CBC-Sports

Don't believe the hype: Becks was average

January 12, 2009 12:05 PM | Posted by   John Molinaro  

To hear the British press hacks tell it, David Beckham has already conquered Italian soccer.

The former English captain made his Serie A debut Sunday, lasting 89 minutes before being substituted in AC Milan's 2-2 draw with AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico.

An army of English newspaper reporters made the trip to the Eternal City to report on the game, and were positively gushing over the midfielder's performance.

Glowing praise from British press

Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph wrote that "while [AC Milan's Alexandre] Pato and [AS Roma's] Mirko Vucinic will get the majority of the headlines … with two goals apiece, Beckham was among Milan's better players and fitted effortlessly into the team, while producing several passes of trademark quality."

Cindy Garcia-Bennett of The Independent claimed that Beckham "crossed the ball effectively on numerous occasions," while Owen Slot of The Times stated that his showing in Rome bodes well for his future with the English national team.

Pure hyperbole, all of it.

First, let me give credit where credit is due. Beckham looked surprisingly fit for someone who hadn't played a competitive game in over two months and by no means did he look out of his depth against Roma.

But the general consensus of the British media that Beckham looked "solid" is a gross overstatement. Being solid implies making a serious contribution and having an impact and influence on the game.

Beckham did neither. He did not drape himself in glory, nor did, it has to be said, his Milan midfield cohorts Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Ronaldinho. Had Becks not been on the field, that result would have been exactly the same.

Beckham was virtually invisible in the second half, looking more like a spectator. He also gave away possession 13 times, a total only matched by Seedorf.

As for notion that he "crossed the ball effectively," well….

I kept close track of the crosses he made from open play and corner kicks, and of the 10 he delivered into the box, nine were effortlessly cleared out of danger by the first defender.

That's a 10 per cent success rate. Not effective at all, really.

Invisible in the second half

Beckham was stationary and static for most of the second half, his best run of the match coming in the 67th minute when he made a 30-yard dash to congratulate Pato after he tied the score, riding piggy back on the Brazilian forward in front of a gaggle of photographers.

Say what you will about Beckham, he still recognizes a good photo op when he sees one.

The Italian press, who unlike their British counterparts were not star struck and hoodwinked by Beckham's mediocrity, got it right.

"Ninety minutes that nobody expected . . . He played hard, crossed, shot and helped with humility. For his debut it was enough," wrote the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"He seemed disoriented, and had trouble understanding where his position on the field should be," Corriere dello Sport wrote. "He made few errors, without shining, in the first 45 minutes. In the second half, he exited nearly completely from the scene."

My verdict? Beckham was average. Nothing more, nothing less.

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