The first part of David Beckham's Olympic adventure is complete, and he has returned to the Los Angeles Galaxy in time to face his former club yet again.
Beckham rejoined Galaxy training Wednesday and will be available for selection when the defending MLS Cup champions take on Cristiano Ronaldo and La Liga winners Real Madrid at the Home Depot Center as part of the World Football Challenge Thursday night (10:30 p.m., ESPN2/ESPN3.com).
It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks for Beckham, who commuted to and from the MLS All-Star Game from London and participated in the opening ceremonies for the Olympics by driving a speedboat down the River Thames to deliver the torch to the Olympic Stadium.
Even though he should be available to play Thursday night and this weekend in the Galaxy's crucial match against the Seattle Sounders, Beckham's involvement with the Olympics is not over.
Beckham told reporters that he will be returning to London for the Aug. 12 closing ceremonies, meaning that he will miss the team's third and final match of the season against rival Chivas USA, which is being held on the same day. He missed the club's 1-0 victory over FC Dallas last weekend as well.
Beckham, an MLS Best XI selection last year, has been playing at his highest level of the season recently, scoring three goals and assisting on four others during league games in July and helping set up the game-tying goal in the MLS All-Star Game. He has played in 18 of the Galaxy's 23 games this season and has scored six goals, a single-season high for him during his time in MLS.
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Are you OK with Beckham missing two matches — including a rivalry bout with playoff implications — for both Olympic ceremonies? What did you think of his role in the opening ceremonies? Looking forward to the Galaxy-Madrid clash tonight?
Share your thoughts below.