NASL Part Deux

I want to set the record very straight here, no amend that, I want my view set in stone without a trace of vacillation.  Major League Soccer does not need David Beckham.  In much bolder type, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER DOES NOT NEED DAVID BECKHAM.  His failure to settle in or adjust to life in the US is the BEST thing to happen to the future of soccer on these shores.  My singular problem with the signing of Beckham is he would never have fulfilled the goal of elevating soccer’s status in this country.  His best days are behind him, his talents would have only waned, and his presence endangered the league into becoming the rest home for former European stars trying to finish out their days with some glory.  I am not trying to write him off, I’m sure he will find some success with AC Milan, but within the context of what MLS is as a sporting entity, and what they must do in order to become a success, Beckham leaving should be a lesson to any MLS club who want to sign any “big name” players in the future.  The NASL tried doing that in the seventies and look what happened to that league.  Some of the biggest names in soccer came to play here like Pele, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, and Best.  Yet many of these big names were past their prime, and the ones who still had something to give left after a season or two.  Dennis Trueat, an England international at the time of his signing with the Cosmos, left after a season knowing that while playing in the US offered him more money, the real center of the footballing world was still in Europe.  MLS does not need to repeat these mistakes.  Before this league starts splashing out the cash on name players, it must first establish itself as being on par with any of the European leagues.  And that goal can only be achieved by a long process that will take years.  Why will it take years?  Because any sport, whether it be cricket or bowling needs homegrown stars to help that sport grow in any nation.  And this country is still a generation away from producing the kind of talent one finds in South America or Europe.