Update - Thanks to the fan who shared this link to a radio interview David Beckham gave today. Thanks!

There are pictures of David Beckham out shopping for sunglasses with his right knee brace on and his left ankle bandaged yesterday in the gallery. Thanks to Tanique33.

The Guardian have a preview of an interview with David Beckham that will appear in this Sunday's Observer Sports Monthly, you can read it here.

As posted yesterday, the results of David Beckham's MRI showed he had sprained his medial collateral ligament. This injury requires approximately six weeks recovery according to media reports. However, Becks said in a radio interview that medical staff had told him 8-10 weeks. The team announced that Becks rehabilitation would begin immediately, there are more details here.

David Beckham said on his official website:-

"I'm incredibly disappointed to be injured again so soon after returning to play for the Galaxy. It's been a year of amazing highs and frustrating lows but I'm hopeful I can still play a part this season. When I had a similar injury at Madrid earlier in the year, I was fortunate enough to come back and help the team win La Liga and then get back into the England squad, so I'm staying very optimistic"

Becks will be very disappointed to miss the September Euro 2008 qualifiers. The October qualifiers are scheduled for October 13 against Estonia and October 17 against Russia. The MLS regular season ends on October 21st, LA Galaxy's last three matches will be October 13 against Toronto, October 18 against New York and October 21 against Chicago. David Beckham may return for one or more of these matches but it will depend on his recovery. I know we all wish him the best with his recuperation and look forward to seeing him play when he is fully fit.

The friendly match in Vancouver scheduled for October 3rd will be postponed for any fans with tickets there are details here.

P.S You can see a tiny clip from Wednesday night's post-game presser at Skysports You can also listen to the audio.

Update - David Beckham's injury has been confirmed as a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee and he is expected to need six weeks to heal. Details here. Get well soon Becks!


You can watch match highlights above and listen to David Beckham's post-game presser online here. Thanks to sidelineviews.

David Beckham sprained his knee during tonight's Super Liga final. The LA Galaxy lost to Pachuca 4-3 on Penalties after extra time ended with the scores still tied at one all. You can read the official game recap online here. The team showed a lot of heart and can hold their heads up having given their all.

Game photos are in the gallery.

David Beckham's Post-game comments

(AP) David Beckham told reporters after the game, "I'm going to have a scan tomorrow and we'll see the full extent of what it is and how long I'll be out, but at this stage, it's hard to tell, but it doesn't feel good.... With a ligament strain, it's 4-to-6 weeks. We'll have to wait and see... If it is four to six, I won't be flying to England."

He also said, referring to the left ankle injury he was already carrying when he began the game, "I went into the tackle a little light because of my ankle and tried to compensate for that. I'd have been better off not doing it at all... It's just gone from one thing to another thing. Maybe it's time for me to just say, `I need the rest,' and get it right and don't come back until it's right."

However, at the same time he refused to rule himself out of Saturday's game aginst Real Salt Lake saying, "I'm going to have a scan, at the end of the day, if the scan comes back tomorrow and it is not as bad as it was then you know maybe I've got a chance to play (on Saturday)."

At the end of the second overtime, Becks limped onto the field to join his teammates as they regrouped for penalty kicks, clapping his hands in encouragement. He told reporters, "I was on the treatment bed... but when it went to extra-time I wanted to be out there on the field, cheering the lads on as best I could"

At the end of the game the LA Galaxy players were awarded second-place medals but when David Beckham's was placed around his neck, he immediately took it off. He said by way of explanation, "I hate losing."



He also said, "I'm devastated to have been taken out of the game when I was because I was looking forward to this game... I've been given the rest to try and get my ankle feeling better and it felt better."

Chris Klein who scored the LA Galaxy's equaliser in the last minutes of the second half to take the game into extra time with a spectacular bicycle kick said, "We're not as good when Beckham's not on the field... Just having his presence around the guys gives us a much needed boost. When he's not there, it hurts us."

Coach Yallop spoke of Beckham as an inspiration, saying "He's playing with an injury. He shouldn't be playing, to be honest, but he's playing... That shows the character of him. And it shows the character of the team, because he lifts the team when he plays. Each game he's played, we've played well. That's what we wanted from David, and he gives that to us."

From the audio of the press conference here are two more lovely quotes especially the second one which I think says a lot about the kind of man David Beckham is, thanks to Ben for helping with these

"I think that the team played for the manager, for themselves, the fans in the stadium, the shirt and that's the way it should be. In other games we have not done that, but tonight we did and full credit to the players. They showed a character that a lot of people didn't believe was there after seeing other games we've played, but tonight it was...."

"Kleiny told me he hadn't scored a goal like that since he was ten... and I said to him about his little son who was in the crowd... I'm sure that he'd be very proud of his Dad for scoring such a great goal from a scissor kick like that."

David Beckham appeared visibly upset after the game and during the press conference. Let's all hope that he will take the time he needs to fully heal now. He has carried the weight of many unrealistic expectations, ambitions and pressure from many people. Get well soon Becks! All the best for a speedy recovery.

Sad news, David Beckham sprained his right knee during tonights game, the details that are known so far can be viewed here. Please say a prayer for Becks or send some positive thoughts and let's hope the sprain is as mild as possible. * The match is tied up at 1-1 heading into extra time and David Beckham is back on the bench after receiving treatment and looks to be in OK spirits all considered. * The match is still tied up after extra time and will be decided on penalties. Captain Becks is urging his team-mates on from the sideline. Go Galaxy! * Sadly it wasn't to be. Pachuca win 4-3 on Penalties.

First of the photos are in the gallery.

Pre-game Information

Tonight LA Galaxy will play Pachuca FC in the final of the Super Liga. The match will kick-off at 8PM PT - 11PM ET and will be televised on Telefutura. You can also watch it for free online as it will be streamed live via the official Super Liga site. You can view a preview of the sold-out match online here. David Beckham is expected to play so let's wish him and the team all the best and hope that tonight Becks will win the first of many trophies with the Galaxy. Go Becks!!

New Blog entry from Becks - Click here to read David Beckham's latest blog entry.

David Beckham's Soccer USA - Episode six of the US version is now online and the UK version will be online later.

Update - Listen to David Beckham talking to the media at training today.



(Source) David Beckham attended training this morning and told reporters "I trained today and I'm still uncomfortable but, hopefully, I'll be ready to play tomorrow... It's definitely feeling stronger, but it's taking time. I've had quite a few matches in a short space of time. It's not really given the necessary time to recover. If I had six weeks rest, then it would clear up completely but that's not possible."

When asked if he aggravated his ankle injury last week, he said, "Possibly. But at the moment I aggravate it every time I play. It's one of those injuries where you can either be out and rest for a month or six weeks, or you just play through it."

One reporter asked, 'with games every 3 days or so, do you pick and choose what games to sit out because you're going to be be hard pressed'? Becks replied, "I don't pick and choose you know I think that's down obviously to the Manager to look at me and to talk to me and to just decide if I can play in those games. If I can play in those games, then I'll play. If it's going to make the injury worse or put me out for another two months then I wouldn't put myself in that position."

Coach Yallop told reporters, "We'll see how they get through today but I expect both [Beckham and Donovan] to play." Full story online here.

(Source) It was also Israel "Izzy" Sesay, the 16-year-old forward from Sierra Leone, first session with his new team and he was welcomed by Becks. That alone was enough to have the teenager beaming from ear to ear. Izzy said, "Oh, man, he's been great so far. He's really a nice guy. I went in the locker room and we just talked and stuff. He said welcome to the team and don't be shy and all that. It was good."

First of the photos are in the gallery.

The Beckhams go to the beach

There are a couple of new photos of The Beckhams at Malibu Beach yesterday with the Ramsay's in the gallery. You can read about there day out here. Also there are some older photos from June 17th of Becks and Roberto Carlos with the La Liga trophy. Thanks to Tanique33 and to sidelineviews for the audio.

Adidas have extended their Impossible is Nothing campaign with a website where David Beckham and Laila Ali lead you through an interactive program where you can create your own story about how you have overcome a challenge in your life. It's a great site for everyone but especially for kids. There are contests on the site that you can enter to win prizes including a chance to spend a day with David Beckham. The contests are open to US residents only and run until the end of November.



As today is catch up on all things Adidas day, I also thought I would post a picture of the new Adidas LA Galaxy away boots that David Beckham will be wearing (we had pictures of Becks home boots earlier in the month) Thanks to Ben for sending this through! Just click the picture above to enlarge.

Super Liga Pre-preview

The LA Galaxy did not train Monday and offered no updates on David Beckham's left ankle injury. His status and whether he will play is likely to be a game day decision. You can view a preview of the sold-out match online here.

Finally, Alexi Lalas has been railing against the LA Galaxy's schedule and whilst it definitely places the team at a disadvantage, it does seem rather late to protest. These comments needed to be made in January when MLS was salivating over the money they stood to make by back-loading the schedule and sending David Beckham and the team on a whistle-stop tour of America. Details here. Steve Davis at ESPN provides a more measured and objective view of how the Galaxy's season has gone awry.

Thanks to Tanique33 there are un-tagged photos of David and Victoria Beckham driving out of the Chateau Marmont in LA where they had dinner in the gallery for anyone who didn't spot them. You can also see a short clip at x17online. Lets all hope that Becks ankle is recovering and that he is feeling better!

Colorado Rapids 3 - 0 LA Galaxy

Sadly LA Galaxy, who were without Landon Donovan as well as Becks, recorded their 10th loss of the season this evening. They have taken 1 point from a possible 18 in the last 6 games. They are second to bottom in the standings and although they have 4 games in hand they are more than 12 points behind the last of the top 8 teams. To be honest, it will take a miracle to make the play-offs but miracles do happen! You can view the standings here and you can read the match report here.

Rumors and Speculation part 2

The Times now reports that Jurgen Klinsmann former Manager of the German national team might be in the frame to replace Frank Yallop as coach of the LA Galaxy. This rumor has been circulating on MLS related messageboards for some time. Klinsmann turned down an offer to manage the US National Team but it is believed this was because he would not have been given sufficient control and decision-making power. Again, time will only tell if there is any truth to this story.

Finally, as football/soccer fans let's all say a prayer for or send some positive thoughts to Sevilla's Antonio Puerta who is in the hospital after suffering from two cardiac arrests during his match today.

The gallery has resumed updates and there are a few more photos from Thursdays game. As well as a nice picture of Becks in the LA Galaxy away kit that Ben sent through. Thanks Ben!

Rumors and speculation

The Daily Mail is reporting that Alexi Lalas is facing the sack and that Frank Yallop's job is also under threat, with the LA Galaxy languishing near the bottom of the table and looking increasingly likely to miss the play-offs, details here. I don't know if there is any real substance to the speculation... we can but dream...

Speaking of people we would like to see sacked. Sportinglife reports that Steve McClaren has defended his decision to play David Beckham for the full game against Germany saying, "he needed 90 minutes". Of course about 30 hours later we all saw with our own two eyes just how much he needed those 93 minutes and how good they had been for him. I wonder if McClaren is familiar with the expression, "It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt?"

Becks on the UK Biography channel

The Biography channel in the UK are showing a one hour documentary on David Beckham's life and career this week. You can watch it on SKY Channel 156 or Virgin TV Channel 242 at 10am and 3pm tomorow and also at 4pm on Wednesday. Check the schedule online here. Thanks to Jane for the heads up!

Also there is a good article in this mornings Chronicle giving David Beckham well deserved credit for all he has been doing for MLS.

Just a remeinder the poll for the Golden Foot ends on August 31. This is the last year that David Beckham might be eligible for inclusion, so please make sure you VOTE and if you go to any forums or know of other sites that might ask people to vote for him, please get the word out! Let's have one last big voting push this week as David Beckham deserves this award!

Also Askmen are running a poll for the top 49 men of 2007. You can vote for Becks in the athletic catergory with a 10 being the highest rating you can give so click here to give Becks a 10!

Becks gets a well earned rest

It has been confirmed that David Beckham will not be travelling to Colorado with the LA Galaxy for this Sunday's game against the Rapids. A press release on the LA Galaxy site quoted David Beckham as saying, "I'm really disappointed to not be able to play my first match in Colorado, when I was there for the All-Star Game it looked like a fantastic stadium... I'd love to be on the pitch with my team this Sunday, but our training staff has advised me that it would be detrimental to not only my health for this game but for the rest of the season as well. Thanks to all the fans that have supported me these last few weeks; I look forward to making it out to Colorado for our next scheduled match there." Let's all wish Becks the best with his recuperation.

Related Press The Times reports that David Beckham’s representatives are almost certain to step in and demand that he does not play 24 hours after internationals in the future which is at least some positive news given that Becks still faces at least 20 games and almost 80,000 air miles, which represents almost a week in the air, over the next three months!

You can also read an interesting column from Martin Rogers and another in The Daily Breeze. Thanks to Siniestrototal for the heads up!

David Beckham and LA Galaxy to play in New Zealand

It has been confirmed that David Beckham and the LA Galaxy will play a friendly against the Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand on Dec 2 as part of their Oceania tour which already includes an exhibition match in Sydney, Australia on November 27th.


P.S The site is moving webhost this weekend so updates might be a little sporadic until things are all set up. Unfortunately we can't currently update the gallery but you can still access it. Updating will resume soon.

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Just a heads up - the site is moving to a new server this weekend which may cause some brief outages.

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You can watch ESPN highlights including Jesse Marsch's dirty foul on David Beckham that should have received a straight red card above.

First of the photos from the game are in the gallery. Thanks to Tanique33!

David Beckham is a wounded warrior after playing another 90+ minutes in the LA Galaxy's loss to Chivas USA. He played with tremendous heart as always and although he put in some great crosses his team-mates were unable to convert. Coach Yallop used up all of the subs and with more than 20 minutes to go Becks, who was running on sheer willpower, hit the wall. He was barely able to walk and couldn't take the LA Galaxy's last corner. He still saluted the fans before he left the field. Let's send some positive thoughts and energy for his recovery his way. You can read a match recap online here.

Post-match comments

David Beckham did not speak with the press after the game. Here are comments from LA Galaxy Manager Frank Yallop and team-mate Landon Donovan -

Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said, "It wasn't the intention to play him at all but he came in and said that he felt okay... And obviously with our situation in the league we need points."

"I didn't want to leave him on but in the end, at 2-0, he tried and all it needed was maybe one set piece or one bit of magic by David.

"Right at the end he looked hobbled... I used him tonight and I shouldn't have done that. I don't like to put players like David in jeopardy of getting injured, and that wasn't the intention."

Landon Donovan, who had also returned from playing 60 minutes for the USA in a Friendly against Sweden in Europe, entered the match against Chivas USA in the 59th minute as a substitute. He said, "I was exhausted. I'm sure David was too... Obviously, he wasn't the sharpest he's ever been because of all the traveling and the game last night. You could tell at the end he could barely move, but we don't have many options."

Yallop, in a departure from the usual vague responses told the media he couldn't envision David Beckham playing in the LA Galaxy's next match this Sunday in Colorado.

The award for the worst timing goes too..

Alexei Lalas. The LA Galaxy GM has expressed his concerns about David Beckham's schedule for club and country. He told The BBC, "I'm not going to deny there comes a point when your body can't do it anymore... If at any point we felt it was detrimental to his health or ability to help our team we would take action." He elaborated, "We have a vested interest in this player and we have spent a tremendous amount of money to retain his services. We want to make sure we get our money's worth and that he is healthy and both physically and mentally ready to go when he plays for the Galaxy."

Where was Alexi's concern for David Beckham's health yesterday? Surely considering soccer is a team sport Alexi Lalas would be better off turning his attention to finding David Beckham a team to play with, the LA Galaxy doesn't appear to have one at the moment. Also, just for the record Mr Lalas, David Beckham is generating a tremendous amount of money for LA Galaxy, AEG and all MLS franchises. In fact his commercial value is generating more revenue than all the franchises combined were making before he arrived. He is paying for himself and a great deal besides. He has already generated more publicity for the club and league than it is has ever received before. The only thing Mr Lalas needs to say is thank you.

There is an article on ESPN that raises some of the many questions Mr Lalas might be better off dwelling on.

The BBC match report is online here and you can click here to rate the players the first of the photos are in the gallery thanks to Tanique33.

Post-match comments

You can watch a clip of Becks talking to skysports and to The BBC above. It's not very good quality and the clips are clearer on the sites.

David Beckham told reporters, "It was nice to get the minutes. In the last nine weeks I have only played two games and trained three times. The ankle still a bit sore but it was nice to be out there"

"I thought I played well... I tired towards the end, but it was good to get 90 to 94 minutes out there. I haven't played many games. I've played about three games and trained about three times... Every time I step on to the pitch it feels like a trial. I'm always wanting to prove people wrong all the time. People expect that I can't handle the travel, then I have to prove them wrong. That's the only way I can do it, by playing well and winning games. We didn't win, but I'm happy to be out there for 90 minutes."

When he was asked if the travel affected him he said, "Not at all, I slept nine hours every night. My body clock's slightly back into the way of life back here in England. So far it hasn't affected me... In the future, who knows? I can't say that it's not going to but, at the moment, it's not and I'll carry on playing for my country as long as I'm wanted."

He also said, "I got a knock on my ankle and it has slightly swelled up again but I'm planning on playing tomorrow."

Germany Coach Joachim Loew said limiting Beckham's chances was key to the victory. "England only got a few free kicks, that's the biggest danger with England, the free kicks from Beckham."

There is a write up in The Times about David Beckham's continued place in the England squad, that is reasonably balanced.

David Beckham's Soccer USA

Here is the UK version of David Beckham's Soccer USA the US version is online at MLSnet.com



Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

Update - David Beckham started the game. The first of the photos thanks to Tanique33 are in the gallery.

Here is a second part of the interview David Beckham gave in Harlem on Friday. He talks about playing for England, travelling and his injury -

MLS Magazine

David Beckham is on the cover of the first issue of a brand new magazine dedicated to covering MLS in the US. A huge thank you to Diane who bought and scanned the magazine for fans who aren't able to get their own copy you can click here to read David Beckham's cover story.

England v Germany Preview

You can view a match preview online here. David Beckham is expected to play in what will be his 97th appearance for England, some pundits are tipping him to start but it remains unconfirmed. Either way let's hope England win and that Becks has a great game with no ill-effects!

Television details - In the UK the match which kicks-off at 8PM BST will be aired live on BBC One. In the US the game will screen on FSC at 5PM ET (there is a 2 hour delay)

Newcastle's Steven Taylor who has received his first England call-up for the match against Germany has thanked David Beckham for taking him under his wing you can read his comments here.

Also, it's a Wednesday and Wednesday's are David Beckham's Soccer USA day so just a reminder that you can see the UK show at 7.15PM on Channel Five and the US show will air at 7PM on FSC and be available shortly after via MLSnet.com.

The Sun reports that David Beckham continues to improve Soccer TV ratings in the US, details here.

In other news, former Real Madrid Manager, Fabio Capello has given an interview in which he has claimed that the decision to side-line David Beckham was not his. He also mentions that when he arrived Real Madrid had a very difficult dressing room with a number of factions in conflict you can read his comments, online here. I certainly look forward to David Beckham's next autobiography.

David Beckham is set to earn is 97th cap representing England in the friendly against Germany tomorrow night at Wembley. The Times reports that Steve McClaren, England Manager, has defended his decision to include an injured David Beckham in the team saying, "I don’t see how rest could have benefited him... He needs to play because he hasn’t had regular games in a long while and he needs matches to get over that ankle injury. It will be good for us to have him fitter in three weeks’ time, in the same way it will be better for Michael Owen." The Sun suggest that Becks will start and play 60 minutes but the starting-line-up won't be announced until closer to tomorrows 8pm kick-off time.

Clip of David Beckham @ training

Here is a clip of David Beckham at yesterday's England training session. I have also added a segment from Sky news that discusses David Beckham's hectic playing schedule.

(Source) England Manager, Steve McClaren, has told a press conference today that, David Beckham "looked very, very good" in training this morning. He also said when asked about David Beckham making the trip form the US for the friendly, "we are delighted in his attitude in wanting to do that and wanting to play for England." You can watch Steve McClaren's press conference and his comments on David Beckham online here. Most media articles don't seem to be representing the context of what was said accurately and so it is worth actually watching the clip for yourself.

England Captain, John Terry backed Becks to deal with playing in the US and also for England saying, "I've spoken to him [Beckham] and he's fine... he's a great professional. He's getting his sleep in and he will deal with it in his own way."

Skysports reports that team-mate Peter Crouch paid tribute to Becks in a recent interview with Zoo magazine saying, "He's still probably the best player in the the world at crossing the ball. For me personally, it's fantastic to get into the box and if I find a bit of space, invariably he will find my head. When he gets half a yard, we know when and how he's going to try and cross it and that's why myself, Michael (Owen) or the other strikers are able to get into the box and benefit from it."

"I want him to carry on playing for England. If he keeps on playing like he did against Estonia and keeps on creating goals for me, I'm all for it."

Becks has added a new entry to his blog you can read it here.

Here is a cute video from Becks visit to FC Harlem last Friday. It features a lot of the kids that Becks coached talking about what it was like to meet him as well as some of the parents. Sweet!

On Saturday I posted a clip of an interview David Beckham gave in Harlem. Another clip from this interview has now been posted on CNN and although 75% of the clip is the same there are a couple of new questions you can watch it here.

Update - You can watch a video of England training online here.



David Beckham, fresh from being a big hit in the big apple is back in the UK to link up with the England national team today.

Update - An open training session was held at the Arsenal training grounds in North London, London Colney, today. According to reports, Becks showed little sign of jetlag as he joined in training. He delighted several fans who had won a competition to attend the open session and also took some time out to chat with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, details here. Photos in the gallery.

Although Becks ankle has swollen up since Saturday's game in NY, he is still hopeful of featuring on Wednesday according to The BBC.

Steve Davis, an ESPN columnist, wrote a really nice piece on Saturday night's game in New York and on David Beckham's effect on MLS if you haven't seen it read it here.

Martin Rogers, one of my other favorite sports writers, has written a good article on the MLS's 'unfriendly' schedule that makes some good points about the problems presented by the fact that MLS ignores the FIFA calendar in it's planning. As David Beckham attempts the superman-like feat of playing two games in the space of 28 hours it would seem to me that the time has come for MLS to start making some allowances for international fixtures.

Finally TMZ have a cute video of Becks at Friday's soccer clinic in Harlem giving his own shoes to a fan.

Update - David Beckham has arrived at Heathrow airport in London, photo in the gallery. Unfortunately the caption says that he was walking with a 'pronounced limp'. We should hear more about his injury status tomorrow. Also I've added the new Intimately Beckham Ad to the gallery thanks to Megan for sharing it.


You can watch David Beckham's assists and his post match interview above.

Photos from the game are in the gallery.

LA Galaxy were narrowly defeated in an epic played out in front of a MLS record crowd of 66,000 who were on the edge of their seats through out. David Beckham started and went the full 90+ minutes at Giants stadium tonight. He showed that he is a giant among men, with his injured left ankle still heavily bandaged and lacking match fitness he played with heart, courage and determination. With three assists and as the creator of the majority of the Galaxy's attacking opportunities he kept the Galaxy in the game but the NY side were the better team and snatched the victory in the end. Although it was only captain Beckham's second start and his first full game in over 8 weeks he has already had a transformational effect on the Galaxy who bear little resemblance to the team that lost to the New England Revolution.

The best is of course yet to come. Once David Beckham is fully fit and the team has an opportunity to gel they will be a stronger side for it! There is a match summary online here and you can view the match play-by-play tracker here. Also 'Beckham sets up three in Galaxy's loss to Red Bulls' from Reuters and a match summary at ESPN.

At the end of the match Becks, although very tired, went over to the stands to greet fans, he applauded the four corners of the field as he always does and gave his shirt to a little girl. More details from the night are on northjersey.com

Press - here are a few more articles, 'Beckham big in the Big Apple' from The Times, '66,000 reasons why Beckham matters to MLS' from Yahoo, 'Beckham alights on planet earth' from The New York Times and 'Becks caught up in Bulls rush' from New York AM this includes a video clip of Becks training on Friday and of his team-mates Cobi Jones and Landon Donovan speaking about him.

David Beckham's Post match comments

You can watch David Beckham's complete post-game Presser here.

On the game: - "It was very different. I haven't been involved in a game like that since I was nine or 10 years old where there were so many goals and the change of play changes so much in 90 minutes. But it was a great game and great for the people who turned up tonight. You see the stadium and you see the fans, it's pretty incredible and it's great for the league and great for both teams to play in an atmosphere like that. We're disappointed because I think we played pretty well in the game and we created enough chances to win the game. Congratulations to Red Bull, I think both teams made it exciting for all the people who paid their money, but we're disappointed to go home without points."

On his ankle after playing 90 minutes on the artificial turf: - "I was surprised to actually play 90 minutes. The manager and the coaching staff kept asking me if I wanted to come off. But I'm quite a stubborn person on and off the field. When we were winning I didn't want to come off and when we were losing I didn't want to come off. I think my stubbornness took over and I didn't want to come off the pitch. It was such a great atmosphere and I was enjoying the game, with so many goals on both ends, I didn't want to come off. My ankle took a pounding obviously, I'm not used to this surface but it wasn't bad. It played quite well tonight. There were a couple instances where I rolled over on my ankle but at the end of the day we have to play on this surface. My ankle is more swollen than it was before the game but I'm sure it'll be fine for the game on Wednesday."

On the recent play of the Galaxy: - "I think it's about confidence. When new players come to the team, it can go one way or the other and it's gone the way I hoped it would. I think tonight we're a little disappointed because we lost the game but there's a lot we can take from the game because we showed a lot of character tonight. To go one-nil down, then 2-1 up, then 2-2 and down 4-2, then come back, it's a learning curve. Sometimes you've just got to accept that you're only going to get a point tonight, but we've got the mentality that we want more and I don't see that as a bad thing I see it as a good thing. It might be bad when you don't end up with a point but on the other side we've got a team that wants to win and that's a positive."

On playing for England this week: - "Only time will tell. I have to see how it is tomorrow. I'm traveling tomorrow morning to London to meet up with the team and I'd like to play some part in the game on Wednesday and then flying back, hopefully get some rest and play some part in the Chivas game. I think it's important for me to get back and be at the game and hopefully play some part in the game."

Read more comments from David Beckham and his team-mates online here.

The official LA Galaxy site have added a clip of David Beckham talking to the press last Tuesday after his first training session with the team you can watch it here. Becks talks about how Victoria and his sons are settling in, it's a really nice clip.

The LA Times has a video of David Beckham being interviewed in Harlem yesterday following a youth soccer clinic. Becks spent the afternoon coaching 33 teenage players from the FC Harlem Lions team and having a great time, details here. You can watch it above or see a smaller clearer version online here. It's a cute interview!

More photos of Becks in New York are in the gallery.

David Beckham New York Presser

David Beckham is really enjoying his New York visit he told reporters, "This has been one of the best days I have had since I arrived in America", referring to the clinic involving kids from Harlem Youth Soccer. It showed as he seemed to be in a very upbeat mood at his New York press conference watch it below -



Part two of the press conference - watch it here

You can also read a great article from Martin Rogers who attended the Press conference about how David Beckham has overcome adversity and criticism, online here.

NY Red Bulls v LA Galaxy preview

A crowd of more than 60,000 people are expected to watch tonight's MLS match at Giants Stadium which will kick off at 7.30PM ET. LA Galaxy desperately need 3 points to keep their hopes of making the MLS Cup play-offs alive. David Beckham is considered 'likely to start' and told reporters, "I'm feeling good. A little bit tired... but I'm ready for the game (today). Hopefully my ankle will hold up like it did the other night." You can view match previews here and also here. Good luck to the team and go Becks


Where to watch - The match will be televised on FSC and FSE. It will be available on MLS TV for those of you who subscribe as it is not being shown on ESPN. I will also post a link to anywhere else I find that the match can be watched live online at game time.

Update - Photos of David Beckham at a youth soccer clinic held in Harlem today and training in Montclair are in the gallery. A short clip of Becks from the clinic is online here.

You can also watch his New York Press Conference online here.



David Beckham and the LA Galaxy flew to New York Thursday ahead of their Saturday night match against the NY Red Bulls at Giants stadium.

Today, Becks is scheduled to take part in an afternoon youth soccer clinic in Harlem, along with Galaxy teammate Ty Harden and New York Red Bull forwards Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore, after which he will speak at a news conference in Manhattan, details here.

Becks schedule over the next few days is enough to make you wish that the Star Trek transporter was real and that Scottie could beam him to the UK and then beam him back to LA! Becks outlined his schedule to reporters saying, "Obviously it's going to be difficult travel-wise. I go straight from New York, if my ankle is fine and I have played some minutes in New York, leaving Saturday night or Sunday and meet up with the (England) team on Monday. We play Wednesday and then I fly back (to Los Angeles) Thursday morning. I think I arrive at 12 o'clock and we've got a game that evening so hopefully I will be physically ready to play some part in that game as well. Hopefully it will all be good" We hope so too! You can read more details of David Beckham's itinerary online here.

Steve McClaren will name his England squad later today. He had already advised that if David Beckham came through Wednesday night's Super Liga semi-final none the worse for wear he would be included. Update - Becks has been confirmed as in the squad for the friendly against Germany, squad list here.

There was a touching story in last night's LA Times about a generous gesture from Becks to brighten the day of an ill fan who was kindly invited to Wednesday's game by LA Galaxy team-mate Alan Gordon. Let's wish her all the best for her treatment, story here.

There are a few more photos of David Beckham's family celebrating his first Galaxy goal in the gallery. As well as a good write up of the game including quotes from David beckham's new team-mate Abel Xavier, online here.

David Beckham Fans Online contest

A documentary, David Beckham The Life Of An Icon is being released on DVD on August 20th in the UK and Nov 6 in the US. It covers David Beckham's life story right up to the present and features his shining moments from 2007, including being voted Britain's Greatest Ambassador, the closing of his final season with Real Madrid and being recalled to the England team. The DVD extras also include a special featurette ‘Brand Beckham’ and an extended interview with Sir Bobby Charlton. DBFO has three copies of this DVD to give away. The contest is open to all fans. Please e-mail admin@fans-online.com to enter, putting DVD contest in the subject line. The contest closes at midnight PT on Monday, August 20th. The three winners will be notified on August 21st and will need to provide a street mailing address at that time.

Shout out to fans in New York

I have been contacted by the New York Post as they are considering doing a piece on David Beckham super fans in New York so if you think you are an uber-fan and would like to be featured please e-mail me at admin@fans-online.com Thanks!

Becks at LAX Clip

Here's a short clip of becks passing through LAX on his way to New York yesterday I added it to Youtube for anyone like me who couldn't make it play on the Splash site -

Update - There are photos of Becks at the airport on his way to New York in the gallery. Also, watch today's David Beckham report online here.

Video - Here is a clip showing David Beckham's post match interview on Telefutura as well as the coverage of Becks great goal and assist from ESPN and MLSnet. Thanks to Notorious


More match highlights are online at MLSnet and watch a snippet from his post-match presser here.

Photos - There are more photos from the game in the gallery.

David Beckham Post-match comments

"It was nice to get the early goal. But tonight was not just about my goal and Landon's goal. I think it was a team performance that was exceptional. We worked hard as a team and played hard as a team and we won as a team.

"I've always said that everybody has to be patient.. I had to let nature take its course with my ankle. It's an injury and there wasn't much I could do about that... I was happy to be out there with the team and happy to be playing again so we're very happy tonight."

It is something [free kicks] I have always practiced a lot during my career, but I haven't been able to take any for eight weeks because of how my ankle has been... As soon as the free kick was given, I don't want to sound too confident but I felt I was going to score as soon as I had the ball in my arms," said Beckham. "Sometimes you feel like that, sometimes you don't get any feeling. Tonight I had the feeling that I was going to score. As soon as I hit it I knew that I had kicked it well

"I didn't expect to last an hour but it felt great after 10 minutes into the game... My confidence got up with my ankle and I was happy to be out there for 60 minutes. Overall, the ankle was a lot better than I thought it was going to be and I felt confident going into tackles. I went into one tackle tonight, which obviously I received a yellow card for... I need to thank the ref for not giving me a red card."

Landon Donovan on Becks contribution - "His ability to see things, he's got a play in mind always before the ball gets to him... He makes good decisions on the ball. You don't see that on TV, but here when he's under pressure and he gets into tight areas he makes the right pass more often than not and gets the ball into dangerous positions. I was really impressed by that."

"If this was him at who knows what percent of himself, I can't wait until he's fully healthy... I thought our attitude was great and I think David in there brought a lot out of a lot of guys."

On Becks goal - "It was something special... We all watch it on TV and you're like 'it can't be that good.' When I turned around I went 'Holy Jesus, are you kidding me?' Unbelievable."

On handing over the captaincy - Donovan revealed he offered the captaincy to Beckham during an earnest parking-lot conversation after the team's practice Tuesday and said, "I'm not stupid and I'm not naive... I know he's been captain of England, one of the best teams in the world. I'm going to play the same whether I'm wearing the captain's arm band or not... It made him an immediate part of the team. . . . I think guys looked at him different and he could say things differently. He was a great leader, and I think he's going to help us."

David Beckham said I'm very honored that Donovan felt the need to give me the armband and that he felt it would lift the team.

Frank Yallop on Becks - "We've all been waiting for that free kick. It was good to see him on the field in the jersey and start the game. We feel he's part of us now that he's played... To get a goal to cap it off, it's a dream start for (Beckham). I'm very excited for him."

Pick of the press

Galaxy win straight out of Hollywood
Source: MLSnet

Beckham's first start for Galaxy full of firsts
Source: LA Times

Beckham's Hollywood highlight
Source: Yahoo Sports

LA rides Beckham brilliance past DC
Source: MLSnet

Beckham inspires Galaxy victory in first start
Source: Reuters

Beckham's comments belie the hype
Source: New York Times

Beckham deflects praise over stellar performance
Source: PA

Extra wait for Beckham was worth it
Source: LA Times

Free Kicker's paradise
Source: Sports Illustrated

Beckham takes captain's armband to great effect
Source: ESPN

Other news

David Beckham has updated his blog with a new note you can read it here.

David Beckham's Soccer USA (UK Version) was added to the site yesterday the US version is now on MLSnet. Episode 3 and 4 can be viewed by fans anywhere as the international blackout has been lifted. Watch it here.

David Beckham had his first LA Galaxy start, his first LA Galaxy goal and his first LA Galaxy assist tonight! He donned the captains armband and led out the team for a 2-0 victory over DC United that takes the LA Galaxy into the Super Liga final against mexican side Pachuca, scheduled for August 29. Although clearly still carrying an ankle injury David beckham played a brilliant 60 minutes scoring a goal from a superb free kick in the 27th minute and placing a perfectly weighted pass at the feet of Landon Donovan who scored the second goal of the night. Becks received a standing ovation as he left the field and was deservedly awarded man of the match! The first of the photos are in the gallery The official match report is online here. You can see Becks goal and assist on ESPN

Update - you can watch the LA Galaxy v DC United game live here. David Beckham started the game and is captaining the LA Galaxy.

Update 2 - David Beckham has scored his first LA Galaxy goal from a free kick on his first start!!! *woot* He's da man!



David Beckham expects to play half of tonight's Super Liga semi-final against DC United. It is not yet known whether he will start or come on as a sub.

(Source) He told reporters, Tuesday, "It's [his ankle] not perfect yet, but I think I can play at least half a game tomorrow, which is important for me... It's important for the team that I at least get on the pitch and help contribute. It was good to get out on to the field today and have a bit of practice... This is my first time, since I arrived, to be out on the training pitch and it felt good." Becks said he was still feeling some pain in his Achilles' tendon and under the ankle. "My ankle's not perfect... It's about 70-80 percent." but he still feels able to play saying, I think the only 20% or 30% that's missing is the strength in the ankle... This is my first day training, so it still feels unstable to a certain extent, but it feels stable enough to actually play in a game and see how far I can take it.

Details of Tuesday's training session are online here. The report says that David Beckham did play in a short-sided scrimmage. At one point he took a shot on goal, resulting in a slight grimace and a little hop on his injured left ankle, proving that while he's ready to join in training, he's still not quite at full strength just yet.

The report also noted that 'his ankle was heavily wrapped. Yet while it's important not to rush Beckham back too quickly, the club hasn't scored in their last three games (all since Beckham joined the team), and his return to the team could be all-important if the Galaxy are going to make a charge up the standings and grab a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.'

Coach yallop added, "It's important because our place in the league needs to get going quickly. It's been frustrating for all of us not to have someone like David available... I think David will be the one who knits it all together.".

Greg Lalas, the brother of La Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas, presented a case for resting David Beckham in an article on Goal.com yesterday, but obviously the brothers are not in agreement. Thanks to the fan who shared the link.

A match preview for tonight's semi-final is online here. Good luck to Becks I hope his guardian angel will be working hard tonight!

Watching the game

Tonight's game will be shown on Telefutura in the US, but fans elsewhere can watch the game online for free on mlsnet.com The game kicks off at 7PM PT which is 10PM ET.

Tentative plans

(Source) Becks spent 30 minutes answering press questions Tuesday and said that, depending on how his ankle holds up tonight, he expects to travel with the Galaxy to New Jersey on Thursday and to play against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on Saturday. From there if he is named in Steve McClaren's squad Friday, for England's Aug. 22 game against Germany in London, and his ankle feels well enough, he will fly to England on Sunday, returning in time for the Galaxy's game against Chivas USA on Aug. 23. He said, "I don't want to be meeting up with England and not being able to take part in the game because obviously that means another player doesn't get the opportunity to play... If I'm right, I'll be meeting up."

Update - According to The Sun Steve McClaren told reporters when asked about David Beckham's status, "We’ve got to assess it [his fitness] over the next few days. He’ll be in the squad, we want him to come over and play a part against Germany but it all depends on what happens this evening. We’ll be keeping in close contact with him and the Galaxy medical staff to see his condition. If at all possible of course we’d like David to join us on Monday."

David Beckham's Soccer USA

Just a quick reminder that David Beckham's Soccer USA will be on Channel Five in the UK at 7.15PM tonight and also on FSC at 7.30PM ET. Update - Watch Episode 4 of the UK version below and you can hear Becks talking about his MLS debut in part one and his new team-mates in part three -


Part two - Part three - Part four

Motorola contest

There is a new contest from Motorola to win a trip to the David Beckham Academy and a chance to meet Becks himself on the official David Beckham website click here to check it out and enter!

Thanks to Ben for sharing two screen shots from the new FIFA 08 game and the following info: It is scheduled for release approx October 9, 2007. The demo should be released as follows: PC-DVD and Xbox360 = 27th august 2007 and Playstation 3 = 10th september 2007. Amazon.com/uk/ca etc might have decent preoder deals for FIFA 08 shop around!


Ben has also sent through a picture of the new boots that David Beckham will be wearing from Dec/Jan. His new Adidas Predator boots are called "Power Pulse". The boots will be dark blue with yellow stripes to match the away kit and he will also have white boots with a yellow stripe to match the home kit. It's possible he will continue to wear his current red and white boots when he plays for England.

Finally someone asked about where they could get a LA Galaxy shirt, I'm afraid all I know about this (and it's not very much!) is posted here.

David Beckham Injury info

Grahame Jones has written an informative article regarding David Beckham's injury. It runs over two pages you can read it here. The article answers several questions that I had and it is also good to read supportive quotes from David Beckham's team-mates.

Kyle Martino said, "He's 10 times more frustrated than any fan or any writer who's kind of slandering him right now... He's in the training room more than anyone else. It isn't like he's sitting in his Beverly Hills house, relaxing, sipping mai-tais, just laughing at everyone. He's really frustrated. He wants to be out there playing." Peter Vagenas, a veteran of the team added, "I mean, we're all trying to build something here. I wish people could see the condition of his ankle. I know David has been pushing to play, even on one leg. But in the end it's better to get him healthy."

The BBC reports that an update on Becks injury status is expected later today. Updated- David Beckham has indicated he will play tomorrow in the Super Liga game against DC United, details here.

Don Cuddy has written a nice column about David Beckham which is online here. Just ignore his references to what David Beckham earns, he like many reporters has been blinded by the 250 million dollar press release and doesn't seem to understand that David Beckham is the money-maker for himself, his club and the league.

There are more photos Of David Beckham from the LA Galaxy's last game in the gallery.

A big thank you to Notorious! for sharing the full clips of David Beckham's pressers from DC and Foxboro with us. The videos are well worth watching if you haven't seen them as some of the comments were not reported in the press.

Foxboro, New England Presser Aug 11 Part one:



Part two:



Washington DC Post-match Presser Aug 9 (10 minutes)

The first of the photos of David Beckham watching LA Galaxy lose 1-0 to the New England Revolution are in the gallery. Thanks To Tanique33.

(Source) David Beckham missed the match against the New England Revolution due to injury. He told reporters, "I'm always disappointed when I can't play but I'm working hard so I'll be able to play again soon."

(Source) David Beckham was booed at the game by sections of the sell-out crowd when they realised he would not play. Becks is receiving criticism for not playing with some suggesting that disappointed fans are more "sore than his ankle". He is also receiving criticism for playing from the english press, whose priority is the Euro qualifiers, and others who think he should refuse until he is fully recovered. The criticism is off-target though as there is no one more frustrated by the situation than David Beckham himself.

At the end of tonight's game David Beckham signed autographs, a 10-year-old girl was left crying as fans behind her pushed to get Becks signature. But she was beaming when Becks reached over the wall and handed her his warmup top on his way back to the locker room.

In the middle of a very difficult and unfortunately lengthy injury period, I hope people will not lose sight of the fact that this is a good man, with a good heart, doing his best.

LA Galaxy coach Frank Yallop told reporters when asked about David Beckham's injury status "It just didn't feel right... He didn't want to risk it, so we decided not to." He also said, "David wants to be on the field... I think he feels very bad. It's a disappointment, but it's a reality. I do feel for the fans because they're excited to see him play and so are we as a team." The official match report is online here. You can also see a tiny clip from ESPN of David Beckham at the game below and a longer clip of Becks signing autographs for fans online here.



The LA Galaxy next play the Super liga semi-final against DC United at home on Weds. Aug 15th. Coach Yallop said, "We are hoping (that) having a day off will make his [David Beckham's] ankle better for Wednesday. He feels better walking around on it, but it is sore... We are flying again tonight and hopefully by Tuesday morning he will feel a lot better."

However team-mate Edson Buddle had a less optimistic view saying, "It is not looking too good... I see him [David Beckham] every day in the training room and it is going to take some time for him to recover. He is good at hiding the pain and he is not one to show he is struggling. He will keep pushing himself."

Landon Donovan has spoken highly of Becks the player but comments such as, "We have a guy [Beckham] who counts $400,000 against the cap and who's a great player... We've played 15 matches and had him for half an hour," are loaded with pressure.

Last week the LA Lakers Kobe Bryant appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show. I missed it I think I was doing my best imitation of the living dead at the time. Here's what went down -

Bryant said he was excited about Beckham joining the Galaxy. "A lot of people are missing out on the beauty of the game of soccer.... And I think him coming here is going to add to the excitement. People are going to start paying attention . . ."

Kimmel: "If he ever plays."

Bryant: "He's got to get healthy, man. He's got to get healthy. I feel bad for him, because there's been so much hype about him coming here."

Bryant said he is eager for Beckham's injury to heal. "I've watched him for many years and to be able to see him up close -- he's brilliant at what he does."

Kobe understands, let's hope that other people can too! Thanks for the heads up Diane!

England friendly news

The BBC reports that Steve McClaren, England manager, may invite David Beckham to join up with the England squad ahead of the friendly against Germany later this month, even if he is unable to play. David Beckham said "He [Steve McClaren] said he is looking forward to me coming over, even if I can't play. It is important that all the players are together... It is good to get together as a team, so hopefully I can be there but I have to be fit physically and mentally to play for my country and I have to play for the Galaxy first."

You can watch an excerpt from the presser online here.

You can also watch a clip of David Beckham with fans as he leaves the Cheesecake factory in Boston and a clip of Becks at practice online here. Thanks to the fan who shared the links.

Photos of David Beckham leaving DC and training at the Gillette stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts before participating in a brief press conference are in the gallery. I have also added a few more photos from David Beckham's MLS debut.

David Beckham told the gathered reporters, "I’m not sure (about playing) at this moment, because my ankle flared up after the game (Thursday), and it swelled up a bit from flying... So we’ll have to see where it is. It was fine running (today), but that’s all that I really tried out on the field. I hope I can play some minutes, but I’m not 100 percent sure that I will. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens (tomorrow)." You can read more of his comments online here.

At one point during the presser, Becks says that if he doesn't play, "it's for a good reason it's not just because I'm being soft." It is very sad that a player of his stature and ability is even having to make such a statement and defend himself in this way. Anyone with any knowledge of David Beckham and his career knows that his work ethic is second to none and the fact that he has been playing, though visibly limping, to appease various groups is a very sad moment in sport. ESPN has a good article regarding David Beckham's injury from earlier in the week that is still relevant, read it here.

Finally, you can read a nice story about The David and Victoria Beckham childrens charity helping a little 4 year old girl, online here.

Photos - More photos from David Beckham's debut are in the gallery. Thanks to Tanique33.

Blog - There is a new entry from David Beckham on his blog, read it online here.

TV Ratings - The Beckham effect was felt in the MLS TV ratings Thursday night with ESPN2 recording the highest ratings for a Thursday night MLS game and the ratings doubling when David Beckham took the field, more here.

Zizou? - There are rumors circulating at the moment that Zinedine Zidane and Becks may meet up in Australia when the LA Galaxy play an exhibition match against Sydney FC in November, as Zizou is reportedly in talks to make a one off appearance for the Sydney FC side. I will be attending the match so I'll be following this closely and will post again if this is confirmed.

In demand - The Times reports that in an independent poll they commissioned David Beckham was the player the english public would most like to see playing in the english premiership league with 39% of the vote.

England friendly - The Telegraph reports that David Beckham may still play in the friendly between England and Germany at Wembley on August 22nd depending on his fitness.

Play-off prospects - ESPN have a good article on where LA Galaxy sit in the league and what will be required for them to make the play-offs. David Beckham certainly has a challenge ahead of him and he will do everything he can to help his new team. As was in evidence on Thursday night, he played with a heart and passion that was sadly lacking from most of the team, let's hope Becks can help fire his team-mates up.

Play Lounge - According to the Washington Post David Beckham and his team-mates celebrated after his debut at the DC night spot Play Lounge.

Next game? - Becks has said he hopes to play as a sub in New England and start his first MLS game in New York but it will depend on his ankle and how it reacts after last night's game. More here.

You can watch ESPN Highlights from the game as well as David Beckham's post-match interview above. Updated - I've added another clip to this of comments from the ESPN commentators and Ben Olsen, DC United captain who swapped shirts with Becks.

Pictures of David, at the game tonight, are in the gallery. David made his MLS debut, in the 72nd minute of play amidst torrential rain, with DC United leading 1-0 and LA Galaxy down to 10 men with Kyle Martino having been red carded. He received a rapturous reception from the 45,000 strong crowd. It was not an easy set of circumstances for David Beckham to debut under, he has had little practice time with his new team-mates due to injury and no real game time in 8 weeks but his passing ability immediately made a difference. Although DC United held on for a 1-0 win. You can read the official match report here. Reuters also have a good overview of the night online here.

David Beckham said of the rain after the game "It was just the biggest raindrops I've ever seen," he also said "It's great to be out there because it's not nice to disappoint people, it's not nice to disappoint people that paid a lot of money to come and see the game... I was thankful to actually get on the pitch. It was a good night, but also a bad night because we ended up losing the game." He mentioned the pressuresurrounding him saying, "Obviously, there's been a certain amount of pressure because everyone is talking about how I've come to MLS and not played yet... but I don't feel pressure in that sense. I feel pressure in myself to get fit and to get back playing again." Now he has had his MLS debut I hope that it will relieve some of the pressure that Becks has been under. You can read more comments from David Beckham's post-match press conference online here. Also you can vote for Becks as man of the match on the LA Galaxy site he is currently winning by a huge margin with 61% of the vote.

At the end of the match David Beckham exchanged shirt with DC United player, Ben Olsen which was a nice moment because Olsen has spoken out in support of Becks during the week and said after the match, "I give him a lot of credit for playing because I know he's not 100 percent... he knew a lot of people were here to watch him and he gritted it out and played."

Also there is an interview with Becks filmed when he was in Toronto on Foxsport for anyone who missed it. You can see Part 1: Beckham Believes and Part 2: Raising MLS? online here. Thanks to Notorious for the heads up!

David Beckham may make his MLS competitive debut against DC United this evening at RFK Stadium in Washington DC. Although, on the other hand he may not. Let's wish him good luck either way! If he does play let's hope it goes well and doesn't make his injury worse and if he doesn't play let's hope that people will understand and that his ankle is better soon! The Sun are predicting that he will play for 6 minutes but their predictions are usually hit or miss at best.

(Source) The latest word last night from Frank Yallop was "The ultimate decision will come down to David... We'll see how he is tomorrow. I'm not going to put him out there to re-injure it. We'll put him out there when he is fit and ready to go. He's getting close. We won't force it. He knows his own body and he'll let us know if he is ready to go."

England Manager, Steve McClaren will probably be at tonight's game, The Telegraph reports that David Beckham has already spoken with him regarding his fitness, saying, "I spoke to Steve a couple of days ago... We spoke about how my fitness was and how my ankle was. But whether it's worth him coming over to see me for just 10 minutes I'm not so sure."

The match will be shown live at 7PM ET on ESPN 2. Fans in the UK and some parts of Europe can catch match highlights on Sky 442 - ESPN Classic, more details here.

David Beckham gave a press conference in Washington DC today. The first of the photos from the presser, todays training session and also of Becks heading out to grab coffee this morning, are in the gallery.

(Source) Here are excerpts from David Beckham's comments at the Press conference: -

On whether he will play tomorrow: "Hopefully I will play some part of it. We're not sure yet. We'll see how it reacts today."

On his recovery: "It's always frustrating when you are a sportsman and you can't do what you love doing. It's frustrating because it's an injury that I have had now for almost eight weeks. It's getting better, it's improving every day, but a lot of people and myself want it to be a bit quicker. Obviously it's a natural thing to heal in a natural way and that's what I am trying to do."

On training: "I trained for about 20 minutes [yesterday], which was good. I still have some discomfort from certain parts of the play and certain parts of running, but overall it's still a frustrating time for myself. It's looking up. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully I get out there playing soon.

On playing on grass versus Field Turf: "I think it's a huge factor that it is on grass instead of Field Turf because on Field Turf playing with my ankle the way it is, it's not right at the moment, it would be dangerous. But with grass, it's a lot more positive for me to play out there on this. We'll see. If it's not right, it's not right. It's one of these injuries that it has to be right for me to play, it has to feel comfortable because I don't want to set myself back another five or six weeks just for 20 minutes on the field. I am doing everything possible for myself to play."

On some peoples reaction to his injury: "Obviously there are going to be people that maybe don't understand, but it's a sports injury. I can't really apologize for being injured. It's just a way of life in any sportsman's career. I must say that it's so frustrating for myself to not be out there on the pitch."

On being in Washington DC: "This city, Washington, it's an amazing city with so much history and to be here is a great honor. I'm hoping to get out and see some of the sites and try to do it out the backdoor, which is just going to be quite difficult."

On the problems with Field Turf: "There is one major thing that should actually change. I don't know whether I am being too controversial, but I think the fact that there are four or five teams with FieldTurf. As professional athletes, you can't play a game like soccer on that sort of field. The reaction of players and what it does to your body, as a soccer player, you [need] two or three days off for that. Every game, every team should have grass, without a doubt. You can't ask any athlete to perform at a high level on the FieldTurf."

I'm glad he said he can't really apologize for being injured and neither can he nor should he. I also loved what he said about not wanting to set himself back five or six weeks for 20 minutes on the field! Stay strong Becks!

David Beckham's Soccer USA

Episode 3 of the UK version of David Beckham's Soccer USA hosted by Tim Lovejoy is online thanks to Kinsellagem. Becks stars in Parts 1 and Part 4



Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

US Fans can also watch the US episodes via mlsnet.com

update - New photos of David Beckham signing autographs after a 45 minute training session at RFK today are in the gallery.

Last month many of you voted for David Beckham in the 'ESPN: Who's Now' Poll but Becks lost narrowly to LT. The final winner was Tiger Woods but he said of the poll, "I don't see how Beckham didn't beat me... As far as global figures go, he's probably far more global than I am. You know, golf is not played all around the world. I think the whole ‘Who’s Now’ [poll] was just about in America. If it had gone globally, it would probably have been different." Very classy comments from Tiger! More here.

The latest from LA Galaxy regarding David Beckham's injury and chances of playing Thursday, which they said is 'doubtful', is online here.

---

More photos from yesterday's trip to the Baseball are in the gallery. You can also watch a video from the event here or via youtube above.

David Beckham and several of his Galaxy teammates were guests of the Blue Jays for yesterday’s game against the New York Yankees and got a tour of both clubhouses before the game.

New York Yankees captain, Derek Jeter said, "He’s a nice guy... You hear so much about him coming over here to this country. He’s down to earth and it was a pleasure meeting him." Yankees Manager, Joe Torres also enjoyed meeting Becks saying "He's a very engaging person, a very nice guy." You can read more details of his pre-game visit online here.

Aside from taking in a ballgame Becks also had a spot of retail therapy while in Toronto you can read an account in The Toronto Star of his shopping trip. The shop assistants were impressed by how polite, humble and pleasant he was. Nice!

Road Trip schedule

The Galaxy arrive in Washington today and practice at RFK tomorrow. After Thursday’s sold-out game against DC United, the Galaxy go north for Sunday’s game against the New England Revolution at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium.

Futbol meets Football

More clips have been added to the Futbol meets Football site and there is a funny clip of Becks getting tackled by Reggie which I don't think was included in the clips that came out a few weeks ago -

Update - Thanks to Tanique33 there are new photos of David Beckham at the Baseball game between the Blue Jays and the New York Yankees in Toronto in the gallery.

Here are clips of David Beckham's complete Toronto press conference for anyone having trouble with viewing it in windows media format (available here). As the media seems to have reported some but not all of his comments I think it's always good to be able to hear exactly what he said for yourself -

For anyone who missed it you can view part of David Beckham's press conference from July 21 where he gave exactly the same description of his injury as he did in Toronto and also gave a timeline online here. David Beckham has been very candid and direct in all his comments regarding his injury status it would be nice if others would follow his example.

Other News

CBC interview - David Beckham was interviewed by Scott Russell of CBC ahead of last night's game against Toronto you can view it with Quicktime or using Real Media Player if you have any trouble viewing leave a comment and I'll put it on you tube.

Money-maker - There is an article out today on the tremendous amount of money the MLS is making from the Beckham effect, with David Beckham's soccer jersey the number one selling item through Sports Authority stores, you can read it here.

McClaren visit - Steve McClaren, England Manager, has said that he will continue with his planned trip to the US so that he can have a chat with David Beckham and also meet with Frank Yallop and Alexi Lalas more here.

Above is a clip from ESPN that includes film of Becks at the game.

The first pictures of David, at tonight's game, are in the gallery

David Beckham suited up in Toronto not in his kit unfortunately, as he is still recovering from an ankle injury, but literally in a suit. He looked very elegant as he cheered on his team-mates. LA Galaxy and Toronto FC played to a nil all draw to grab a point each, the match report is online here.

Frank Yallop said in his post-game interview, "He [Becks] ran a bit more today and felt a little bit looser than yesterday... I don't want to say he will be available for the game on Thursday. We'll see. He's got a couple of days until that game. We'll see how he responds after today. He's getting a bit of work and he's getting better." So it begins - a new round of "will he won't he" because the club has not been prepared to rule David Beckham out of a single game until the very last moment, since his arrival. Although they have known he had a sprained ankle with severe ligament damage requiring 6-8 weeks recovery time since July 13 if not before.

Becks going to the ballgame

According to USA Today, David Beckham and some of his Galaxy teammates will attend Monday afternoon's baseball game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. Yallop, born in Canada, is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. You can read more, including some nice comment from Landon Donovan online here.

David Beckham on playing for England

Becks told reporters on Saturday when asked about his chance of being fit and available for England, "I have to play a few games before I even think about going home to England to play for my country... My main priority is getting fit and playing for LA Galaxy. Getting on the training pitch is my biggest goal at the moment.” With England captain John Terry unfortunately injured there is increasing talk of David Beckham's availability in the British press, however it is pointless speculating at this time, as Becks says, his first objective is to return to [pain-free, ice-free] training! Let's hope we see that soon. Source

Update - David Beckham's press conference in full is online here.



Thanks to Tanique there are a photos of David Beckham from today's training session and press conference in Toronto in the gallery.

(Source) David Beckham arrived in Toronto last night with the LA Galaxy. They are staying at the King Edward Hotel and the team dined at the Ultra Supper Club last night. There was a press conference today after a training session at BMO Field.

David Beckham made it clear that he is highly unlikely to play in the match against Toronto FC saying "I don't think I will be involved in the game tomorrow unfortunately... Unless there is a drastic change I won't be on the pitch tomorrow. Today was the first time that I ran. Running straight forward is not a problem but turning corners is still a problem and I don't think I'll be involved in the game."

Becks also made it clear that his participation in the Galaxy's next game, this Thursday against DC United in Washington DC was doubtful, saying "It would be nice to play some part of the game in Washington but I'll just have to keep my fingers' crossed...A week to 10 days is what I'm looking at." He also made an apology for missing the game in Dallas, explaining that he has to be very careful with his injury. He said, "I want to be fit and I want to perform when I'm playing games, that's the most important thing to me. I'm here for five years -- I'm not just here for four or five games." Full story here. There is also a good summary of the full press conference online here including comments from Becks about the paparazzi.

LA Galaxy coach Frank yallop was asked earlier today if David Beckham would play tomorrow and said "probably not". Team captain Landon Donovan said Becks ankle is improving, "When he got here, it was like a balloon... you kind of looked at it and said, 'You're going to play on that?'... When he played in the Chelsea game, it was almost a miracle at that point. He shouldn't have been playing probably. But he's getting a lot better", you can read more from his team-mates online here. You can see a clip from the CBC that includes a snippet of the press conference and the training session below -

David Beckham interview

There is a long article about David Beckham including an interview in the Canadian Globe and Mail today.

Support Becks

As you all know David Beckham has been receiving some negative press and criticism because he is injured. If you would like to show Becks your support at this time there are several ways you can show him some love!

Firstly, as you know David Beckham has a myspace so you can log in to or register for a myspace account and then ask to be added as a friend to Becks official myspace and then once you are added you can leave a comment.

Secondly, you can send a note to David Beckham to his club

David Beckham
c/o The LA Galaxy
The Home Depot Center
18400 Avalon Blvd. Suite 200
Carson, CA 90746
USA

Thirdly, you can leave a message of support online here. The messages will be collated into a single e-mail and sent to a representative of David Beckham.

Disclaimer: I honestly don't know whether David Beckham will definitely receive or read any of the messages sent by these three methods, I'm just a fan like you but I think that at the very least Becks will hear that there have been a lot of supportive messages coming through :)

Here is a new documentary called 'Beckham' which covers David Beckham's life and career from his childhood to the present. A lot of the footage used has been seen before in other programmes so you might want to watch it online first, to decide if you want to download it as a torrent here (it's a 700Mb avi file) There are a few screen shots in the gallery.

Part one:



Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Thanks to Notorious for the heads up.

(Source) As expected, David Beckham will travel to Toronto with the team tomorrow, ahead of Sunday's MLS game. However, Frank Yallop said "The chances are probably slim [that Beckham will play on Sunday... It'd be tough to put him in the lineup with what he's been doing. He may have some part in the game, but we'll see."

As his new teammates train, David Beckham engages in rehabilitation that includes cardiovascular work, tissue manipulation and friction massage to break up scar tissue. "He's very frustrated," Yallop said. "I feel for him, really, because he wants to get going. He can't wait to get on the field with these guys because he wants to prove to them why we brought him over... Once you get to know David, he's a very humble person... He's very much for the team, that's all he talks about. I think that's important for these guys, his teammates, to know. He's not all about himself at all."

LA Galaxy team-mate Harmes said he is impressed with "just the way he handles himself with anybody... whether it's somebody asking for a picture, he's always smiling, he always says hello, he's always saying thank you... With how much he's in the spotlight, he lives up to it."

Galaxy defender Ante Jazic said, "He's just a simple guy. He loves his family, he talks all about his family. In the locker room, he's adapted extremely well. He talks to everybody."

It's nice to see that he and his team-mates have clicked so well! Hopefully that makes this frustrating time a little easier. You can also read a report on Becks injury status on the LA Galaxy site.

TV Coverage - The Toronto FC v LA Galaxy game with be televised on The CBC in Canada, UKTV in the UK, Fox Sports Net locally in Los Angeles and ESPN2 nationwide in the US (excluding Los Angeles). Check your local listings for details.

Super Liga News

The LA Galaxy will play DC United at home on August 15 in the semi-final of the Super Liga. The match will be streamed live via the Super Liga 2007 site in both english and spanish, thanks to Ben for the info. LA Galaxy are also playing a regular MLS game away to DC United on August 9th so that will be an interesting match to watch ahead of the semi-final.

David Beckham's Soccer USA 2

Episode 2 of Channel Five's David Beckham's Soccer USA hosted by Tim Lovejoy is now on youtube thanks to kinsellagem. There are highlights from the Dallas FC 5 - 6 LA Galaxy match but for those of you who just want to see the part most relevant to Becks - Part 7 has a segment with Becks coaching at the David Beckham Academy.



Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

Here is a cute Retro Q & A from the movie "Really Bend it like Beckham" via You Tube thanks to kauragyourov109 for anyone who hasn't seen it before -



There's also a behind the scenes clip from the same DVD that is well worth watching here.

David Beckham's Soccer USA

Just a reminder to UK and US based fans that the second episode of David Beckham's Soccer USA will screen tonight so get your recorders ready to go! In the UK the Tim Lovejoy hosted show will air at 7.15PM on Channel Five and in the US the Natalie Pinkham hosted show will go to air at 8PM ET on FSC. You can watch episode one of the UK show online here.

David Beckham's first training session

The LA Galaxy official site recently added a clip from David Beckham's July 16 training session if, like me, you hadn't spotted it - here it is thanks to Notorious!

Pele and the Pop star quote

I just wanted to set the record straight on the articles doing the rounds at the moment that claim Pele has just come out and said that David Beckham is more of a pop star than a player. He hasn't. He made the comment in August 2003 in Mexico City when he was filming a commercial for Viagra. He said that "Real Madrid are a team with a lot of money who can afford to buy the best star players" and that "Football today is also entertainment and people want players to be stars rather than footballers". He also said that "David Beckham is more pop star than player." He was speaking in a completely different context. You can see the original story in Sports Illustrated.

I'm all for recycling but this is ridiculous. Literally hundreds of media outlets have run this "new" story that takes the Pele quote and twists it to give it a far more negative connotation suggesting it is a comment on David Beckham's approach to playing in the US. It was in fact a comment, albeit a groundless one, made when discussing the state of the game in 2003.