In his first ever visit to Washington, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham wants tosee the sights of the nation’s capital and make his Major League Soccer debut. At a news conference Wednesday at RFK Stadium, Beckham left the door open that his injured left ankle just might be ready.
“It’s a great place to be, a great place to visit,” said Beckham. “I’m very honored to be here, personally. I’m looking forward to the game tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll play some part of it.”
The 32-year-old English midfielder, who sustained the injury in June while playing for England, has missed four straight matches since a brief appearance in a July 21 exhibition match against Chelsea. On Wednesday he took part in his second consecutive day of training in a light session with Los Angeles after speaking to the press. “He hasn’t been in any drills,” said Galaxy forward Landon Donovan. “He’s done some kicking and crossing, but he hasn’t really run in anything game-like. I can’t imagine he’d play, but you never know. If there’s a chance late to get him in, if we need him, then I’d think [head coach] Frank [Yallop] would do it.” Yallop said, “Ultimately, the decision will come down to David.”
Beckham was honest about the frustrating pace of his recovery, and said it has improved every day, but neither Beckham nor D.C. United made any promises about whether he would take the field in front of tonight’s expected sellout crowd of 45,000.
“I can’t really apologize for being injured because that’s a way of life for any sportsman’s career,” said Beckham. “I must say that it’s so frustrating for myself, not being out there on the pitch, more frustrating probably for people waiting for me to step onto the pitch. I’m doing everything possible to get myself fit, and that’s all I can say.”
For Beckham, Natural is better Beckham revealed that he knows little about his opponent tonight and that his first major crusade in the United States just might be the eradication of artificial playing surfaces. Although he took the field against D.C. United while playing for Real Madrid last summer in Seattle, Beckham said he knows very few players he’ll face tonight nor in the rest of Major League Soccer. “It was the same when I moved to Spain,” said Beckham.
“I didn’t know half of the places that I was going to or half the players in the teams that I was coming up against.” He also incorrectly thought current United head coach Tom Soehn had been in his position for more than one season, but heralded the tradition of the D.C. club. “They’ve got quite a good regime in their club and in their team,” said Beckham. “I think they’ve got a lot of stability in their club as well, which is important.” He also revealed his first major gripe since his arrival in the United States just under month ago. “There’s one major thing that should actually change,” said Beckham.
“I don’t know if I’m being too controversial, but I think the fact that there’s four or five teams with FieldTurf. As a professional athlete, you can’t play a game like soccer on that sort of field. We play on it three or four times a season, maybe more, and the reaction of players and what it does to your body as a soccer player, is you’re in bits for two or three days after that.” Los Angeles plays against New England on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., which also has an artificial surface. “Every game, every team should have grass,” said Beckham.
“Without a doubt, you can’t ask a soccer athlete to perform at a high level on FieldTurf.” If he plays Here are three things to watch for should David Beckham make his highly-anticipated Major League Soccer debut tonight against D.C. United.
1. Pinpoint long balls and crosses Perhaps no player in the world is better at kicking the ball clear across the field and landing it on his teammate’s foot in stride. Playing in central midfield, Beckham’s best attribute isn’t individual flash, but making things look easy for his teammates.
2. Wicked free kicks and corner kicks They say, “Bend it like Beckham,” for a reason. The 32-year-old’s ability to drive dipping balls over and around walls and into the net has even led to scientific studies aimed at dissecting the complex physics of his powerful right foot.
3. No hidden emotions Beckham’s temper has gotten him in trouble regularly throughout his career, including his infamous red card in the 1998 and regular cautions during his time in Spain.
Even if he’s on the bench, expect him to be intensely focused.
