Take a moment to savor what we just saw. The LA Galaxy, fueled by three of the biggest names to ever play in MLS, are once again kings of the league. We may not all want to admit it, but we've just witnessed something special.
Fresh off his second straight MLS Cup title, David Beckham is now preparing to leave the Galaxy after putting together his best MLS season to date and helping his team put together one of the greatest four-year runs in league history. As crazy as it would have seemed a few years ago, the Galaxy are more likely to miss Beckham's on-field contributions than whatever attention he brought them off of it.
In so many ways, it was exactly what MLS envisioned when Beckham was signed for what was then billed as a $250 million deal in 2007.
As we all know, it didn't start off so well. Amidst a personality clash between Beckham and Landon Donovan, the Galaxy were among the league's biggest underachievers in 2007-08 and they missed the playoffs both years.
Amid a pair of controversial loans to AC Milan, the Galaxy actually managed to figure out how best to take advantage of Beckham while he was away. With Bruce Arena now in charge, the Galaxy seemed to realize that Beckham's talents were best utilized when everything didn't have to run through him. While he was away on his first loan, the Galaxy played their best sustained soccer of the Beckham era. When he missed most of the 2010 season while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered on his second loan, the Galaxy were well on their way to winning the Supporters' Shield.
Maybe not coincidentally, Beckham had his two best years in 2011-12. After compiling nine goals and 16 assists during his first four seasons, Beckham piled up nine goals and 24 assists during his final two years. The Galaxy also went 30-13-17, won another Supporters' Shield and, of course, repeated as the MLS Cup champions.
It was also during the past two years that Beckham showcased the kind of ability for which he had first earned his fame. During these past two years, you could finally understand why he has played for some of the best clubs and what prompted a movie to be named after his kicks. All his complaining aside, Beckham showed a work rate that contradicted his diva reputation. More importantly, he started delivering some of the most beautiful passes and impressive free kick goals this league had ever seen.
Although Beckham did not register a single goal or assist in Saturday's MLS Cup, it also served as a perfect showcase of how good he is when he's at his best. In the first 20 minutes alone, Beckham helped set up three good chances. The first came in the 5th minute when he sent a quickly taken free kick about 60 yards forward that was just a tad ahead of a streaking Christian Wilhelmsson. By all rights, he probably should have had an assist when he put Robbie Keane through with another gorgeous ball that he sent about 60 yards downfield in the 12th minute to set up a Landon Donovan chance. Then in the 19th minute, his free kick came close to setting up a Mike Magee goal.
It's that kind of game-breaking ability that the Galaxy are likely to miss next season, as there are few players in the world -- let alone ones willing to come to MLS -- that can change a game from so many spots on the field.
Whatever the Galaxy do next year, this current four-year run deserves to go down in history as one of the best MLS has ever seen.
From 2009-2012, the Galaxy went 65-30-33, posted a goal-difference of +55, won two Supporters' Shield, two MLS Cups and went to one more final.
The only team in MLS history that can boast a better four-year run is D.C. United. Comparing them directly is a little harder as there were technically no ties in those days, but if we give them a tie for every shootout win and loss, their record would have been 65-31-31. What gives them the edge is that they won one more MLS Cup and went to one more final. The only other MLS team to even earn mentioning in this group is the Chicago Fire, who compiled a tiebreaker-adjusted record of 66-35-22 from 1998-2001. They won one MLS Cup and made it to one other final.
I previously wrote that the Galaxy's current run of excellence probably falls just short of bonafide dynasty status, but that should not take away from this amazing run of form. That Beckham was at his best during the most successful part of it, was hardly a coincidence.