BeckhaMonday
Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz deconstructs how much of David Beckham local fans will really see.
The answer is: not much.
Of course that assumes Beckham wins an England recall so he can add to his 96 caps and misses those home Galaxy games. That's likely given the way England have played without him and the criticism Coach Steve McClaren came in for as a result, but not a certainty.
On the other hand, Beckham might well miss even MORE MLS games if gets injured, a distinct possibility for any 32-year-old player.
For those wanting to mark their calendars, here's a Galaxy schedule.
And while we're at it, here's one for England.
In fact, of course, Beckham is already a doubt since he's still bothered by the ankle injury that forced his substitution in Real Madrid's final game of the season.
Will he train today at the HDC open house intended to promote the four-team World Series of Football tournament that begins tomorrow?
The Galaxy train at 3 p.m. in the main stadium followed by a press conference between the coaches of the four teams; Chelsea train at 5 p.m. Gates open at 2 p.m.
Admission and parking are free.
The HDC is at the corner of Avalon Boulevard and Victoria Street in Carson.
More than 20 players who represented their countries at last year's World Cup are on the rosters for the tournament, which also includes Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Mexico's Tigres UANL.
Tuesday's opening game pits the Galaxy (not including Beckham) against a Tigres team that boasts Mexican National Team star Francisco Fonseca, as well as former MLS All-Star Juan Pablo Garcia, and forward Walter Gaitan. Kick off is at 5:30 p.m. live on Telefutura.
In the nightcap, Chelsea, the English Premier League winners in two of the last three seasons take on Suwon Samsung Bluewings, who feature Korean National Team stalwarts Lee Woon-Jae, Ahn Jung-Hwan, Kim Nam-Il and Song Chung-Gug. The game is live at 8 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.
A limited number of tickets are still available starting at $60. Call 877-3GALAXY for more information
The tournament wraps up Saturday with a sold out doubleheader featuring Tigres playing Suwon (3 p.m. live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol) and the Galaxy taking on Chelsea (5:30 p.m. live on ESPN). Beckham is expected to play, although it's unknown whether he's likely to go the full 90 minutes. (I doubt it)
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook.
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