How many players would be able to say they’ve won football league titles in 3 different countries?

David Beckham celebrates with LA Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan.

After taking trophies in England and Spain, that’s the task of David Beckham come Sunday, when the Los Angeles Galaxy face Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup Final.

It’s on ESPN at 830 pm ET here in the United States – and get this – it’s also on live at 1.30 am local in London – on the UK version of ESPN. Anyone staying up to support your native son? In fact, our friends at Major League Soccer tell us the match is being broadcast in 122 countries around the globe.  

I’m not going to carry on here about the Beckham Experiment, the troubles with Landon Donovan and the Galaxy fans.

With the boos ringing loud, Beckham came back to a good Galaxy team, and made them better.  Before Becks – six wins, 3 draws, 2 losses. With Becks – six wins, 3 draws, 2 losses, first place in the Western Conference, surviving the knockout round playoffs for a berth in US soccer’s biggest match.

So we can validate what Becks means to the LA Galaxy. But has he raised the profile of US Soccer?  I think so, but I’m too close to it, and I need your help. Please sound off below.

Here’s what we know: Major League Soccer has set a new record for attendance during these 2009 Playoffs matches. One of the highest TV ratings ever for Major League Soccer was last Friday’s Galaxy v Dynamo match from Los Angeles, even though it kicked off at 1130 pm East Coast time. When the Galaxy hosted Barcelona this summer, the crowd was the biggest at any soccer match globally since the 1994 World Cup.

My own barometer? An increasing amount of people from all walks of life here in the CNN Center were getting excited about “World Cup Wednesday” and dialing us to tell where they might be able to keep an eye on the matches while at work. I can feel the increased interest in soccer in my immediate proximity. Can I pin it all on Beckham? No, but my feeling is that his presence has only helped grow the sport here, not hurt it.

Let’s look at what Sunday’s MLS Cup Final will be up against on American TV.  Oh no, the NFL! American football, especially the National Football League, is a ratings monster, all but devouring everything in its path. And it’s Philadelphia at Chicago (at 8pm ET), two major markets.  Can Beckham make a dent? I hope so.

Throw-ins:

Has anyone played more football in 2009 than David Beckham? 18 for Milan, about to be 17 for the Galaxy, and seven for England.

Any irony, maybe irony isn’t the right word – to the fact the Galaxy are facing “REAL” Salt Lake, a name based on Beckham’s former team in Spain?

The match will be played on an artificial pitch in at Seattle’s Quest Stadium, the first MLS Cup final to not be contested on real grass. (Real Salt Lake has never won away from home on an artificial pitch in 11 tries.)

Prediction: Galaxy 3, Real Salt Lake 1

Any thoughts we may have had that Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson might just be a little more conciliatory after a recent brush with English football’s hierarchy over criticism of referees have very quickly proved to be misguided.

Ferguson still makes sure not to pull any punches when dealing with the football authorities.

Just minutes after his team’s thrilling Champions League draw with Russia’s CSKA Moscow on Tuesday, the fiery Scot was at it again only this time I have to say he was well justified in his viewpoint.

Fergie, lamenting the fact his men were denied a blatant penalty for a foul on midfielder Darren Fletcher, told post- match reporters that he simply couldn’t believe the decision, describing it as “one of the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime”.

Now how’s that for damping things down!

But for me this latest spat only goes to prove the veteran coach’s appetite for the game is as fervent as ever.

Sir Bobby's advice

The footballing community recently witnessed an emotional farewell to another legendary manager, Sir Bobby Robson.

They came from far and wide to pay tribute to a man who's left an indelible mark on the game he loved. Among those gathered was another of the game's true giants and another "Sir" to boot. That man Ferguson!

There was nothing especially noteworthy about the fact the Scot was at that memorial service in the north- east of England in late September. After all, the great and the good of the football world were all pretty much in attendance. It was more really the little snippet of information Fergie let slip while there that intrigued me.

Remember when he was originally due to retire back in 2001 two seasons after delivering United's first European cup title since 1968? Contrary to popular belief that it may have been his wife Cathy who talked him out of it, the United chief revealed it was in fact Sir Bobby who had a major bearing on his decision. The former England head coach made it quite clear he felt Ferguson was leaving the game far too early.

Once that opinion had been registered, the Scot needed no further reflections. And, as they say, the rest is history. Eight seasons on and one of the sport's most successful managers is still going strong. And how!

Since 1986 he has ruled the roost at Old Trafford, and it's quite clear the passion still burns as brightly as ever. Just witness those frantic last-gasp celebrations when a jubilant Fergie punched the air with glee as United scored the game-winner against a shell-shocked Manchester City recently, scenes hardly in keeping with someone who's not a million miles away from his 70th birthday!

I recall going into the match Sir Alex somewhat demeaningly said that his club's "true" derby was against Liverpool. That's the clash most fans truly relish he added. While there's doubtless plenty of truth to that, judging by the way he danced a jig of joy on the pitch, the fiery Scotsman still keeps plenty in reserve for victories over Mark Hughes' money- laden City.

I personally thought Ferguson would have been strongly tempted to call it quits had his team beaten Barcelona in last season's European Cup final in Italy's magnificent capital city Rome. Indeed, I'm sure he's privately well aware that had his men scored in those opening ten minutes which they dominated, they would surely have gone on to victory against the Catalans.

As it turned out, Barca re-grouped and went on to take control before winning fairly comfortably and that's just one reason I feel the United manager will be around for some time to come. I've got a sneaking feeling, Sir Bobby would have it no other way!

Phil Mickelson has thrown down one big marker. Tiger Woods may have wrapped up the overall Fed- Ex Cup title despite failing to win the PGA's Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta but it was his fellow-American who in my view richly deserves a fair few plaudits himself.

Phil Mickelson winning the PGA's Tour Championship at the weekend.

"Lefty", as he is known, shot a sizzling 65, five shots better than Woods' 70 to come from four shots back going into the final round to leave all trailing in his wake. And that includes Tiger himself who was left in second place three shots adrift.

Mickelson has always been a popular figure and the legions that follow his every move on the course will have been delighted with this showing. And like the man himself, they are already looking forward to next season with more than a keen sense of anticipation.

At his closing press conference, Tiger spoke of how he welcomes a strong challenge from a freshly invigorated Mickelson next season saying his compatriot has always had the talent to make life difficult for anyone. By the looks of it, Phil too is relishing getting going in 2010.

In my view, he must wish this season was just starting rather than ending. He turned to former player and two-time major winner Dave Stockton recently for a couple of days in San Diego, and together the pair worked on his putting techniques.

It clearly paid off with Mickelson crediting Stockton for his red-hot streak on the greens these past few days.

His last three rounds at East Lake saw him shoot 67, 66 and then that 65. Confidence soared with the left- hander boldly declaring he felt he could hold putts of almost any length! And judging by his performance Sunday, he wasn't far wrong!

Mickelson spoke of how much fun he had at the Tour Championship. And who would begrudge him that after the year he has had? Having to deal with the shock news both his wife and his mother were to undergo treatment for breast cancer treatment led to him pulling out of a number of events in 2009 so it was an obviously emotional Mickelson who checked out of Atlanta.

There is now over six months until the next major swings into action. That will be in April at the Masters and you can bet that Mickelson is alreading champing at the bit to get started. And if that putter is behaving itself, Tiger and co have plenty to be worried about!

The challenge laid down by golfer Greg Norman at last year’s British Open - who aged 53, led the tournament after fifty four holes –  has not only been continued, but is growing into a defining trend for 2009.  The "old-timers" can no longer be seen as anything other than true contenders it seems, as a raft of returning champions have proved.

Schumacher has shocked the world of sport with his return to Formula One at the age of 40.

If Norman had led impressively before fading, the achievement was put into the shade by 59-year-old American Tom Watson at this year’s event.  Watson had one hand clasped firmly around that famous old Claret Jug,  such were his heroics at the event.  He would have won it too had he given his putt at 18 a chance but as he later conceded, the pressure and sheer emotion involved affected his stroke at a time when he needed it most and Stewart Cink would go on to prevail.

Watson’s efforts at Turnberry defied the odds but what stuck in the memory were his comments all the way through the tournament- that he felt he had the game to win. That is it in a nutshell. The inner self-belief is still there. No doubts at all in his mind he could win at just shy of his 60 birthday. Watson already has eight majors including five Claret Jug titles - why not try and win another? As the legendary Jack Nicklaus told his compatriot- “just get out there and win one for the old folks!” He must have been desperate to prove to himself he could still do it and that age should be no barrier and he came so close to doing just that.

The rejuvenation of older stars like Watson is a joy to behold and it's not just in golf that those of retirement age are still up there with the best. At 37, Lance Armstrong appears to still have a strong desire to not just compete but to win too. His post Tour de France spat with this year’s winner Alberto Contandor had everyone licking their lips in anticipation of next year. Like Watson, Armstrong still clearly believes he’s good enough to be the best again. I can just imagine him surveying the rest of the field during his “retirement” and thinking there was still plenty of room for him at cycling’s toughest annual challenge. Just the fact he’s going to be back in 2010 confirms that view in my book.

At the ripe old age of 40, Michael Schumacher’s return to the top of Formula One is probably for me at least the most surprising. Yes, the Felipe Massa injuries have played a part, but did anyone at Ferrari have to force his hand? Schumacher's been champing at the bit to get back into that cockpit. Once it’s in your blood, it’s in your blood and don’t rule one the ferociously competitive German triumphing again before the end of the current season. Even Massa doesn’t want Schumey to get too comfortable in his seat after jokingly telling him he’ll be back in no time!

Whatever Schumacher’s performances are like in the coming weeks, one thing is very clear …. He very much like the other “old timers” wouldn’t still be competing if he didn’t believe he could win.

Merely making up the numbers simply isn’t his style.