The target is not on Chelsea’s back this year. Well, not as much. The English Premier League equivalent of the Yankees has been known for its extravagant purchases of high-profile players and the expectations that come with them. But this year is a little different. The lineup is just as stacked and the expectations high, but something is not normal.
The Blues’ roster that made the journey to UCLA for the preseason training session has undergone far less drastic changes than it did last season, and it is a team just down the 405 that made the highest-profile signing ““ the Los Angeles Galaxy.
With Chelsea beginning its preseason in Westwood for the second straight season, the players and manager Jose Mourinho fielded as many questions about David Beckham as they did about their own team.
While many Americans may know little of Beckham’s technical skill, the personae of David Beckham and his wife Victoria are known internationally. The move by the Galaxy is expected to raise the profile and legitimacy of American soccer. While the British import has caused a media frenzy as of late, the true test will be whether he can evoke a larger and lasting interest in the game of soccer in the U.S.
“I hope he’s going to have a big impact,” Chelsea winger Arjen Robben said. “Hopefully he can bring (the game in the U.S.) to another level.”
Robben and the Blues will get to see firsthand.
Beckham was welcomed to Los Angeles with a lot of fanfare by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Friday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., but, ironically, it will be the Blues who will welcome the British superstar to the American soccer pitch. The L.A. Galaxy will face off against Chelsea next Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Beckham’s first game on an MLS roster.
The highest-profile signing in MLS history will be introduced against one of the highest-profile teams in the world, led by a manager, Mourinho, who calls himself simply “the special one.”
“I don’t know if Beckham is playing that game,” Mourinho said. “But if he plays, of course it’s a big moment for L.A. and also for U.S. soccer, and I think they couldn’t choose a better player to achieve what they want to achieve. … Because he’s more than a player.”
At minimum, the expensive signing has garnered a lot of attention to soccer in the United States.
On hand at Chelsea’s practice were NBA players Paul Pierce and Juan Dixon. Pierce was greeting players, taking shots on goal, and watching Chelsea goalie Petr Cech show off his basketball skills, dribbling a ball between his legs.
When Pierce was asked about Beckham, it was clear that the news of the soccer player’s new paycheck had preceded him.
“I know a lot about him,” Pierce said jokingly. “I know he signed for $250 million.”
When questioned how Beckham will be liked in America, Pierce’s answer was simple.
“People love entertainment,” Pierce said. “He’s an entertainer.”
For Chelsea, the trip to the U.S., and specifically to Los Angeles, is one part training session, one part publicity event. The itinerary of the trip includes three matches: one against Club America at Stanford Stadium, which the Blues won 2-1 on the strength of a John Terry header, and two upcoming games in the L.A. area. The first game is against the Suwon Bluewings and the second against the Galaxy.
While training at UCLA, Mourinho noted that he was not planning on treating these like games. He instead planned on employing his whole roster and treating the games like a two-team training session. All evidence from the match against Club America agreed with Mourinho’s earlier statements. The Blues went down and played an almost entirely different lineup in the first and second halves. He did note at the start of training, however, that he would be aware of what he called “Chelsea’s responsibilities.”
“We want to play well, want to give the L.A. Galaxy a good game,” Mourinho said, “to promote the new team, the football they have in the States. It’s a pity for European football that a good player like (Beckham) is gone, but at the same time we all want soccer in the U.S. to go up. It’s a market that, if open, will be good for everybody.”