David Beckham plans to play out the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011 while continuing to hope he’ll play for England again. Beckham said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday that he doesn’t know what will happen after his contract expires next year.
Beckham has a five-year contract with Major League Soccer worth $32.5 million. He could buy out the final year and leave next month when the playoffs end.
The former England captain would hurry home, though, if England coach Fabio Capello called on him to play for his country again. Beckham is England’s most experienced active player with 115 international appearances. Beckham won’t go on loan to a European team like he did with AC Milan the last two years to keep fit during the MLS offseason, which could dash his hopes of playing for England again.
The Galaxy won’t allow another loan after his Achilles’ tendon injury kept him out of most of this season. The 35-year-old superstar says he is “80 to 85 percent” fit after tearing his left Achilles’ tendon while on loan in March. He was sidelined for six months and missed the World Cup in South Africa.
Beckham will join the Galaxy for its friendly in Newcastle, Australia, next month. His latest injury is one of many that have knocked Beckham out since he arrived to unbelievable hype four years ago, stating his goal was to raise soccer’s profile in the United States.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Manchester United fears Rooney to land with bitter rival Man City
Manchester United fears it will be left with little choice but to sell Wayne Rooney to its big-spending crosstown rival, Manchester City, according to two sources close to the club. United, which defeated Turkish club Bursaspor 1-0 in Champions League play on Wednesday, was rocked to the core by a pre-match statement from Rooney that confirmed that the England forward wants to quit the club.
That leaves Manchester City as the most likely destination, as it is bankrolled by Arabian billionaire Sheikh Mansour and has more readily available cash than any other team in the world. And while other clubs such as English Premier League champion Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona also would be interested, there is a growing belief that Rooney’s preferred option would be a move just down the road.
Rooney also could dramatically increase his salary at City, which last summer made Yaya Toure the highest-paid player in the EPL, enjoying a weekly wage of around $306,903.17 (USD). Rooney was offered $285,915.35 per week to stay at United before contract talks broke down, according to Sky Sports News.
Yet the 24-year-old, who established himself as one of the world’s top players last season before a drastic dip in form, insists that his reasons for moving on are not motivated by money.
That leaves Manchester City as the most likely destination, as it is bankrolled by Arabian billionaire Sheikh Mansour and has more readily available cash than any other team in the world. And while other clubs such as English Premier League champion Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona also would be interested, there is a growing belief that Rooney’s preferred option would be a move just down the road.
Rooney also could dramatically increase his salary at City, which last summer made Yaya Toure the highest-paid player in the EPL, enjoying a weekly wage of around $306,903.17 (USD). Rooney was offered $285,915.35 per week to stay at United before contract talks broke down, according to Sky Sports News.
Yet the 24-year-old, who established himself as one of the world’s top players last season before a drastic dip in form, insists that his reasons for moving on are not motivated by money.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Barcelona takes control over their Group
Lionel Messi’s double gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday in the Champions League despite the hosts’ poor finishing in front of goal. Messi found space outside the area to launch a shot past goalkeeper Johan Wiland into the top corner in the 19th minute. He added the second in injury time after a nervous second half for Barcelona.
Wiland had saved from Messi, David Villa and Daniel Alves to keep the Danish champions in the match at the Camp Nou stadium. But Copenhagen striker Cesar Martin wasted several chances and Dame N’Doye rattled a shot off the crossbar.
Barcelona’s usual precise passing game saw it dominate the first half, but the Danes did not surrender despite going behind early and looked close to equalizing on several occasions before Messi’s fourth goal of the competition.
Messi’s first goal was a spectacular shot high into the net from Andres Iniesta’s pass, while his second was more simple, the Argentina striker controlling Eric Abidal’s errant volley as it came down before poking into goal.
Even with Xavi Hernandez starting on the bench, Barcelona looked ready to roll over Copenhagen as Villa hit the crossbar after five minutes before Wiland stopped Maxwell and then snatched away a hard Messi header inside 17 minutes.
N’Doye missed a header from a well-placed cross in the 48th and then fired a shot past goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto—who was filling in for Victor Valdes— in the 67th but found the crossbar. With Pinto out of position and an open net beckoning, Cesar Martin somehow managed to head the rebound wide.
Cesar Martin had already provoked the ire of coach Stale Solbakken in the 26th when the Brazilian striker surprisingly pulled up from a run thinking he was offside, even though no referee’s whistle was forthcoming.
Only Daniel Alves kept Christian Bolanos from getting Copenhagen on the board in the 74th with a last-ditch sliding tackle. Daniel Alves, one of Barcelona’s standouts, sliced a shot off the far post in the 87th as Barcelona looked to close out and avoid dropping points at home, as it had in the group stage last season in a 1-0 defeat to Rubin Kazan.
Wiland had saved from Messi, David Villa and Daniel Alves to keep the Danish champions in the match at the Camp Nou stadium. But Copenhagen striker Cesar Martin wasted several chances and Dame N’Doye rattled a shot off the crossbar.
Barcelona’s usual precise passing game saw it dominate the first half, but the Danes did not surrender despite going behind early and looked close to equalizing on several occasions before Messi’s fourth goal of the competition.
Messi’s first goal was a spectacular shot high into the net from Andres Iniesta’s pass, while his second was more simple, the Argentina striker controlling Eric Abidal’s errant volley as it came down before poking into goal.
Even with Xavi Hernandez starting on the bench, Barcelona looked ready to roll over Copenhagen as Villa hit the crossbar after five minutes before Wiland stopped Maxwell and then snatched away a hard Messi header inside 17 minutes.
N’Doye missed a header from a well-placed cross in the 48th and then fired a shot past goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto—who was filling in for Victor Valdes— in the 67th but found the crossbar. With Pinto out of position and an open net beckoning, Cesar Martin somehow managed to head the rebound wide.
Cesar Martin had already provoked the ire of coach Stale Solbakken in the 26th when the Brazilian striker surprisingly pulled up from a run thinking he was offside, even though no referee’s whistle was forthcoming.
Only Daniel Alves kept Christian Bolanos from getting Copenhagen on the board in the 74th with a last-ditch sliding tackle. Daniel Alves, one of Barcelona’s standouts, sliced a shot off the far post in the 87th as Barcelona looked to close out and avoid dropping points at home, as it had in the group stage last season in a 1-0 defeat to Rubin Kazan.
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