11/05/24
November 05, 2007
Beckham beats Hollywood strikers.: No, not those Hollywood strikers. I'm talking about Beckham's LA Galaxy beating by 12-4 Vinnie Jones's Hollywood United FC last night to raise money for victims of the Southern CA wildfires. Apparently, England manager Steve MacLaren was in town to assess Beckham's fitness, unbeknownst to the England FA, and that is adding further controversy to an already contentious management stint.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:17 PM - 16 comments
You know, rater, I agree with you. I think they made a film about it, too. Do you look like Ricky Tomlinson?
posted by owlhouse at 04:53 PM on November 05, 2007
Do We REALLY CARE?
posted by smooth26 at 06:20 PM on November 05, 2007
Do We REALLY CARE? If you don't REALLY CARE, why post? Did you REALLY read the guidelines?
posted by tommybiden at 07:44 PM on November 05, 2007
Hi Smooth Thanks for your first comment to the site. I know you've been here less than a month, but do check out the posting guidlines. We like all sorts of sport here. Just because you don't care doesn't mean others aren't interested. Respect, please. Yours sincerely Everyone else.
posted by owlhouse at 07:44 PM on November 05, 2007
Becks can run his ass off against a Hollywood team but can't suit up for MLS or for England? I commend and applaud his efforts for putting this game together to raise funds, but his priorities are all screwed up as far as ever being a serious footballer again.
posted by urall cloolis at 10:39 PM on November 05, 2007
Becks was injured and return for the Galaxy at the end of the season. Now he's back in the running for England selection. How does not playing while injured and then playing again when fit show skewed priorities?
posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:45 PM on November 05, 2007
Bis- awful convenient when he is always injured during club and training, then healthy when season over and looking for an England spot. It is becoming a pattern. He should feign taking his job (and contract) seriously and rehab to be ready for next season. But MLS bought him to sell tickets, merchandise and posters, not to play ball anyway.
posted by urall cloolis at 12:22 AM on November 06, 2007
In the end, he won't sell tickets and merchandise if he doesn't play well (or all). It was probably his desire to get into the games which cost him some of that injury time. And he missed at least one Euro qualifier during that stretch (maybe two but I can't remember). If you've caught any of the matches he has played in MLS, you can see he is 100% committed to the cause.
posted by Ricardo at 05:39 AM on November 06, 2007
Awful convenient? Aye, I noticed how much he loves convenience when he played for the Galaxy 8/18, flew to England to play for his national team 8/22 and then flew back to California to play the full 90 minutes for the Galaxy the next day - 8/23. Don't confuse Becks with his wife - he's one of the hardest-working skill players I've seen.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:45 AM on November 06, 2007
Hold on, now; Posh was one of the hardest-working Spice Girls I've ever seen; just because she's no Beckham, she... wait, now I'm all mixed up. Carry on.
posted by Hugh Janus at 02:12 PM on November 06, 2007
you can see he is 100% committed to the cause. We must have different causes in mind. The Becks I have seen since arriving doesn't seem interested in the MLS, the LA Galaxy, or improving American soccer in general. The only times he played in consecutive matches for 90 minutes is before and after the England v Germany match. He had to play in those two games here. If he didn't, how could anyone justify his place on the England squad? He and Madrid hid the severity of his injury before he came. Once here he played in a meaningless friendly v Chelsey and got hurt for the sake of publicity. His appearances for the Galaxy were determined by the schedule of ESPN, not Galaxy trainers. And when the Galaxy needed him in the run to the playoffs, he was absent. Becks wants his 100th CAP. If he needs to shuttle out for a charity game, or pub match, to get on the squad, he will do it. If it means better players, like David Bentley, are kept off the squad, he is fine with that too. Whatever it takes to get to 100. As far as I can tell, the only "cause" Beckham is interested in is his "Q" score.
posted by r8rh8r27 at 03:36 PM on November 06, 2007
he's one of the hardest-working skill players I've seen. When he has the ball that may be true. He rarely defends even moderately well and I have not seen him engage in a tackle for quite a few years. On top of that is his personal agenda which has nothing to do with MLS or the Galaxy, the team that is paying him 20 times his worth. And everyone thinks A-Rod is stealing money.
posted by urall cloolis at 09:49 PM on November 06, 2007
Don't confuse Becks with his wife - he's one of the hardest-working skill players I've seen. Agreed, this gets overlooked far too often. He rarely defends even moderately well and I have not seen him engage in a tackle for quite a few years. Have a look when he's heathly. United ingrained in him to always fight back for the ball, as they do all they're players, and I believe he does that conisistently when he's healthy. If he's not healthy but his coach wants him in, he has no choice but to save himself to prevent further injury. I call that smart. He's never particularly liked a tackle, that's true, but he does fight back to be the first defender.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 10:50 AM on November 07, 2007
United ingrained in him to always fight back for the ball, as they do all they're players, and I believe he does that conisistently when he's healthy Fighting back for a ball just lost and engaging in tackles while defending are two seperate parts of the game. We will probably never agree on this issue. He must not have been healthy at all for Madrid either. I rarely saw him engage at Madrid or his last year or so for United, that was a major big knock on his game that landed him on the bench at Madrid and United allowing him to go there. Both squads claimed he was too one dimensional-offense only. His big prowess has always been crossing and taking direct free kicks (not PKs). He should be able to defend against marginal talent in MLS, but we will have to wait until next year to find out whether he is willing.
posted by urall cloolis at 06:29 PM on November 07, 2007
I don't think we disagree, urall. Beckham is no tackler, which was clearly seen in '02 World Cup when he jumped out of a challenge near the touchline against Brazil in the quarterfinals. Brazil won the ball, made two passes.....goal. All I'm saying is, when he's healthy, he's working much harder to get back and become first defender, something hardly any winger does. I guess my point was is willingness to defend is better with age (oddly) and his work rate has become better than most.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 01:03 PM on November 08, 2007
I think Mac is trying to get fired. There must be a buy-out clause in his contract that says he gets "X" million pounds if sacked before European qualifiers are complete. England would be better off if the SpoFi Fantasy Champion picked the team *points to self* :^)