SoccerBeckham bounces back again

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This is how the league always envisaged it. The recruitment of Brand Beckham in 2007 would not only fill stadiums across North America and generate huge media interest. It would also bring global credibility to an organization which craved the oxygen of publicity and the accolade of acceptance.

In part the league got its wish. Beckham was, and remains, a big story – just not necessarily the right story. It began with thinly-veiled admissions of jealousy from teammates strapped to the miserly CBA, a situation exacerbated by the fact Beckham arrived injured and fatigued from Spain.

Hero to zero

Year two was no better. The LA Galaxy was an embarrassment to the league and its two biggest stars knew it. Beckham and Landon Donovan, with one eye on the FIFA World Cup, shipped out for the winter in search of a real challenge. Beckham landed in Italy where they loved him and Donovan in Germany where the welcome was rather less warm.

By the time Beckham returned to Southern California, the storm clouds were gathering once again. Criticized by Donovan and booed by the fans, the former England captain had made a rapid transition from hero to zero. Beckham, though, has been this way before.

An entire nation lined up to blame him for England’s failure at the 1998 World Cup, the same nation which got down on bended knee three years later to praise him for a brilliant individual performance against Greece to guide England to the 2002 Finals.

Love him or loathe him, Beckham is a ferocious competitor who has made a career of bouncing back from adversity. He is mentally equipped to deal with anything on a soccer field and knows winning the MLS Cup has nothing to do with being ‘favourites’ and everything to do with the correct preparation and execution. The league needs Beckham in the big game and Beckham needs to fulfill his American dream.

The renaissance of the Galaxy under Bruce Arena underlines the importance of hiring the right man for the job. There is no substitute for experience and Arena’s ability to turn it around in the space of 12 months is a remarkable achievement. He is a worthy recipient of MLS Coach of the Year.

Coaching change welcome for TFC

A year from now fans of Toronto FC will be hoping the award lands on Canadian soil.

The seemingly imminent announcement confirming Preki (Predrag Radosavljevic) as TFC’s fourth coach in as many years is music to the ears of those who believe a thorough knowledge of MLS and a realistic appreciation of the way it works is crucial to the on field success of the franchise.

The former US international has proved himself as both player and coach in this league and his long standing relationship with Toronto FC general manager Mo Johnston, first at Everton and later at Kansas City, means there is a mutual respect between the two and a willingness to work together.

Johnston knows he has to deliver a playoff team in 2010 and Preki has the resume to achieve the objective. His first task must be to unite a dressing room in which bad apples, according to his predecessor, have been allowed to blossom.

Respected coach who knows league

Preki must be given full authority to root out the trouble makers and assemble a roster which has everyone rowing in the same direction. Once the nucleus has been identified additions can be made. As a player, Preki tormented many a fullback as a skilful winger. If anyone appreciates the value of width in soccer, which TFC has failed to employ in its first three years, surely Preki’s the man.

Much has already been made of a looming conflict between Preki, should he be appointed, and Amado Guevara whom he traded away from Chivas USA in 2007 because of what the former saw as a poor attitude. In these situations there can only be one winner and, for the sake of the team, it can never be the player.

If the passing of time has healed the wounds, then all well and good. If not, Guevara must be sacrificed for the common good since Preki must command respect from every player and each of them must know what is expected from the get go.

The new coach, whoever it is, must instil in the players it is an earned privilege, not a given entitlement to play for Toronto FC. Once that is understood and embraced by all, the team will begin to produce what the fans deserve.

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