Beckham unlikely to require special protection
Major League Soccer has got their Golden Ticket, but before the league can cash in on the full value of David Beckham, he has to make a healthy return to the field.
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
David Beckham's unlikely to be bothered by physical challenges in MLS.
Beckham already has a gimpy ankle, and the fragility of any sports star is fraught when so much depends on the fitness of that particular player.
When the mere presence of Beckham in a match is such a draw, the worry becomes about whatever factors might keep him off the field. It could be a random injury, it could be his tendency to accumulate cards, or it could be an injury inflicted by opponents.
Inevitably, that raises the issue of whether Beckham will be coddled, protected by referees to the point where any heavy tackle on the greatest acquisition by MLS could see the offending player get sent off. If that does happen, it's likely to be perceived that way.
Teams in smaller markets have long maintained that L.A. has seen distinct advantages go its way in past years.
Sigi Schmid, who went from coaching the Galaxy to a smaller market squad when he took over guiding the Columbus Crew, observed some preference as part of a natural tradition in sports.
"Look at the NBA," Schmid said. "There's senior guys, certain players in the league who get calls in their favor. The same thing sometimes happens in any professional sport. The veterans get some breaks and some calls that might go their way."
Defenders themselves expected such breaks to go Beckham's way.
"We're never going to be in agreement with the referees, and even more so with a guy like Beckham," said Columbus Crew defender Ezra Hendrickson, who won league championships both with the Galaxy and D.C. United. "People will think he's going to get all the calls that he wants."
If such a belief is widespread, there could be retaliatory tackles simply because players are frustrated at the situation that elevates Beckham to some special status.
"Once you step on the field, everyone is a player out there," said Hendrickson. "You don't want to injure anybody. But you don't want to go in soft on a tackle, either, especially as a defender. When I go in for a tackle, I go in for a hard tackle, or they win the tackle and the ball goes the other way and the team is in a bad position."
The players in the league say all the right things about the advantages of having such a well-known player bring new visibility to everyone involved.
"It's a great thing for the league," said Preki, the coach of the Galaxy's in-town rival, Chivas USA. "It's great to get that buzz around L.A. It's great for the sport in the U.S."
Beckham's credentials as a top player are just as burnished as before, given that he's arriving to MLS as a winner in his final season in Spain, where with his help Real Madrid claimed the La Liga title.
"I admire him as a good player," said Chivas USA striker Maykel Galindo. "There's all that other stuff, but for me, he's a great player who has won championships. This is good for the league. It will open doors because so many people will be watching the league."
Yet those in the midst of a MLS match don't have the time to stop and appreciate Beckham's value.
"You don't really think about who it is when you go in for a tackle," said Hendrickson. "You're just out there playing. If it's time for a hard tackle, you make a hard tackle. I don't have time to check the backs of the shirt to see who is playing."
Besides, many players are convinced that Beckham doesn't need particular protection.
"He still has a lot to give to soccer, because he was just champion at Real Madrid," said Chivas USA's Claudio Suarez, a long-time Mexican international. "Even though there's all that marketing around him, it goes along with good football. The most important thing is that you're a good player. I think David is playing well right now."
It's also not as if players in other leagues haven't defended the star physically in the past. Suarez viewed Beckham's U.S. experience as potentially more of the same.
"It's going to be hard for him, because everyone will want to mark him strongly and they'll be very motivated," said Suarez. "It's similar here as it is in England. There's a lot of physical contact. There's no need to protect him a lot."
In fact, given Beckham's own proclivity for sometimes awkward tackles, and occasional cards, what could keep him out of games might be the damage he inflicts on other players.
No matter how much the league might regard Beckham as the new golden goose bringing fans to games, for rivals, he's another obstacle in their way of a win.
"David has played in a lot of big games -- he's going to be fine," said Preki. "I don't think we have many malicious guys in the league. We expect him to play hard, like he did in Europe, and guys are going to play hard back. It's not going to be soft, but it should be fine."
The scrutiny will be not only on Beckham, or on those marking him, but also officiating in MLS, which has ranged all over the map at times. As much as some league observers feel MLS needs an influx of foreign talent to raise the quality, others believe there needs to be an similar importation of officials. Observers are expecting that more pressure than ever will be on MLS referees to prove their quality.
The players, for one, will be paying attention to how games with Beckham involved will be called. For anyone on the field, the most dangerous ref is often considered an unpredictable one.
"I'm sure he's going to get some calls that guys are going to disagree with, but that happens to anyone," said Hendrickson. "As long as the refs are consistent, you can't really complain. I imagine that he's going to get some calls that people will argue and think there's some favoritism, but I think the refs are going to try to do their job to the best of their abilities."
Updated: July 13
David Beckham had a light workout during the Galaxy's training session Monday.
Walter Gaitan (L), Francisco Fonseca and Tigres face the Galaxy Tuesday. 
