Written By: Sean Connolly

This week has been a very interesting one for English soccer teams playing in the Champion’s League. With four teams currently still in play(Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea), the premiership is trying to prove that it is the most powerful in Europe. For the most part they have done so. Manchester United, led by the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo, took a 2-0 victory out of Italy as they beat AS Roma. Cristiano extended his amazing play from the premiership over the weekend to the Champion’s League on Tuesday. Cristiano has proved that he is the most electrifying player in soccer in the past year as he had yet again another brilliant game. His header for the first goal showed how much passion he plays with as he rose above a few Roman Defenders to finish in the back of the net. Over the weekend he helped United basically seal the premiership with only a few games left. He had total control of the game as he sent cutting passes throughout the game and led United to a victory. The way Ronaldo and the rest of United are playing they are with no doubt the favorite to win Europe and England.

As for Arsenal, they have chose the worst time to play like a rec league team. In only a month they have lost their spot atop England as they are now in third and need a miracle to take the title. They look as young as they are as they continually make childish mistakes that make them look absolutely awful. Today, Wednesday, they dominated the entire game against Liverpool at home but yet again failed to come away with a victory. After an amazing header from Adebayor from an equally amazing cross from Van Persie, Arsenal became flat and within 3 minutes, Liverpool’s Gerard cut the Arsenal defense up and put a pass right across Almunia for Kuyt to finish easily. Liverpool leaves North London with the ever crucial away goal as Arsenal and Liverpool tie 1-1. Although they tied Arsenal has to look at this game as a loss as they now need to go into Anfield and score at least one away goal. Despite being all but mathematically eliminated from winning the premiership, Liverpool seems to be doing everything right in the Champion’s League. As always they prove as a threat in Europe and could easily be the kind of team that could take down the streaking Manchester United.

The last team in England, Chelsea, had a rather upsetting day in Europe as they lost 2-1 to Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Chelsea couldn’t get anything going on offense and couldn’t score a goal themselves. Deivid of Fenerbahce, could not control a cross from Drogba and placed a ball perfectly in the back of his own net. That looked like that would be the end of Fenerbahce but they fearlessly came back and scored an equalizer. Then in the 81st minute Deivid went from goat to hero as he scored an impressive goal from 30 yards out into the top corner. Watching the first goal he scored on his own team you thought that he couldn’t finish any better, and ironically he showed that he is a true goal scorer as Fenerbahce leave with an impressive victory over a more talented team in Chelsea. Chelsea has has a tumultuous year since Jose Mourinho left. They haven’t been able to get over the hump in England as they are still out of first place. They did capitalize on Arsenal’s terrible play and now sit one spot ahead of them but they still need a lot of help in second place as Manchester are running away.

Unfortunately, or fortunately if you’re the Los Angeles Galaxy, it’s hard to talk about soccer in the U.S. without talking about David Beckham. That’s the price we all pay as part of Galaxy’s high-priced gamble to bring prime-time glitz to the sport.

David Beckham at Colorado – Photo: Getty/Steve Dykes

Of course, the debate continues about why Americans seem always to resist the world’s game.

In this week’s installment of the continuing conversation, Marty Mercado over at football.co.uk writes passionately about what we in the States are missing:

Moans are heard in Milan, Melbourne, and Moscow as an opportunity for a goal is missed. Liverpool, Lyon and Lisbon sing songs of victory as the final whistle is blown while Athens, Adelaide, and Aberdeen groan in defeat. Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Portland, however, remain silent. Not a peep is heard in Memphis, Miami, or Minneapolis. As the world watches twenty-two of the world’s greatest athletes partake of the “beautiful game” that is football, Americans refuse to pay any attention to another boring soccer game.

This is all true but what many soccer lovers forget is that Americans do care deeply about sports, it’s just the sport they’re moaning or cheering about is not soccer. Talk to a committed member of Red Sox nation, or a long-suffering New York Knicks fan: they’ll match their love/madness with the best soccer fan.

Mercado tries to figure out why it is Americans have taken to soccer. He’s got an interesting theory:

Soccer has never been a big sport in American culture and there seems to be a genuine dislike from most Americans towards the sport. This is because soccer is seen by Americans as a sport that stands for four things that they dislike: absence of big business, an overabundance of foreigners, homosexuals, and a lack of initiative.

Chelsea celebrates its victory over Arsenal

A bit contemptuous don’t you think? America – the country of immigrants. With its own smoldering – if most often underground -contempt for the very, very wealthy. If they were so beloved, would they have to live in fortified gated communities? Let’s give homophobia to Mercado.

Now maybe I’m missing something but isn’t Manchester United a shining example of big, big business. 330 million supporters worldwide, 5% of the world’s population, the second richest sports club.

Mercado does have another reasons that is a bit more compelling: the lack of opportunity for TV advertisers to peddle their wares. Every major sport that’s broadcast here in the States provides ample time for advertisers. The leagues have bent over backwards to transform the games to create TV timeouts to sell. If you’ve ever gone to the stadium to see a professional football game, you are treated to agonizing stoppages to allow the TV audience to see commercials they would love to skip. No wonder sports fans by the droves have become addicted to their TIVOs and digital video recorders – record the show, wait a half-hour or forty-five minutes after kickoff and watch your recorded version while blessedly missing the ads.

What works for baseball, football, and basketball just won’t work for soccer. You’d have to destroy to game to exploit it.
Given this dilemma, Beckham was worth a shot. When in doubt, use hype and celebrity. Unfortunately, Britney isn’t good enough and doesn’t seem to care. But Beckham, although lower on the radar than Brintey, is nevertheless a star, and U.S. sports teams have a history of throwing money at players. Witness the New York Knicks who have wasted a fortune assembling a team that just seems to get worse.

Beckham’s 100th cap vs. France

My guess is there is just no short-term answer. With time – and I may be talking decades – young Americans who play and love soccer will share their passion with others. In the meantime, let’s hope Beckham can help L.A. win.