Beckham and Zidane in El Segundo
It was a promotional event for adidas, community outreach initiative MLS W.O.R.K.S. and FieldTurf to announce "Footprint Fields," a program to develop new fields in urban areas.
While the one in El Segundo was not part of the program, five fields similar to that one either are or soon will be built, including one in Inglewood.
I got a short exclusive interview with Zidane that I'll post in the next day or so.
I'm heading to the Galaxy-Chivas USA game so I don't have time to transcribe what the unusually candid and chatty Beckham told the crew of reporters on hand either, but here's the shorthand version:
*Landon Donovan was "unprofessional" for criticizing him in the forthcoming book "The Beckham Experiment and he intends to have a chat with him about that.
*He doesn't plan to read the book.
*He did not insist upon being made captain upon coming to the Galaxy, as the book contended.
*He did not have any say in the hiring of Ruud Gullitt, as Galaxy coach, although apparently "suggestions" were made to AEG about potential candidates. (Hmmm).
*He does not regret coming to MLS and iintends to see out his full five-year contract with the league, although he hopes to temporarily head back to AC Milan after this season to improve his chances of making the England 2010 World Cup team.
(Updated: Here's more from today's event.)
I'll have more from the interview later, too.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. 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 and follow him on Twitter.
Zidane please play again no one has matched your brilliance since you left. You are the greatest to ever play the game.
Really, David, are you serious with this:
*He does not regret coming to MLS and intends to see out his full five-year contract with the league, although he hopes to temporarily head back to AC Milan after this season to improve his chances of making the England 2010 World Cup team.
Please, just GET OUT. You make me sick. Stop disrespecting our team and our league. We don't want you back. You don't know what "professionalism" is.
Thank God Landon had the balls to call you out. Now, just GO AWAY.
(Thanks for a place to vent, Nick!)
I think what the problem with Beckham is that he is desperate to make the 2010 World Cup.
I'm not going to call you ignorant or to say that you don't know much about soccer because it's apparent that you do.
But for an Englishman (which I am) it's almost a religion.
For David Beckham, it's his last chance to play in a World Cup and he has a lot of work to do to even make the squad.
In Italy, espeically with AC Milan, they're very well known and respected for keeping players at an advanced age playing for longer, healthier and to 'turn back the clock'.
This is the reason why he is going back on loan again to them. But you'll all see, once the World Cup is over. You guys will get the best out of him, his professionalism, his talent and his great attitude.
Landon Donovan was unprofessional. David Beckham is regarded as one of the greatest footballers and to be treated like that, by a player who is no-where NEAR his calibre, was unprofessional.
Beckham has played for the 3 best teams in the world, with the greatest players in the world (Zidane regarded as the greatest in our generation) and has never been questioned about anything.
Nick replies: BTW, I'm English, too (I was born in Essex).