Beckham Finally Finding A Balance

David Beckham is back in Major League Soccer, back with the LA Galaxy, and though he’s been there before, it seems a bit different this time around.The word ‘soccer’ trips off Beckham’s tongue more easily, yet he’s also less eager to please than in his early days, when broadcast pressures pushed him into playing before his ankle was ready, when he was running through a constant gauntlet of press duties, a television show, and commercial appearances. At that time, Beckham was trying to be all things to all people - Superman Soccer Savior to MLS, hero player for the Galaxy, and veteran leader to England’s Three Lions squad.

But juggling all those roles with an unstable coaching rotation at the Galaxy, a killer schedule and demands of travel to England games was brutal. Beckham got injured, the Galaxy struggled, missed the playoffs and Beckham’s place with England was at risk due to rusty form during the MLS offseason layoff.  Desperate to keep his international status, the midfielder decamped to A.C. Milan for an extended loan, turning sulky and defiant when the move went over in Los Angeles like a lead balloon.

Beckham returned to the Galaxy with some of that fire, which flared up both at Landon Donovan’s critical statements and the still-bitter ire some Galaxy fans directed at him. The latter half of the Los Angeles season saw some redemption, however, as Beckham helped key a playoff run and wheezed his way through the MLS Cup final, coming through in the clutch with an assist and slamming home a penalty kick in the final shootout where the Galaxy fell just a bit short of the championship.

There wasn’t any time for Beckham to bask in the goodwill his efforts had earned in Los Angeles, though, because he was soon on a plane to Milan and back to trying to convince Capello to consider him for the 2010 World Cup. But if the spirit was willing, the Achilles tendon was weak, and when it broke down on March 14, Beckham instantly knew his World Cup dream was over.

To a certain extent, it could have been his body crying out, “Enough of the LA, Milan, England rollercoaster!” An injury has a way of crystallizing - by taking away so many options of what one can do - what one really wants to do.

Now Beckham seems newly focused and yet also finally cognizant of the crazy pace he was previously pushing.
“The focus is the team and repairing my tendon,” said Beckham. “That’s the biggest thing to me. I’ve been hitting it so hard the last two years. Every month, all year round, is obviously tough on my body. It’s about getting back this season as soon as possible, playing the rest of the season and then taking the time to get the rest in and repair my body and being ready for next season.”

It wasn’t just that Beckham didn’t make any mention of returning to Milan, it was also how he spoke with genuine pride and affection about the Galaxy’s record thus far this season. It’s a far cry from his arrival, when he could only name a player or two on the squad. That respect, or in certain aspects, cordial lack thereof, goes both ways. With coach Bruce Arena largely keeping last year’s roster intact, Beckham was greeted in the locker room more like an old friend, not a superstar - down to the requisite teasing.

“We made fun of him like we always do,” said veteran midfielder Chris Klein. “He’s been here long enough - he’s just one of the guys.”

It’s not just that Beckham is clearly comfortable on a now-stable Galaxy, it’s also that he’s less isolated on the league stage. With the arrivals of Theirry Henry, Rafael Marquez, and even the emergence of Donovan into more of a full-fledged star, the pressure isn’t completely on Beckham to provide MLS with a marquee presence. 

If anything, Beckham now seems a bit like a proud host to a party that’s just getting pretty good.

“I love the game because otherwise I wouldn't still be doing it at my age as much as I am and as passionately as I do,” Beckham declared. “I suppose it surprised me a little bit because some people say that at my age you start not loving football as much as you did when you were 21. I still do.”