Beckham set for his return

David Beckham's signing with the Los Angeles Galaxy two years ago was trumpeted as perhaps the single greatest moment in Major League Soccer history. Now, on the eve of his return to MLS after a controversial six-month loan to AC Milan — a loan that seemed to signal he wanted out permanently — some wonder if Beckham is good for MLS any longer.

Beckham's presence did wonders for MLS in terms of exposure, jersey sales and ticket sales. On the field, though, his arrival triggered an unimaginable and bizarre series of events in 2007 and 2008 that led to the two worst years in franchise history.

The specific details of those chaotic years are chronicled wonderfully by Grant Wahl in his new book "The Beckham Experiment" which was released Tuesday just in time for Beckham's first MLS game of 2009 on Thursday night at the New York Red Bulls.

With exclusive access to many of the key figures associated with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Wahl sheds light on the inner workings of a franchise that became more and more dysfunctional the more Beckham's entourage seemed to meddle.

Beckham arrived in the United States in 2007, saying all the right things and genuinely seeming interested in becoming an ambassador for MLS. Throughout an injury-plagued 2007 followed by a rocky 2008, the "The Beckham Experiment" details the superstar's frustrations with MLS and his surprising reluctance to be a proactive captain.

For supporters of Major League Soccer who perhaps watched gleefully as the Galaxy sputtered the past two years, "The Beckham Experiment" is a fantastic read shedding light on why the self-proclaimed SuperClub failed so miserably.

In the end, Landon Donovan, who seemed to have a contentious relationship with Beckham from the beginning, doesn't believe the Englishman was always a good teammate.

"He's not," said Donovan in the book. "He's not shown that. I can't think of another guy where I'd say he wasn't a good teammate, he didn't give everything through all this, he didn't still care. But with (Beckham), I'm not so sure. I'd say no, he wasn't committed. And there's nobody else I could think of that I would say that about."

Wahl's book discusses all things Galaxy-related, including subtle trades that impacted Real Salt Lake and the futures of Chris Klein and Kyle Beckerman.