Comments on: Beckham Was The Main Attraction, But Donovan Stole The Show

By: World Cup Travel Expert

World Cup Travel Expert — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:48:27 +0000

I love Donovan and he played a great game. However, I have to admit…when Beckham subbed out, I moved on to other things. I hear that I missed a few exciting penalty kicks. Was I the only one?

By: Ted Westervelt

Ted Westervelt — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:54:23 +0000

Company yes-men: Becks and Lando attempt to make MLS look like more than just an exhibition league. Donovan, when motivated, can play well, but MLS and motivation can be oxymoronic.

By: Mr. Baker

Mr. Baker — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:41:07 +0000

Funny, the headline for my story about this match was virtually identical to this one. Great minds think alike I suppose! Anyway, yes, the Galaxy put on quite a show. While it is understandable for a team with a three goal lead to bunker in the second half, it makes zero sense for the team on the OTHER end to bunker as well. But that’s Juan Carlos Osorio soccer. At least he had the decency to apologize to fans after the game. Not that he’ll do anything to change his gameplan.

By: soccer goals

soccer goals — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:50:52 +0000

Donovan played lights out.

By: AC

AC — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:31:05 +0000

Thanks for the insight, Pat. That sort of stuff usually doesn’t come across on the tele.

Regardless…LA played like champions last night – yet in the back of my mind I couldn’t shake the thought that if they lost, Beckham would be blamed up the arse and if they won (such is the case), all the headlines will talk about how he was booed.

What a life this man has to live.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:54:07 +0000

Adam,

While I see what you’re saying about the second half, it’s hard to complain about negative soccer in a game where they scored 3 goals. What team wouldn’t slow it down in the second half?

By: Adam Edg

Adam Edg — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:24:32 +0000

The first half of last night’s game was amazing. I cannot think of the last time I saw the Galaxy play that aggressively. Donovan, Esky, & Beckham were all spot on and in about that order. Lewis too. Everybody stepped up and the Galaxy looked like the team they should be.
Ricketts may have been the man of the match though. A 70 yard THROW!!! There are gks in the MLS that can barely kick that far. Some of his saves were phenomenal. What a beast!
Unfortunately the second half saw the team playing Bruce Arena soccer. They came in with the lead so it was time to bunker. Slow, boring, uninspired. It may win matches, but it certainly does little to win fans. That is why I will never think of Arena as a world class coach regardless of the upsets the USMNT pulled out under him….

By: VB

VB — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:08:43 +0000

“Every time Beckham would have a free kick situation the NY wall did its job blocking every single chance he took.”

Every free kick? Wow , that’s some wall. I’m not sure what game you were watching bro, but I saw the wall block ONE free kick. The rest were all quality balls that were placed near the 6.

By the way, I lol-ed when they interviewed Donovan and he went out of this way to praise Becks in basically every sentence. Talk about a “man”. Talks all kinds of sh*t on Becks when he’s in Europe, and then when he comes back all that “honesty” every reporter praises is all gone! Interesting.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:54:17 +0000

@Lawrence

The last two games were played on Sunday afternoon/night, though. This was a mid-week game, so that attendance isn’t that bad of a showing.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:25:20 +0000

I’m a Red Bulls season ticket holder, and have been to all the games Beckham has appeared in here, so I think its funny that every article mentions the booing. Each time Beckham’s been here he was booed every time he touched the ball–he’s been the opposition’s most visible payer, remember. But they are also always accompanied by at least as many cheers and of course a light show of camera flashes. Last night some of it may have been from angry fans, but the usual vast percentage of those attendees were wearing Beckham jerseys from every team he’s been on including both Galaxy and Milan.
Otherwise, the game was fun, the atmosphere great, Esky may indeed have stolen the show–or maybe the entire Galaxy’s on-field improvement–and Donovan and Beckham will always look good together as Donovan is clearly spot on when he says that they see, and anticipate, the game in the same way.
Who cares if these guys cuddle or not, we don’t know whether most of the athletes we watch can actually stand each other or not, just how they play together, so I’ll be back to keeping my eye on that rather than continuing to unintentionally continue to help sell Wahl’s book.

BTW, I appreciate that this site is one of the few that didn’t accompany it’s reviews of the book with a link to a bookseller — sometimes within the review itself!