AP“Every ball he touched was pure magic,” said Juan Pablo Angel, the Red Bulls’ forward and captain.
Bruce Arena, the Red Bulls’ coach, suggested that Beckham looked maybe 60 percent fit. That number is unlikely to rise much further, with the hectic schedule of travel and matches he has set for himself. There are at least four Euro 2008 qualifiers coming up for England that figure to crowd the Galaxy’s own demanding fixtures. England is struggling, sitting in fourth place in its group, which is why McClaren has turned to Beckham in a humbling reversal of policy.
It is one thing for Beckham to play in those important qualifiers. But Beckham is also heading over to England now for a mere exhibition match against archrival Germany. Presumably, Beckham believes he needs to make this commitment in order to win favor with McClaren.
Yallop was asked repeatedly whether he wanted Beckham to do this. The Galaxy coach repeatedly chose to avoid answering the question.
“He wants to go,” was all Yallop would say. “That’s important to him.”
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“It’s exciting, it’s different,” Beckham said of MLS soccer. “You’ve just got to experience it. I’m enjoying it immensely.”
He must enjoy the bus rides, the small bags of pretzels on airplanes, the frantic and sometimes sloppy pace of these matches. Surely, it’s more than the $250 million that has grabbed Beckham, because money can’t buy this kind of love. The Beatles once told us that, and we didn’t want them to ever leave our shore.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Alex Morgan's 2 goals, including the winner in stoppage time, lift the U.S. past New Zealand 2-1.
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Life of Becks Top images of the life on and off the soccer field for England superstar David Beckham. more photos |
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