Now that all the hoopla has died down, the excitement diminished to a something-less-than-hysterical level, and all the exaggerations in the press about David Beckham and the impact he will have on U. S. Soccer have been published, perhaps it’s time to analyze what this huge fuss means. A good player, world-famous, moves to the Los Angeles Galaxy from one of the top clubs in the world, and all of a sudden, the future of professional soccer in the United States is assured for posterity. Really?

Let me say at the start that I am pleased Beckham is coming to play here. He’ll be a pleasure to watch, he may be able to pass on some of his knowledge and experience to younger American players, he’ll be playing for a good coach who will know how to use him, and there is no doubt that he will raise attendance, especially in his first couple of years. But should we believe all the things that are being said? Here’s a sampling…

“David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally.” (Timothy Leiweke, president of AEG, owners of the LA Galaxy, who made the quarter-billion dollar deal with the Real Madrid midfielder.)

“Not since the Beatles has there been a British invasion of this magnitude.” (Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald.)

“David Beckham . . . will transcend the sport of soccer in America.” (MLS commissioner Dan Garber.)

Amid all this euphoria, I hate to be a downer. But if I hadn’t seen all this before, I wouldn’t be so skeptical or cynical. From the inside I watched the rise and fall of the empire that was the North American Soccer League from 1971 to 1984. That league had world-class players, all of whom were sure to turn the game around in this country. I saw Pele come and go, Johann Cruyff sprint and weave again and again past opponents, George Best mesmerize them, Giorgio Chinaglia bury ball after ball in the back of the net. Carlos Alberto, Roberto Bettega, Gerd Muller, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Hugo Sanchez, Romerito, Trevor Francis, Franz Beckenbauer; all those world stars played in the NASL. And I was here in the fall of 1984, when the empire that had promised so much lost its last battle.

Can one player save professional soccer? Can one player give our game so much credibility that fans will keep on coming long after Beckham has gone?

I think not, and tomorrow I’ll tell you why.