Impact ‘bigger than Pele’

FORMER New York Cosmos player Shep Messing believes David Beckham can make a bigger impact on American soccer than his old team-mate Pele.

Ex-goalkeeper Messing commentates on MLS games for New York and national TV stations and was a team-mate of Pele when the Brazilian legend played for the Cosmos. He saw how Pele’s presence transformed the North American Soccer League and sold out stadiums across the USA. The NASL, though, shut down after the 1984 season as interest waned and clubs went bankrupt.

Beckham’s transfer from Real Madrid to the Los Angeles Galaxy comes at a time when Major League Soccer is better structured than its predecessor, Messing believes. “As a player you can’t compare him to Pele. Having said that, there was no fan base; I think this one will have far more impact,” Messing said. “This is greater than the impact Pele had.