I don't think Beckham has much of a chance of winning Americans over to soccer. He will bring in viewers, at first, but it will take other players in the league with more attractive games (if not faces) such as Blanco, Altidore, Angel, and also the likes of Veron and Figo (if they indeed come) to convince Americans to watch soccer. Beckham is a celebrity, but there is no magic to his game. He will bring fans to the seats, but is unlikely to keep them there. The steadily improving quality of the "pub league" (as judged by the English press based on one poor game by one of the worst teams in the league, in the lead-up to the Chelseas match) will be counted on to do that. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Jay, New York, USA

I am part of the "Pele generation" of American kids who took up football. I was 11 years old and living in New York when he came to the Cosmos and I began to play. I have been a huge fan of the game ever since. I see our local club, DC United, play regularly. It doesn't happen overnight but US "soccer" continues to grow. Having millions of kids playing the game here isn't enough--you need parents sharing and passing along the experience of being a fan, just like we have with "gridiron", basketball and baseball, and the rest of you have with football. Only then will it start to be part of the culture. Most parents here don't know a PK from a FK.

Beckham will do for many American children what Pele did for me. As I am thankful to the Brazilian master so will a whole generation be grateful to becks. I am thrilled to see him in LA myself.

Kevin, Washington, DC

I don't understand where this talk of baseball becoming a forgotten sport in America, in case you've missed, MLB is on pass to nearly equal or surpass record attendence totals. Nearly every team has or is getting a new stadium. The sport I feel that MLS will gain exposure over is basketball which, after a decade of bad publicity, lackluster play, and over-exposure of players, received a knockout blow with the allegations of a ref gambling and possibly throwing games. I think as the younger generations in America grow up soccer/football will continue to grow in popularity...if you don't believe me take a ride out to any park in an American suburb on a Saturday morning in the fall and have a look for yourself.

Jason, Cleveland,

Also, why are the British so jealous of their own having great success? I've been reading some quotes from the British media and yeah some can be pretty brutal. It's no wonder why he wanted to leave!

Ann, Pasadena, CA

JJ - As a Brit living in the USA, I can tell you that MLS won't overtake Baseball. I agree with you that it is a lot more entertaining, but Plenty's case is based on an argument that more people watch Poker on TV; this neatly sums up what the so called sports fan over here is all about.

Baseball, like Poker, is a game for people who like statistics rather than skill or spontaneity. Every play in a game of NFL is called by a coach/cordinator. The players execute instructions 'for a 2 yard gain - that's his third of the night'.

I've not quite figured out what it is about US sports that makes people here watch them - but the stats say that they don't work abroad and, as for the LOL comment - well a certain D Beckham of LA will be doing a lot of that according to the numbers...

Not a Yankees Fan, New York, USA

To Plenty O'Toole :

"...the so called world's most popualr game ! "

Whether Americans like it or not Football/Soccer/Calcio (whatever you want to call it !) is the mostly widely *played*, and *watched* sport on this Planet. It is only closely followed by Cricket. Gridiron, baseball, basketball, even poker don't come remotely near football in it's *global* reach.

It's a shame that football/soccer has never taken off in America. As they always turn out a good international team. And, if Americans put their minds to it, they could produce some truly outstanding players.

However, I do agree with you in that David Beckham will fail to convert Americans to football.

RA, Lincolnshire, England, UK.

Hi Plenty

"Sports fan" and "do not care about soccer" ? Oxymoron?


Is gridiron the "worlds most popular game" then? LOL!!!!

Andrew

Andrew Hambleton, chesterfield, uk

Plenty O'Toole, Boston, USA

You say that Beckham "has zero chance of making any of us care about soccer" yet you've clearly spent the time to read (yet another) article about his move to LA. Not only that, but you've also been interested in the subject enough to write a comment about Beckham, ironically, along the lines of how americans do "not care"!

MLS won't overtake NFL or Basketball, but it's a lot more entertaining than baseball, which will soon find itself as the 'forgotten sport' of N.America. It seems to have more in common with cycling than any other sport on tv.

Good Luck Becks!

JJ, Ealing, London,

He's far better than average. Mourinho knows it, the Real Madrid fans who largely credit him for their success in La Liga this past year know it, and Steve McLaren knows it having recalled him to the England side.

elsidore, Manchester,

Beckham is at this point in his career at best an average soccer player.

Only in Los Angeles where they have no real NFL football team could he have gotten the kind of money the Galaxy is paying him.

Most of us sports fans here in the US do not care about soccer at all. Kids in this country have been playing soccer now for 40 years and it's popularity is on TV is less then that of Pro Hockey.

Hell,Poker on TV is more popular...LOL...then the so called world's most popualr game !

Bottom line is that the great Pele years ago could not make soccer viable in the states here and certainly a "Spice Boy" has zero chance of making any of us care about soccer,

Good Day ! I am out !

Plenty O'Toole, Boston, USA