Want to know what it’s like to play against David Beckham?
Here’s what I hope will be a treat for everyone! (I actually feel a little like the mainstream press on this one!)
On May 13th the Los Angeles Galaxy played an exhibition match with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USL-1 (United Soccer Leagues) . It just so happens that I have a link to a player for the Whitecaps, central defender Omar Jarun.
I was able to catch up with Jarun, and this is what he had to say about the game and playing against Beckham:
“Playing against one of the best players in the world is always an experience. He is still a great server of the ball to say the least. At times you can tell he gets frustrated with his teammates for poor passing or not a hard enough work rate, but being the captain David tries to support his teammates.”
Jarun also talked about his role in the game, “I was matched up with their big man up top named Alan Gordon out of Oregon state. big target player with good feet. It was a fun battle considering Becks [Beckham] was serving dime balls into his head and I had to deal with it.”
About the exhibition match, Jarun commented: “The game was a success for both sides because fans got an entertaining game to watch. I’m still glad we came out and brought our style of play to them and got the result.”
There are a lot of sports fans, even those that are die hard soccer fans, that look down upon the USL, and see it as an inferior league to MLS and other leagues around the world. And yes, while the marketing and promotion heavily favors MLS and the higher profile players choose to play in MLS, by no means is the USL an inferior league. The level of play is quite good, and let’s not forget that Vancouver did beat the Galaxy 2-1, and big defender Omar Jarun played a vital role in keeping the most prolific scoring offense in MLS at a minimum.
I’d encourage anyone that has a USL team in their area to check out a game live. I’d love to hear your thoughts about the games, and check Fox Soccer Channel’s TV listings to see when a USL game will be broadcast.
Check out the Vancouver Whitecaps by clicking here.
Check out the USL by clicking here. (And for those of you wondering where some of the top women soccer players and plying their trade nowadays, the USL W-League would be the place!)
I hope to be able to get Omar’s comments and answers to questions on here from time to time, so let me know if you have any questions for the defender and I’ll be sure to get the answers; comment or email me at soccerisfutbol@gmail.com
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