated that many times. I think it was Capello’s way of kind of sticking it to LA for taking him. I just don’t get why because Madrid didn’t keep him anyway.
+1 a great point, file it with Capello’s other mistake/mishandling of personnel situations, of which there are many
he’ll stay. but for a LAG standpoint, would be nice if they could give him non-DP money and just make up for it with advertisements. highly doubtful though
Yes, when Rapids repeat it will drive him nuts and he will have to play one more year before bringing Barca in as partner for Miami expansion franchise.
I think Capello has done a big disservice to Beckham,the MLS and football fans in general. His repeated statements to the press, that Beckham MAY have a spot of on a 3 Lions lineup has shaped his late career.
His loan to AC Milan, his training with Tottenham and attempted loan and many of his actions were designed to curry favor with Capello, who has stated that Beckham MAY have a spot should he be involved with EUROPEAN football, not MLS football.
Beckham international amd England career was all but over under McClaren, which made his switch to the States and the MLS for a substantial salary all the more easier.
But Capello’s statements have fueled Beckhams desire to have one more grad at the ring and has affected his career with the Galaxy since arriving.
Capello has not brought in Beckham for any important English matches and as far as I can recall, has not brought him in for any friendlies either. Should he decide to switch over to any of the top tier teams in Europe, he most likely will ride the pine for extended periods of time. I think Beckham realizes that too. His chance of regular playing time lies with the MLS, not Italy or England. And any chance of making the England team lies with the fact he need to play a lot of minutes for his chosen team. Only then will Capello even consider him.
But Capello’s insistence that Beckham get extensive minutes on a top-ranked team to insure selection is specious and cruel. He will most likely, never bring in Beckham as the talent chart for England needs to be filled with younger veterans and up-and-coming players.
Hope spring eternal, but it seems like more of a cruel hoax.
Hasn’t his Stateside marketing campaign played itself out?
It’s certainly within his right to chase any dream of playing for England. But he hasn’t shown much of an interest for playing in LA with a contract, I doubt he’ll have much interest in signing another.
Just make him the Nat’s Free Kick coach, or something.
Wouldn’t surprise me if he somehow became affiliated with the Cosmo’s (if they ever actually form a team?) but otherwise I see him returning to Europe to play.
Everyone knows Bruce loves veterans, he keeps bringing em in every year so I think Becks will be around for another year at least, but this time his contract will stipulate that he will be loaned out and actually be able to play in whatever team/league picks him up.
I think Garber and MLS want to keep him as well and they will make it easier for the Galaxy to keep him in regards to the salary cap.
He has looked better slotted centrally, he has never had pace, I thought he looked at least a step behind in the Sounders game, though on a technical level he will always be timeless . . . kudos to him of he thinks he can still bring something to a champions league club?
I think he might end up like Kenny Powers at the car dealership though if he goes back to Europe, still looking for a shot to throw the heat but really just there as a mascot/attraction/jersey seller
Is Beckham delusional at this point?
He will do just enough to keep him in “good standing” with the MLS community and powers that be so that when he invests and takes ownership of one of the new franchises he is not blacklisted. He’ll also do whatever best suits his ego while maintaining that bare minimum of contact with the MLS.
If the Galaxy and the league have any dignity left then he will not be back next season. I see no reason to keep him around considering his lack of commitment and huge salary, besides the fact that he has never been the best player on his team, much less the league.
It’s time for MLS to start acting like a grown up league and let go of their teenage infatuation with washed out former stars
He stays. Ives I’ve seen you been dismissive of him this season with “being too slow, too old” but as shown this season, he still has it and his desire is still there. He takes care of himself and we’ve seen players go a lot longer than him. His game is built on passing, not movement and put in the middle, next to an energetic player will ensure LA get the most out of him. As seen this weekend with a 10,000+ attendance bump with their arrival, he still sells tickets so MLS will want to keep him. Also, his desire is to still play for England but I think he’ll accept that’s not going to happen with the talent England is pulling through the ranks.
He’s too slow for EPL at this point so I can’t see him going back.
So you get a guy not fast enough for the EPL, good enough for MLS, bankable, and someone who still has a desire to play/experience to pass on to your players – if LA don’t extend a contract, other teams will be vying. He stays and this season is his best in my opinion. He also stays in LA for the Galaxy.
I think that Chelski will sign him to take penalty kicks and Becks, Posh and the kids all move in with John Terry.
Imagine the hair products that would be in the dressing room between Fernando & Becks.
But really, we should not waste a second considering this irrelevant, washed up, pseudo celebrity’s future.
GTFO monkey. We’ve got a new mascot. His name is Titi.
Does he really play for them now? Out of the total number of games he’s been under contract with LA, how many has he actually played?
curious what the disrespect is?
why should we care?
this league is coming on strong. the days of the DP are dwindling, and i see no reason why teams should spend boatloads of cash on players who dont preform up to the standards of the contract. whether or not he plays in MLS next yr is not the question…its whether or not the Galaxy should even keep him around.
He goes back to England and becomes a bit-part player on a top 10 club. Then he can say that he’s playing top-flight football and he should be included on some England/UK squad.
But the one caveat in all this is I believe Posh actually likes living in LA, as do his kids, so that could change everything. So any move might be something temporary for the season.
Maybe he’ll go back to United and play with the other senior citizens there LOL!
If he does resign with MLS and makes the Olympic team, it means he will miss a large chunk of the season. This is actually the time it would make sense to be training with Spurs or Arsenal. He would at best get 5 or 6 games in before leaving for the Olympic camp and what will assuredly be Olympic ambassador duties. Probably misses 6 weeks of MLS action, has to be worked back into his team, and MLS would be lucky to get half a season out of him. MLS will do it for the marketing (deservedly so), but Da Bruce has to be smarter than taking him back to the Gals.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed in the U.S. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the future owner of the club currently called Chivas USA.
Ideally, I’d like to see him leave LA. If on the off-chance he did re-sign, I hope it’s only for one more year, and (preferably) non-DP money. But that’s obviously a pipe dream.
Eh… I mean if he gives a crap this season and actually produces on the field…
It is still tough to deal with the repeated disrespect shown by Beckham to the league and the Galaxy organization.
not a chance