Injury Limits Beckham in First Practice
By BETH HARRIS,
AP
Posted: 2007-07-16 21:10:38
Filed Under: Soccer
CARSON, Calif. (July 16) - David Beckham was limited to some stretching and kicking drills because of a lingering ankle injury in his first practice Monday since joining the Los Angeles Galaxy.
He is scheduled to make his playing debut Saturday in an exhibition against Chelsea, but Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said the superstar midfielder is day-to-day.
"His ankle is quite swollen," Yallop said. "We're hoping it recovers quickly and he can have some part in the game."
Beckham didn't speak to reporters after practice.
He originally hurt his left ankle playing for England in a European Championship qualifier on June 6 and it flared up again June 17 in his final game with Real Madrid.
Saturday's game, part of the four-team World Series of Football, is sold out and ESPN will televise it live, using 19 cameras to track Beckham.
The Galaxy (3-5-4) will take part Tuesday night in the World Series' opening doubleheader, which Beckham was never penciled in to play.
He smiled and waved to about 1,000 fans who attended the open practice three days after Beckham's confetti-filled introduction at the stadium.
Several of his No. 23 jerseys - L.A.'s hottest fashion trend - were spotted in the stands.
"It's insane," Galaxy defender Quaras Kirk said. "It's like a circus. Obviously, we're not used to it, but it's great."
Ethan Allen of Torrance wore a red Manchester United jersey, Beckham's old team in England.
"Before this season, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've been to a Galaxy game," he said. "But since Beckham is here, I'm going to support Major League Soccer and I'm going to support the Galaxy as well."
Beckham's new teammates did the bulk of the work in practice while he alternately sat on the field watching, his left ankle taped, and stretched in front of flashing camera lenses.
He wore the same gold jersey and blue shorts as his teammates. His jersey had short sleeves, a switch from the long-sleeved style preferred by Beckham.
Youngsters clutching soccer balls and pens shouted "Beckham!" trying to get his attention and an autograph.
"It's going to be interesting to see how he turns the team around," said Brian Caplen of Long Beach, a London native who wore an older Chelsea jersey.
"Obviously, he's got the skills but one player does not make a team. I wouldn't say I'm a Galaxy fan, but I'm curious to see how well they do."
So is Landon Donovan, the Galaxy's resident star before Beckham arrived.
"It's not basketball, where one player can make a massive, massive difference," he said. "While David is a very good player, we have to play well to make that work."
Donovan said the team is "grateful" for the onslaught of worldwide attention their new addition has generated.
"It's better than the alternative," he said.
Donovan described Beckham as "a little shy" his first day with the team Friday.
"He's warmed up a lot the last couple days," he said. "He's a great guy. I've heard that from people and now I can confirm it."
Clearly, a feeling out process was under way for Beckham and his teammates, some of whom were taken aback by the screaming fans and horde of journalists - elements absent from typical practices.
"He's used to this kind of hoopla and attention, but we're not," goaltender Joe Cannon said. "But he's been a gentleman, a good guy in the locker room. Anyone that comes in with so much hype surrounding them, you don't feel bad for the guy, but we understand and let him do his thing."
Already, the team has teased Beckham about his famous bending free kicks.
"When we do get a free kick, we joke around, 'Hey, David, let me take this one,"' Cannon said.
Beckham's health is the No. 1 question on the minds of his teammates, fans, sponsors and TV executives.
"He's getting better. He's still not 100 percent," Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas said. "Yeah, we want him out there. He wants to play. But we have to remind people this is a human and not a robot."
Lalas said it would be up to the team's training staff to decide whether Beckham is able to play Saturday.
"He's chomping at the bit," Donovan said.
"His ankle is quite swollen," Yallop said. "We're hoping it recovers quickly and he can have some part in the game."
Beckham didn't speak to reporters after practice.
He originally hurt his left ankle playing for England in a European Championship qualifier on June 6 and it flared up again June 17 in his final game with Real Madrid.
Saturday's game, part of the four-team World Series of Football, is sold out and ESPN will televise it live, using 19 cameras to track Beckham.
The Galaxy (3-5-4) will take part Tuesday night in the World Series' opening doubleheader, which Beckham was never penciled in to play.
He smiled and waved to about 1,000 fans who attended the open practice three days after Beckham's confetti-filled introduction at the stadium.
Several of his No. 23 jerseys - L.A.'s hottest fashion trend - were spotted in the stands.
"It's insane," Galaxy defender Quaras Kirk said. "It's like a circus. Obviously, we're not used to it, but it's great."
Ethan Allen of Torrance wore a red Manchester United jersey, Beckham's old team in England.
"Before this season, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've been to a Galaxy game," he said. "But since Beckham is here, I'm going to support Major League Soccer and I'm going to support the Galaxy as well."
Beckham's new teammates did the bulk of the work in practice while he alternately sat on the field watching, his left ankle taped, and stretched in front of flashing camera lenses.
He wore the same gold jersey and blue shorts as his teammates. His jersey had short sleeves, a switch from the long-sleeved style preferred by Beckham.
Youngsters clutching soccer balls and pens shouted "Beckham!" trying to get his attention and an autograph.
"It's going to be interesting to see how he turns the team around," said Brian Caplen of Long Beach, a London native who wore an older Chelsea jersey.
"Obviously, he's got the skills but one player does not make a team. I wouldn't say I'm a Galaxy fan, but I'm curious to see how well they do."
So is Landon Donovan, the Galaxy's resident star before Beckham arrived.
"It's not basketball, where one player can make a massive, massive difference," he said. "While David is a very good player, we have to play well to make that work."
Donovan said the team is "grateful" for the onslaught of worldwide attention their new addition has generated.
"It's better than the alternative," he said.
Donovan described Beckham as "a little shy" his first day with the team Friday.
"He's warmed up a lot the last couple days," he said. "He's a great guy. I've heard that from people and now I can confirm it."
Clearly, a feeling out process was under way for Beckham and his teammates, some of whom were taken aback by the screaming fans and horde of journalists - elements absent from typical practices.
"He's used to this kind of hoopla and attention, but we're not," goaltender Joe Cannon said. "But he's been a gentleman, a good guy in the locker room. Anyone that comes in with so much hype surrounding them, you don't feel bad for the guy, but we understand and let him do his thing."
Already, the team has teased Beckham about his famous bending free kicks.
"When we do get a free kick, we joke around, 'Hey, David, let me take this one,"' Cannon said.
Beckham's health is the No. 1 question on the minds of his teammates, fans, sponsors and TV executives.
"He's getting better. He's still not 100 percent," Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas said. "Yeah, we want him out there. He wants to play. But we have to remind people this is a human and not a robot."
Lalas said it would be up to the team's training staff to decide whether Beckham is able to play Saturday.
"He's chomping at the bit," Donovan said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2007-07-16 20:32:41
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BS Ranch Perspective
Just the other day when Dave and his wife were arriving here from the United Kingdom, the Assoc. Press even then brought up and asked if they were greatful that Beckham was in the States, and there was a limited Crowd Arrival group that had raised even a small roar, I know that there was Excitement Introduced with Beckham and his wife, as if they get into and out of a Car different then anyone else in the world does, I guess It is such an oddity that they carry their own bags and that they have a Driver to get around needs to be documented! I am sorry, they seem to wear the same cloths as many of us, sure they are more expensive then many of us can afford.
I suppose that even with the the HUGE paycheck that David Beckham gets from "playing a game" of 'Football'- Socar, He doesn't pay for any of the expensive clothing that he wears! Here he makes a Paycheck over $250, 000.00 and he doesn't have to pay for his clothing, then everywhere that he goes he is photographed becuase the way that he drives, or the way that he Negotiates his way into and out of businesses, in the United States are so Unique compaired to that of anyone else that it has to be photographed!!
His entering and exiting has to be phtographed to the point that people wait for hours to collect the picture!
I have a Theory on this Phenomonone! The Theory is as follows, that there is five to six photgraphers on the payroll of the Star's that they take pictures of! they are there taking pictures of so much so that Videogephers such as TMZ.com, come into contact with the five to six photographers that are on the Star's payroll and they approach the photographers and they say, that they are there becuase that David Beckham, & his wife are in the Restaruant & they are waiting for them to come out to see who they had dinner with, and see who they come out with etc etc...
I bet that was the way that they got the Linsey Lohan Videogaphy, on a Holleywood Street, walking with Paris Hilton and her friends. Paris just walked while Paris Hilton's Friend was putting down Linsey's Love makeing how she was Ghetto, becuase she was only worth some $7Million, Paris just walked along and laughed. TMZ.com might have been set up for this Video ography, and the people that were there taking photo's of Paris and her friends walking with them besides the TMZ.com people were all on the payroll of Paris Hilton, as they just laughed and laughed and had a great time.
So, it is my belief that in many of these cases that the photographers are paid to follow the stars around and take Their Pictures and make them important, Even when we know that they are ordinary people. Actors are messed up in many ways because they cannot be the one thing any more that they used to be, and that was themselve.
A Sports Figure can do something that many of us cannot, but Beckham is on the laddar part of his career, and he came to the USA, becuase they would have NEVER PAID BECKHAM THE AMOUNT THAT HE IS GETTING TO PLAY HIS TWILIGHT YEAR, in the United States of America.
BS Ranch
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