MLS News - Beckham Arrives, Eddie Johnson to Europe and Mourinho to MLS?

Race on for Eddie Johnson
Derby manager Billy Davies faces a fight on his hands to land top United States striker Eddie Johnson.  Davies splashed out a club record £3.5million for Robert Earnshaw last week but is understood to be in the hunt for another forward ahead of the new Premier League season.  Johnson is apparently a target after a stunning start to the new Major League Soccer campaign, scoring nine goals in nine matches for Kansas City Wizards.  Johnson, who has also scored 11 goals in 27 internationals, is currently the league's top scorer along with former Aston Villa star Juan Pablo Angel, now with New York Red Bulls.

Wizards technical director Peter Vermes concedes a number of clubs are interested in the 23-year-old Johnson, and that bids have been made, but the player is going nowhere.  "Certain clubs have made bids on Eddie in this transfer window and I'm sure we'll hear many more," Vermes told the Kansas City Star.  As far as we're concerned, Eddie's with us. We're excited to have him back.  Nothing has materialised that would lead to Eddie leaving us. We want him here.  He's having a lot of success under this new management, and we want that to continue."

Beckham Arrives amid Fanfare
David Beckham opened a new chapter in his colourful football story on Friday when he received a red carpet welcome at his official presentation as a Los Angeles Galaxy player.   The gala introduction capped months of anticipation that started in January, when the 32-year-old former England captain sent shockwaves through the football world by signing a five-year deal with the Major League Soccer club that could be worth up to 250 million dollars.

"In my career I have played for two of the biggest club sides in the world, Manchester United and Real Madrid," Beckham said. "I have played for my country for 11 years, and I am still playing for my country. I have always looked for challenges in my life. This is one of the biggest challenges I've taken on in my career - to move to a new country on the other side of the world."

Jose Mourinho to follow Beckham to MLS?
Jose Mourinho wants to follow David Beckham across the Atlantic to coach in Major League Soccer.  Mourinho, making his fourth pre-season trip to the United States, revealed an opportunity to coach in America at the end of his career would be something he would seriously consider.

"I am tempted. In 20 years' time, yes, I would love to come," Mourinho said during a press conference in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, hours before Beckham was formally introduced as a Galaxy player in the southern suburbs of the city at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

"Beckham is at the end of his career as a player and when I am at the end of my career as a coach I would love it.  The country is amazing and I think it is a big challenge to help soccer to become more important in this country.  This is a sports country, that's for sure, but everybody knows that the hand games are in front of the foot games. The bat, the basketball, everything is in front of soccer for cultural and other reasons."

Mourinho reiterated the belief that Beckham was the player to rise to the task

"I think it's a big challenge and he's the one to do it. The best one to do it.  European football will miss him because he has more than enough quality to play the European game but for the objectives of him to come here, I think he is the perfect player.  If the objective is to bring soccer up in the US then I think they couldn't choose a better player for that. I think what he means to the world of football is more than a football player.  I think he brings a lot of attention so if the objective is to improve the LA Galaxy team that's for sure, because he's a better player than the players they have."

Mourinho, however, claimed he had seen a change in attitudes to the game since he started bringing Chelsea to the US for pre-season training and friendlies as well as a rise in standard of play.  He said: "The players in American teams have quality, tactical quality and they have passion. I think a lot of kids love the game here and I'm not sure but I think the number of people that play the sport is huge, is amazing, and so I think that people like Beckham can do it.  And he will attract other players to follow him, that's for sure."