The Red Bulls will begin next season with a brand new stadium and, perhaps, the addition of a world football deity to the roster.   Thierry Henry could easily give New York three seasons of healthy play which would qualify as the city’s most important signing since Pelé.

Beckham’s arrival in Los Angeles came with equal amounts of praise and criticism for a deal that many consider to be unnecessarily rich. Beckham has been great for the Galaxy. From the moment of his late start against Chelsea at the Home Depot Center in 2007, Beckham has elevated the likes of Landon Donovan (and all of Bruce Arena’s new talent) to new heights. They had some growing pains to overcome, and investors may lose money on the deal, but it’s clear that Donovan’s world class performance this year has come in part from a productive onfield relationship with Beckham. Henry will bring this sort of stewardship to New York if he finds a few young players to mentor, but this begs a deeper question about the future of the MLS.

In order for aging superstars to be effective mentors and advocates in the MLS, there must be a new class of young players to benefit from their leadership. Like Beckham, Henry brings a Kobe Bryant sized ego to an American sport that isn’t yet on par with the NBA. LA Galaxy seem to have found the perfect solution to this problem in Landon Donovan who has retained the captain’s armband throughout Beckham’s time in the States. Again, it took some time, but Beckham grew comfortable with his own celebrity and was able to allow Donovan a shot at being front and center. When this happened, the two became a dominating force. We are seeing a new side of Donovan. He is a great big American soccer star. Maybe we’re jumping the gun a little bit, but he’s headed in that direction.

Cruyff & Beckenbauer in NYC – 1978

The NASL made the mistake of overspending on foreign stars and underspending on young American talent, which has created a stigma among MLS teams who are fearful of Beckham-sized deals. One wrong move of this magnitute could easily ruin a franchise, but we have to consider the upside. Cosmos players like Beckenbauer, Cruyff, and Carlos Alberto had similar effects on then-USMNT captain and teammate Rick Davis. If the MLS can find a balance, we are headed in the right direction.