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David Beckham's return to the United States will be put off for two more weeks after he had his training stint with Tottenham extended.
Beckham was set to join the Los Angeles Galaxy for pre-season this week, but now with his Tottenham stint extended, he will have even less time with his MLS team despite the act the MLS season is just five weeks away.
Beckham initially had a loan deal to Tottenham scrapped by the Galaxy over insurance issues, but now he looks set to miss a chunk of the Galaxy pre-season anyway.
Beckham is in the final year of his contract with the Galaxy and reports are already surfacing suggesting Tottenham will try to sign Beckham once his MLS deal is up.
In other MLS news:
Gordon leads Chivas USA past San Jose
Alan Gordon scored the lone goal to help Chivas USA top the San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, in an extended scrimmage on Monday.
Rookie striker Victor Estupinan set up Gordon with a chipped pass that the former Galaxy striker finished for the only goal of a game consisting of three 45-minute periods.
Chivas USA returns to action on Saturday against the Seattle Sounders while San Jose returns to Home Depot Center on Thursday to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Sporting Kansas City cuts four, including Chhetri
One of the more obvious publicity stunts in MLS history came to an end on Tuesday when Sporting Kansas City cut Indian national team forward Sunil Chhetri.
The team formerly known as the Wizards signed Chhetri last fall and hyped the signing as the club's attempt to make inroads in India, but Chhetri wound up playing a grant total of two games for the Wizards, neither of which was an MLS game.
Sporting KC parted with four players on Monday, including draft pick J.T. Murray.
Revs sign Phelan to extension
Though not one of the more high-profile players on the New England Revolution, Pat Phelan has proven to be a steady and versatile contributor, and he was rewarded with a contract extension on Monday.
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What do you think of these developments? Fed up with Beckham's time in MLS? Starting to wonder if Robin Fraser will transform Chivas USA in just one season?
Share your thoughts below.
Iverson (As an athlete and competitor) >> Beckham
Iverson (As someone who passes the ball) < Beckham (its the only thing Beckham is good at other than FKs)
With all due respect to all the haters, the overreaction here is incredible. He is staying for two weeks of training, not two months on loan (or on vacation), and he will still have weeks to train with the Galaxy before the season begins. If he shows up to camp fit and happy and plays well, well, that’s what they need. And probably what they will get. If Beckham really has interest playing for England and moving to the EPL when his contract is up, then he has every incentive to have a strong season with LA. Yes, the optics are a little off, although we don’t really know why he is staying or whether LA even objected to it. But either way its two weeks, folks. Have a beer and relax.
I would make him ride the pine a little, then sell to some relegation likely team. Riding the pine would show, we don’t really need your media services any longer and force his agent to negotiate a buyout. If Tottenham wants to buy him, sell at the highest price. At this point, MLS is better to make money off this guy.
They need to sell David and stop the horse play. What a waste of time. Make the money off this guy and move on. MLS doesn’t have time for antics.
Can LA cut him ? They should.
I won’t say he adds nothing to LA, but they are a better team with out him I am glad that he adds to much to the “higher quality” league. Let him go there.
That being said….I want him to play for LA this year…because I am not a Galaxy fan… nuf said.
Dude, Home Depot Center facilities are considered world class. And, the gulf in class is not as big as you would lead others to believe. Finally, he is paid by LA Galaxy! He should show some commitment to his team.
I don’t care if the facilities at Spurs are better. I don’t care if the level of play in England is “of a higher quality.” That is totally irrelevant to this discussion.
He BELONGS to the Los Angeles Galaxy. They pay him. They own him. He plays in MLS, not the EPL. He needs to be spending the preseason with his team, period.
Bruce Arena is a notorious hardass. Why is he tolerating this?
No one is bigger than the team. Beckham is delusional and needs to be sold/loaned away.
He raised the profile of the league, sure. But he also raised the profile of his douchbaggery and total lack of professionalism.
Well said
Amazing… i almost forgot about that rant!
I get that Becks was always more about the marketing than the actual play, but at what point does it get seriously demoralizing to the team and some of the hard-core supporters that our biggest star doesn’t care about the team and the league that pays him to, at the very least, be in and around the club?
Iverson = Beckham?
I agree. LA got the marketing they needed to gain world wide recognition. Beckham is more interested in training with a team he has no chance of playing for this season over a team he is contractually obligated to perform for?!
It’s an on going battle with this guy!
I truely can’t wait until he’s done this season. So we can bring in true quality that has the committment and desire to contribute to the Galaxy.
+ 1
Beckham, please don’t come back. Don’t want you.
Oh Davie-boy Beckham, with your Calvin Klein underwear hanging out your scruffy jeans. Your gel-haired crazy head and sporting Sasquatch beard. Please take you shirt off so that we may partake of your pecky man pecks and scream as you send your golden balls aloft, so gently, so supple, as they land with pinpoint accuracy. Oh please oh please come back so that we may see you on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as he does not ask you why you do not honor your contracts, but you tell the world how great soccer is in America, yet it is only good enough to to play half seasons whilst you dream of long night with Fabio Capello. Oh Davie-boy, please come back soon.
Freddy Adu.
Clearly, he doesn’t want to be with the Galaxy. Can we just get rid of him so that we can put the insane amount of money that is his salary into something that is actually useful for MLS?
I am so over Beckham at this point. He is all about Brand Beckham. Frankly, if LA doesn’t win MLS Cup this year, I would have to say his stint in America has been at best disappointing and at worst ineffective.
I feel like they could already call up a bunch of Div 1 guys who are playing mainly for the scholarship. I would think even college players would be able to compete for some spots on the Indian team.
I heard some decent things from Kansas ppl about Chhetri’s finishing. Sounds like he was never going to fit the size/speed mold of the bunbury’s or kamara’s they use in their system. too bad.
Get lost David. No one over here needs you.
Iverson: “If I can’t practice, I can’t practice. It is as simple as that. It ain’t about that at all. It’s easy to sum it up if you’re just talking about practice. We’re sitting here, and I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re talking about practice. I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it’s my last but we’re talking about practice man. How silly is that?
Now I know that I’m supposed to lead by example and all that but I’m not shoving that aside like it don’t mean anything. I know it’s important, I honestly do but we’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice man. (laughter from the media crowd) We’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice. We’re not talking about the game. We’re talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you’ve seen me play right, you’ve seen me give everything I’ve got, but we’re talking about practice right now. (more laughter)
Reporter: “But it’s an issue that your coach continues to raise?”
Iverson: “Hey I hear you, it’s funny to me to, hey it’s strange to me too but we’re talking about practice man, we’re not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we’re talking about practice.”
Reporter: “Is it possible that if you practiced, not you but you would make your teammates better?”
Iverson: “How in the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?
Reporter: “So they can be used to playing with you.”
Iverson: “They should be used to playing with me. Those are my teammates. So my game is going to deteriorate because I’m not practicing with my teammates? Is my game is going to get worse? I’m asking you, is my game going to get worse? So what about my game? Is my game going to get better because other players are hurt on my team, I mean, do that hurt me? Do you think that hurts me? I’m being honest, people are hurt on my team but do that hurt me? Does that hurt me when I go out there and play 48 minutes, does that hurt me as a player? Does that hurt me if this person is hurt or that person is hurt? Do it hurt me?
“Anschutz Entertainment Group are in a consortium with Tottenham Hotspurs to demolish the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford and then to build a new 60,000 seater soccer stadium in its place and to renovate the Crystal Palace athletics stadium.” From Wiki. Connection perhaps?
Beckham gave the Mls global exposure in a sense, one thing they have he hasn’t gave them is good exposure, he makes the league look like a joke globally, does it matter? not really yet it should be embarrassing to the league, that you have a guy that has more power the powers that be to call the shots. If Im Bruce Arena I demand for him to be here, team chemistry is important, when he got here he said he wanted to be one the guys, Well? Im assuming that Arena is burning inside about this, but hes a small fish in the big pond in the AEG picture. Im sure that lobbing long pinpoint passes to Perter Crouch in training, is really going to help Juan Pablo Angel this year. sarcasm!
I agree his training is probably better in England. But, I suspect part of this has to do with his image. He is a marketing machine and built a reputable product around the globe. Major League Soccer simply doesn’t add much to that brand. Therefore, I think it’s a combination of the two things I mentioned above (quality of training/players, heightening the image of his brand) and also…
… I don’t think he cares that much about MLS. So… let’s finish this last year out. We all expected more from him. No matter how upset at this you are or not, in the beginning we all expected more.
More time actually here in MLS, more commitment, more transparency.
*Yawn*, wake me when Beckham actually cares about the Galaxy and not himself.
He moved his family? Seriously, this dude’s mind is back in England even if he does come back to the Galaxy to finish out the season. I like Beckham and think he plays well and tries hard when he is here…when he is actually here.
The Galaxy need to sign a new DP that will be here the entire campaign.
what a sham… im so glad were not under this illusion anymore…
Nobody forced him to move his family back to England. So, that’s his problem. He signed a 5 year deal with the Galaxy and has yet to play one full year.
Just get rid of him…
This is not really news. A week or so ago, Tottenham said he was leaving Feb. 9, but other reports said he was coming to LA on Feb. 24, which I believe is the day after they return from Arizona. The rumor in LA is that the Galaxy decided that it was difficult to have him in the Arizona training camp because of insurance and logistical issues and decided it would be better for all concerned if he just joined them when they return to the HDC. They will still have three weeks before the season begins and that’s more than Beckham’s had in previous seasons with the Galaxy.
Name one other player in any league that has a 5-year contract who has not played an entire season (including preseason) with the team they are contracted to play for. What a joke. He has sent a message to all European stars that if you come to America to play in MLS, you get to call the shots.
get rid of him!!!!
That number was always fantasy — and most of it was promotional endorsement stuff. For LA, the charge is probably more like $25 million.
A bit bummed Chhetri didn’t work out – it was a pretty unique opportunity to market the MLS to India in a way not even the EPL can.
Talking it through with some of my Indian coworkers, in 12-16 years, the Indian national team might be decent. With the number of IT workers who have taken their families to Europe and the US for work and the number of their children who are growing up playing soccer, they’re slowly building a base of players which doesn’t really exists back home, where cricket is king.
Can’t wait for Donovan to call him out again. He’s a bad teammate. How do you leave your team to basically play in the park every day. You should be working on chemistry and getting to know the younger guys and set pieces. Instead you’re pal-ing around with f-ing rafael van der vaart while your fake chested wives go shopping together. Suck it up you panzy.
I love the Redbulls. I don’t love Henry. But he’s a model teammate. Shows up early, is committed to the team, made it back for the beginning of preseason. He is what you want in a DP.
I guess that’s a possibility, but I’d bet they’re just trying to keep David somewhat happy. His kids are in school there and he’ll get to spend a little more time with his family — plus keep up his dream of returning to the EPL.
I”ve said this before — LA doesn’t need him in March — they need him in Oct./Nov.
Who scored 9 goals in four years and cost $250 million? This guy right here.
+1
Initial period being the beginning of January.
Why is LAG putting up with this primadona’s crap? They should tell him to take a hike.
I don’t think it’s this at all – I think it’s the realization that Spurs have a world class facility with world class trainers/experts where he’s surrounded by players who are all better than what he would find back in LA (Donovan aside).
The gulf in class is significant so if he wants to train there to better himself for the season, I don’t see why not. Sure it’ll be better to gel with the team but he got it approved.
Not once since the initial period has Beckham said anything about playing in the EPL. And if reports out of England are to be believed he turned down an EPL team during January to stick it out with LA.
Beckham extends stay in Europe.
What a surprise.
Really tired of Beckham.
could the galaxy get transfer $$ for beckham? maybe over the summer? then again if they are playing well they will hold on to him most likely.
too bad to hear about J.T. Murray and KC. who ever picks him up might have a good LB prospect on the cheap.
I wish the league would just sell him. He obviously doesn’t want to be here and he’s a distraction to both his team and the league. On top of all that, he’s old and cant run
I’m guessing the massively impactful move of Dabo to the Revs is getting its own article?
So how does this work? I mean either sell him in June or force his hand if becks doesn’t have an MVP season they definitely need to sell him.
Can anybody explain why the Galaxy would allow this? Does this suggest they are talking with Tottenham?
I think Beckham’s done all he could for the Galaxy & MLS in terms of Media exposure. He can’t and hasn’t done much for LA sporting wise and I don’t think he cares to either. They got their moneys worth, in terms of exposure and they (MLS) should just offer Tottenham a cut rate to buy him and move on. they got a rested Donovan. Maybe they can ‘gazzump’ Davies from DC if he’s fit enough…
Beckham needs a serious reality check. Yes, he’s good, yes he’s passionate, and yes he delivers pinpoint passes. But does he really think he’s going to play in the Prem league next year?! Or for England?! Dude, give the Galaxy ONE full year out of the FIVE you signed on for!
Beckham is a joke
david please stay in england.
LA please cut him, he isn’t good enough for MLS.