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Morning Ticker: Beckham, Copa Libertadores and Man City news

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Good morning all. Plenty of subjects to touch on today, particularly in the wake of the U.S. Under-23 team qualifying for the Olympics, but I will touch on that later. Here is a roundup of news stories that have surfaced over the past day or so:

Beckham a future MLS owner?

Just when you thought David Beckham’s MLS contract was big enough, now comes word that Beckham has an option to buy an MLS team once his contract expires in 2011.

60 Minutes is set to report this as part of an upcoming interview with Beckham. Denials and non-denial denials have already come from MLS and Beckham’s people. It makes you wonder just where Beckham would put a team if he did decide to become an owner. Would he take over Chivas USA and turn it into Beckham FC? Would he take Real Salt Lake off Dave Checketts’ hands? Interesting story to say the least.

Copa Libertadores Roundup

Chilean champions Colo Colo beat Boca Juniors, 2-0, and Paraguayan squad Sportivo Luqeno earned an unlikely 1-1 draw against Sao Paolo in Copa Libertadores action on Thursday. Argentine side Lanus earned a tie on the road against Ecuadorian club Deportivo Cuenca.

Man City plotting big transfer moves

Manchester CIty will go into the summer transfer window ready to spend major money. Manager Sven Goran Eriksson stated that his team will consider bringing in an older, high-profile player. Seperate reports have Man City thinking younger and eyeing CSKA Moscow striker and former Brazil U-20 star Jo.

Mexico names squad vs. Ghana

Giovanni Dos Santos, Carlos Vela and Andres Guardado were among the players selected by Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez for Mexico’s upcoming friendly against Ghana in London on Thursday. Also selected was Aaron Galindo, earning his first call up since being kicked off the 2005 Confederations Cup squad for failing a pre-tournament steroid test.

Here is the roster:

Goalkeepers: Oswaldo Sanchez (Santos Laguna), Moises Munoz (Morelia), Jesus Corona (Tecos UAG)

Defenders: Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven), Ricardo Osorio (VfB Stuttgart), Aaron Galindo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM), Julio Cesar Dominguez (Cruz Azul)

Midfielders: Pavel Pardo (VfB Stuttgart), Andres Guardado (Deportivo Coruna), Fernando Arce (Santos Laguna), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Antonio Naelson (Toluca)

Forwards: Carlos Vela (Osasuna), Antonio De Nigris (Ankaraspor), Nery Castillo (Manchester City), Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Adolfo Bautista (Chiapas), Guillermo Franco (Villarreal), Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona)

Cole apology for ugly tackle

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole issued an apology for his ugly challenge on Tottenham midfielder Alan Hutton in Wednesday’s 4-4 thriller. For those of you who missed it, Cole went in studs up on Hutton, then went off on referee Mike Riley even though Riley let him off the hook with just a yellow instead of a red card.

Comments

  1. I read that Beckham has an option to buy California if he wants it.

    Seriously, I didn’t hear a damn thing, but it would be nice if Beckham did have an option to buy the Galaxy. He could fire everyone connected with the team and start over.

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  2. I had forgetten that Nery Castillo joined Man City, so I looked up his wiki. Wow, he’s got some issues. Anyway, interesting that he has only played two games for them because of a broken shoulder. Surprised he was named to this team.

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  3. The Cole tackle was unbelievable. Just goes to show that they really care little about preventing the behaviour that would stop injuries.

    One time out of fifty that’s a broken leg, but they’ll just blow it off the other 49 times.

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  4. I read somewhere that he has a clause in his contract that he could make everyone in the US start calling “soccer” “football” if he so chooses.

    That Simon is an amazing negotiator.

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  5. ‘morning Ives;

    I think Gio Dos Santos is injured as is Rafa Marquez so I’m not sure if he’ll be called up but that’s a pretty decent squad. Hopefully we can take it to Ghana.

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  6. Has Hugu Sanchez’s position been stabilized with Los Tri? Last I’d heard, they were going to be considering him this week, after the Olympic flop. Have they announced that they are sticking with him, or has there been nothing new on this front?

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  7. IT’s not IN that article. But I did read that elsewhere. The option is for him and his manager simon fuller (of american idol creator). Even if its not for the galaxy. No one on this board has an option to buy an MLS team. They must be Approved by the league. What this is saying is that Beckham has already been, and wisely, approved. But I did read it was for the galaxy.

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  8. The tackle by Ashley Cole leading to only a yellow was ridiculous. You would think that after Eduardo’s broken leg the officials would want to protect the players from that sort of tackle and Cole’s was almost a spitting image of Taylor’s on Eduardo.

    Luckily Alan Hutton’s leg was in the air and not planted because it would not have been a pretty result I imagine. Even more distressing is that as a player Cole couldn’t turn around and own up to making a bad tackle. Instead he turns around and pouts about the referee carding him. Bleh, Chelsea.

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  9. I don’t really understand this Beckham has an option to buy a team story, doesn’t anyone have an option to buy an MLS team is they can secure the money and stadium? Obviously having a star like Beckham as a backer will help garner support, but it’s not like Beckham is going to retire and instead of getting a gold watch he gets The Crew, although a gold watch that Becks would actually wear and The Crew are worth about the same. Maybe he gets a part of the Galaxy when he retires, I suppose that would make sense.

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