England vs. Germany

A storied rivalry, to be sure, will continue tomorrow in Wembley Stadium: England vs. Germany. It's a "friendly". (Yeah, right.) New MLS/"Soccer in America" ambassador David Beckham will likely be playing for England's squad after a glorious defeat in Giants Stadium Saturday night. As an observer of the sport here stateside, these European friendlies have a lot more meaning now that England's most famous athlete plays on our shores. If Beckham plays poorly, his performance will be blamed on the lackluster quality of soccer in America, the distractions of Hollywood and field turf. They're already lining up the sound bites in the English press. Former England coach Sir Bobby Robson had this snide remark about the American game for BBC Sport:

"In the short term he looks OK, but the longer he plays in America, with respect to the football being played there, the less competitive he will become.

"It is not the greatest level of football. He will lose the match sharpness he needs to play at the top level with England."

Steven Goff over at the Washington Post's "Soccer Insider" calls this kind of talk "hogwash". If, on the other hand, Beckham plays splendidly, English fans will credit Beckham for maintaining a high caliber of play against all odds, further contributing to his legend in English football. As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief".

After the terrific LA Galaxy SuperLiga semifinal victory over DC United and last Saturday night's showdown in Giants Stadium before 66,237 fans, Beckham has really taken to his American adventure. Although hopes for reaching the MLS playoffs remain dim, Beckham could still redeem his inaugural year in American soccer and help allay this summer's AnkleGate troubles by helping the Galaxy beat Pachuca next Wednesday night for the first SuperLiga trophy (Television still TBD).

(Image courtesy of the BBC)

Like any good, patriotic English lad, David Beckham wants to do anything to help his country's football squad re-assert itself in international competition. The Holy Grail for English soccer would be a World Cup victory to set on the mantle along with 1966. England, after all, invented the modern sport. Stateside fans should remember this dream of English football fans. It's maybe not as daunting a task as making soccer safe for consumption in America. But for all the bluster about the supremacy of English Premier League football, international success eludes them. Taking on diplomatic roles like playing soccer in America, is to reach for the pinnacle of soccer statesmanship: Pele, Brazil's gift to the world. His ambition may prove to be more than his bite. But this isn't as much a reach as Michael Jordan (23) playing baseball. Or is it?

For now, let's see how Becks does tomorrow in Wembley. Cheers!