In 2007, David Beckham, the golden boy of soccer, shocked the
international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with
an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Under the direction of
his manager, Simon Fuller, the mastermind behind "American Idol"
and the Spice Girls, Beckham was ready for a monumental challenge
and a risky adventure-ready, as Fuller put it, to earn his stripes
Stateside. Could he pull off what no player had ever accomplished
(including Pele in the 1970s) and transform soccer into one of the
most popular spectator sports in America? It was a bold experiment:
failure meant a team, a league, a sport, and Beckham himself might
miss their chance to hit primetime in the U.S.
With unprecedented access to the Galaxy and one-on-one interviews
with Beckham, veteran "Sports Illustrated" writer Grant Wahl
focuses on the inner circle of the experiment: Beckham, Galaxy
leading scorer Landon Donovan, Simon Fuller, controversial former
coach Ruud Gullit, outspoken former Galaxy president Alexi Lalas,
and Mrs. Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham. Wahl takes readers behind
the scenes, on the road with the team and inside the locker room,
to reveal just what happened on and off the field when the most
renowned player in the world left the glamour of European soccer to
play in a country that has yet to fully embrace the sport. We find
out what his teammates really think of their superstar captain, who
was calling the shots behind the scenes, how Beckham's management
conducted a shadow takeover of the Galaxy organization, and if the
team plans to embrace him-or not-when he returns from AC Milan for
the 2009 season.
The Beckham Experiment is a no-holds-barred account of ego clashes
and epic winless streaks, rivalries and resentments, big gambles
and great expectations, cultural and class collisions, and
ultimately the volatile mix of celebrity and professional sports.
As Beckham embarks on his third season with the Galaxy, the
question remains: even for a player the caliber of David Beckham,
are some goals out of reach?
"From the Hardcover edition."
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