Brand Beckham not got the Power

Today, Friday 13th July 2007, is the day that David Beckham is set to be unveiled as an LA Galaxy player. Often considered to be an unlucky day, Friday 13th looks set to live up to its tradition in the Beckham household as his move to the States has already been widely criticised by the worlds press and he is deemed to be fighting a losing battle.

Former Italian centre forward, Giorgio Chinaglia, who is the highest goal scorer in MLS history with 242 goals, claims that the power of the Beckham brand is not strong enough to entice American citizens into watching 'soccer'. He stated that the problem Beckham will encounter is that unlike the great Maradona or Pele, Beckham is not renowned for his dribbling or goal scoring ability, and although the former Madrid star is an exceptional player, Chinaglia does not believe that Beckham’s stunning set pieces and long range passing ability will be enough to draw in the crowds.

Despite a plethora of criticism over Beckham’s move before the ex England Captain has even kicked a ball for his new team, one man, US sports writer, Paul Oberjuerge believes that Becks can be the man to transform American Soccer in the same way that Canadian legend, Wayne Gretzky did for Ice Hockey.

One thing we know for sure is that David Beckham faces a huge challenge in revolutionizing the domestic game in America.