Beckham Loan Move to Milan Finalized & More

David Beckham heads to Milan in January the Galaxy and AC Milan announced today.

Also, from the Galaxy press release:

AC Milan and the LA Galaxy have additionally agreed to a technical partnership that will provide great benefit to both clubs.

Terms of the agreement will remain confidential.

Does this mean Kaka comes on loan?

The Galaxy have scheduled a 2 p.m. conference call with reporters.

Meanwhile, former Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid sounds like he's contending for understatement of the year with this comment about the problems at his old club to The New York Times: "Probably too many to name."

Read the whole thing here.

Finally, the Cal State Northridge men (6-6-4, 2-2-3 Big West) lost 3-1 to UC Santa Barbara Wednesday.

Updated:
Perhaps predictably, not many more details of Becks' loan move emerged from GM and Coach Bruce Arena who frankly, as one reporter observed on the call, seemed more than a bit out of the loop.

Arena, for instance, sounded unsure of when Becks would actually head to Italy (why was the Dec. 11 game in Oz canceled if he doesn't leave until January, one reporter inquired?).

Excerpts:
*On when he will return to the Galaxy:

"He's going to be back in March - and we believe it's around March 1 - and he will be available for our opening game." (MLS is likely to begin in the second or third week of March next year).

*On the benefits of the "technical partnership" with AC Milan that's part of the loan deal:

"I'm not going to tell precisely how we're going to benefit from this. ... It's just working with a club of this stature." (So it could mean AC Milan players coming here on loan. Or not).

*Finally, I asked whether Bruce was going to tell Becks not to go for risky 50-50 balls or stay away from attempting one of those rash challenges he's prone to try in an effort to ensure he doesn't get a silly injury:

"When players don't go 100 percent they get hurt," he said. "I'm not going to advise David to pull out of tackles. ... I'm certainly not going to encourage him not to give 100 percent or play 100 percent."