A bit late, I know. Two weeks after the Philippine Azkals versus the Los Angeles Galaxy match here in the Philippines, I thank you. For giving the Filipinos the chance to experience soccer ala Becks and for fulfilling the dreams (and fantasies) of many others--players and fans alike, a huge, huge thank you. I guess it's safe to say that you have earned my respect.
To confess, I first knew you only as Posh Spice's hubby. That I have watched enough E! News to know that you play football, or soccer, or whatever you want to call it. I learned things about you not from sports channels but from E! and TMZ.
But I have seen the Goal! movies in which you were a part of and that's the first time I saw you on a football pitch.
Let me just say that I have never seen you play in an actual game before the Dream Cup. The Goal! movies doesn't count, right? I caught the tail end of the E! True Hollywood Story: Posh and Becks so I pretty much have an idea how big a football star you were in England before your big move to the United States.
I have read and heard about the "bend it like Beckham" phrase many times before while watching the entertainment shows from the US. Majority of which were, um, just dissing you and the wife on national TV for something you or you both did. It seems to me that America doesn't respect your talent as a football player because sometimes they are just plain mean.
I was under the impression that this Bend It Like Beckham is some sort of documentary about you, like Yao Ming's Year of the Yao or Kobe Bryant's Kobe Doin' Work. You know, something like that.
And boy am I stupid. I am this clueless. I just Googled it now, as in now that I am writing this and I learn that it is in fact a movie about football. Oh, for the love of all things holy, this isn't about you at all!
Well, that changes things.
Anyway, Becks, you came, you saw and you conquered. As much as I don't understand why you are so popular and why our national players were all so excited (giddy as a schoolgirl I kid you not) by the mere idea of playing against you, I changed my mind after the match.
Scratch that. You had me at hello. Not so much but it was a start.
You landed on Philippine soil and you were all smiles. You sure know how to work the mob, er, fans. Bloody brilliant. A reporter shove a microphone to your face and you said "Hi!" with a smile that almost reached your ears. A group of women reporters from a TV network asked for a photo-op and you grabbed the BlackBerry to take the picture yourself.
I have no words to describe how heartwarming it was to watch you with the kids at the football clinic. I assume some of them don't even speak English. And your English, is well, as English as it can get.
One could argue that you were good with kids because you have four yourself. Okay, point taken. But still, Payatas kids meet David Beckham is a once in a lifetime thing. You don't see that every day.
And you were smiling. All throughout.
Then the game. Remember I said I don't understand the popularity? I attributed it to the obvious fact that you by all and any definition is an eye candy. I thought it was just that. That you were just that. I was wrong.
Your passing skill is something, like straight out of a computer game. To say that it's calculated is an understatement. The precision is outstanding. All right, I need to stop now. I'm about to talk physics, it's bad. I was in awe, period.
Do I even need to talk about the goal? The one we saw coming but stunned us all anyway? That was one mean goal, Becks. Seriously, did you kick it in? It looked like you just touched it with your boot and then it went straight for the net. Wicked.
Though Landon Donovan stole my heart when he said he was quickly falling in love with the Philippines just hours after getting here. And the tweet to Aly Borromeo, the Azkals' team captain, made me an instant fan. That "Kita kits!" tweet bought him a year of adoration from me.
But for Filipino football fans, the Dream Cup was The Becks Show and everybody just went along for the ride. My Landon love notwithstanding, I had to agree.
You gave us quite a show and Phil Younghusband was giddy as a schoolgirl when you gave him an autographed jersey after the match. When our best scorer is happy, we're all happy.
I wish I could say we'd love to have you back but I'm afraid we can't afford it anymore. Even if Manny Ott, our German fairy of the Azkal variety said that you are "f***ing beautiful" in an interview, we'll just content ourselves with the memory that you, David Beckham, was in Manila to play the Azkals on the third day of December 2011.
So, Becks, maraming, maraming salamat sa iyo at sa LA Galaxy.
P.S. Can you please tell Landon that we're all looking forward to his "Kita kits!" and we promise to put up a ban on too much lipstick on girls when he flies into town? Can you do that? Thanks!
