Beckham on the South Lawn. Photo by Tony Quinn

Beckham on the South Lawn. Photo by Tony Quinn

David Beckham’s tenure as the most recognizable figure in Major League Soccer will soon come to an end, as the charismatic English midfielder announced that he won’t be returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy after the MLS Cup. While it had been widely rumored that Beckham would be leaving this year, the timing is a bit surprising.

“I’ve had an incredibly special time playing for the L.A. Galaxy,” Beckham said in a statement released by the defending champions on Monday evening. “However, I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career.”

There is really no way around the fact that Becks has been good for soccer in the United States. MLS—once a fledgeling league viewed as a retirement home for elderly international players and a developmental ground for young Americans eager to bolt overseas—has grown into its own during Beckham’s stay. With the exception of Lamar Hunt and a handful of other investors who kept MLS from dying in its infancy, one could make a pretty strong argument that David Beckham is the most important figure in the league’s history. Since he arrived in 2007, seven expansion teams have entered the league, average attendance continues to climb (the attendance numbers from 2012 were the league’s highest ever) and 15 of MLS’ 19 franchises play in soccer-specific stadiums, up from five in Beckham’s first year.

While he isn’t solely responsible for that, and his true impact is hard to quantify, you won’t find many people making the argument that he hasn’t been a positive influence on MLS. There are of course those who’ll make the argument that Beckham was overrated, overblown and selfish. You can certainly make the argument that he repeatedly put country before club, and that his career decisions (loans to A.C. Milan, particularly) were more about furthering his own personal brand than doing what was best for the Galaxy. But those things don’t detract from the positive impact he had on the profile of the league, which was undeniably important.

What comes next for the 37-year old remains to be seen, though there’s been widespread talk of a move to Australia, where soccer—much as it is in the United States—is struggling for a foothold among other more well-established sports. Perth Glory FC, for its part, tweeted last night:


Chill, Aussies, we can smell the desperation. Becks could always return to England, though he’s always stated that he wouldn’t play for anybody other than Manchester United, and that’s likely an impossibility. Scotland and France are other possibilities.

“Golden Balls” certainly had his share of ups and downs in MLS, but let’s focus on his interactions with D.C. United. Here are a few fond (and not so fond) memories.

August 9, 2007: Beckham’s MLS Debut at RFK Stadium

Beckham came on in the 71st minute, making his MLS debut in front of a sold-out crowd of over 46,000 at RFK. Though he made his mark on the match—nearly assisting on a set-piece goal—United were the ones putting on this show, relying on a Luciano Emilio strike and an epic Kyle Martino red card to secure the win.

August 15, 2007: SuperLiga Semifinal

Beckham’s first professional goal in the U.S. came at the expense of the black and red, when he sent a free kick past United keeper Troy Perkins, who could only stand and watch. The 2-0 L.A. victory eliminated United from CONCACAF’s short-lived “Superliga.”

September 20: 2008, Marc Burch Stomps the Shit out of Becks

In a wild, wide-open 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Galaxy, Marc Burch did what many Beckham-hating United fans had so badly wanted to see (3:20 of the video) stomping down on Beckham’s feet and sending him into the ad boards. He was given a (sort of harsh) red card for his troubles. This clip is of little consequence, but I’m putting it up here for the haters.

April 9, 2011: Beckham Tries to Kill Josh Wolff, Charlie Davies Returns

Becks managed an assist in this one, curling a corner kick towards an onrushing Mike Magee. More memorable, though, was his attempt to shatter Josh Wolff’s legs into a million pieces (three minutes into in the video, please note the “Fuck you, Beckham” chants.) Beckham should’ve been issued a red card for the challenge, but got away with a yellow— consistent with the preferential treatment he received throughout his six years in the league. It also marked Charlie Davies’ return to pro soccer, as he took an epic dive in stoppage time and sank a penalty kick, and then celebrated by “doing the Bernie” and trying to drive off in a volkswagen Jetta.

Goodbye, Becks. I’ll always remember our time together. I’ll remember that moment we shared in 2007, as you seemed to find me with a hypnotic gaze into the crowd. I’ll remember how terrified I was at the prospect of you never returning from your loan to AC Milan. But I think what I’ll remember the most about you, David Beckham, are your golden balls. Wait, what?

Filed Under: d.c. united, david beckham, Golden Balls, los angeles galaxy, Major League Soccer, MLS,