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Big-money MLS investments paying off
By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports
The first two years of its existence, the Beckham Rule was just like every other aspect of its headliner’s move to Major League Soccer – a disaster.
As David Beckham’s career in the United States floundered, so too did the credibility of the designated-player regulation brought in primarily to accommodate his blockbuster salary. The concept was sound, allowing teams to splash cash on a highly paid superstar without obliterating their salary cap, but its practice seemed to be a route to on-field ruin.
Not only was Beckham ineffective as part of the inept Los Angeles Galaxy, but Argentinean striker Marcelo Gallardo took a previously successful D.C. United club dramatically downhill after being signed to a big contract. Moreover, Claudio Lopez could not lift the Kansas City Wizards, Claudio Reyna was regularly injured for the New York Red Bulls and Brazilian forward Denilson was utterly useless in a brief spell with FC Dallas.
Yet as the 2009 campaign enters its decisive stages, there has been a seismic shift in both the success and perception of the designated player.
On current evidence, having a big-name star in your lineup doesn’t just make marketing sense; it also appears to be a necessity for a serious chance at the title. Five of the eight playoff teams this year had a designated player, as do three of the four conference finalists.
Both regular-season conference leaders, the Galaxy and the Columbus Crew, had an exempted player: Beckham and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, respectively. With three games left before the MLS Cup champion is crowned, Real Salt Lake is the only team left without a DP.
“I like to think I can help this team in big games,” said Beckham, ahead of Friday’s Western Conference final against the Houston Dynamo. “I have played for some of the biggest clubs in the world and have a lot of experience in high-pressure situations. I hope I can pass some of that on to the younger lads and also perform well to give the team a good chance of winning.”
In the East final, the league’s second highest-paid player, Mexican hero Cuauhtemoc Blanco, also has the chance of going all the way. The veteran, whose Chicago Fire host Real Salt Lake on Saturday, is determined to put in a game-changing performance.
Blanco will return to his homeland at the end of the season after three years in Chicago, and he believes he will leave behind a positive legacy.
“When MLS teams bring in foreign players on high salaries, they are looking for people who can deliver,” Blanco said. “They want someone who will generate some attention for the club and increase the crowds. They also want someone who has the experience of playing in important situations and who can provide an example to the other players.
“I hope I have done that in Chicago – it has certainly been a good experience for me to play here. I want to end it with a championship.”
You won’t catch the MLS hierarchy admitting it anytime soon, but having a Beckham vs. Blanco matchup in the championship game in Seattle on Nov. 22 would be a dream come true.
With both the Galaxy and Fire hosting their conference finals and going in as favorites, it is a significant possibility that those two stars will be on display at Qwest Field.
“It has certainly been good for the exposure of the league to have some of our recognizable stars doing well in the playoffs,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber. “We implemented this rule because we wanted a platform where elite world players could come in and take the standard of play to a new level, and that is what we are now seeing.”
A third designated player, Luis Angel Landin, will suit up for Houston on Friday night and has been solid since joining late in the season. Freddie Ljungberg was a crucial part of the successful Seattle Sounders expansion franchise, while Schelotto put together a strong campaign before the Crew were upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Of the DPs, only Juan Pablo Angel of New York, Julian De Guzman of Toronto FC and Luciano Emilio of D.C. United missed out on the postseason.
The reversal of the trend may boil down to the teammates of the DPs as much as the stars themselves. Beckham’s Galaxy colleagues are now comfortable alongside the England midfielder – unlike the crop of players who were so intimidated when he first joined.
In Chicago, several Fire players have actively improved as a result of working with Blanco, taking inspiration from his vision and creativity.
“We can now definitively say the innovation has been a success,” Garber said. “Long may that continue.”
