“Bend it Like Beckham,” the movie title derived from that English striker’s special gift for curling free kicks into the back of goal nets, takes on a whole new meaning as his brief Major League Soccer career appears to be ending.
The unique twist here is that the bright promise that David Beckham seemed to represent as a marketing icon for MLS and the Los Angeles Galaxy has turned into a cautionary tale that leaves the American soccer league looking distinctly second rate. The Galaxy look as though it was the team taking Beckham on loan in a $25 million five-year deal, rather than AC Milan which will keep him after his two lackluster seasons in the MLS.