World-fame soccer star David Beckham will be sidelined during
Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New
York Red Bulls, his team said.
An injury sustained in practice and soccer's limited
substitution rule could also keep him sidelined.
Beckham last played Aug. 29 when he suffered a right knee sprain
in the Super Liga final at The Home Depot Center in Carson. He
returned to practice Oct. 2 and practiced both Tuesday and
yesterday. However, during yesterday's practice, he aggravated a
left ankle injury that had limited his playing time since debuting
with the Galaxy July 21.
Soccer's substitution rules could also be a factor on whether
Beckham plays. Teams are limited to making three substitutions in a
game and as in baseball, a substituted player cannot re-enter the
game, making a soccer coach's substitution options more limited
than their basketball or American football counterparts.
The Galaxy is in the midst of a five-game winning streak and
coach Frank Yallop expressed hesitancy about changing the lineup,
when victories tonight against the New York Red Bulls and Sunday at
Chicago would assure it of a playoff berth.
"If we're winning and doing great, why would you want to upset
that?" Yallop said. "Obviously, we want to get David into our team
because he's a great player, a world-class player. But you've got
to be careful of not ripping out the heart of the team."
Beckham, 32, made his debut with the Galaxy July 21 amid one of
the greatest promotional buildups in American sports history.
However, an ankle injury sustained June 6 while playing for England
in a Euro 2008 qualifying game against Estonia forced him to miss
five of the next six games, creating fan disappointment and raising
questions about the team's credibility about its announcements
about Beckham's health.
In six games in various competitions with the Galaxy during the
Major League Soccer season, Beckham had one goal and three assists.
The Galaxy lost five of the six games.
(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2007)