Beckham Plays 30 Minutes, Hits Post - and is Named Man of the Match Over Two-Goal Crouch
Go figure.
Next for Beckham - the Nobel Prize.
Oh, and Becks says his loan deal to AC Milan is "95 percent done."
"It's 95 percent done so I don't know why it wouldn't happen now," Beckham was quoted as saying by AP. "It will be sorted out in the next month, and I will probably be going there at the end of December."
WEMBLEY, England (AP) -- David Beckham entered England's final World Cup qualifier in the 59th minute and still was selected man of the match.
"I just told him it was like Obama getting the Nobel Prize after eight months of being
president of the United States," England coach Fabio Capello said. "Beckham gets it after 30 minutes."
Peter Crouch scored twice, Beckham got an assist after entering as a second-half substitute and England completed World Cup qualifying with a 3-0 victory over Belarus on Wednesday night.
Crouch scored in the fourth and 76th minutes, and Shaun Wright-Phillips got a goal in the 59th minute off a short corner kick from Beckham.
The selection of man of the match was made by television commentator Steve Bruce, Beckham's former Manchester United teammate.
"I'm a little bit embarrassed," Beckham said.
With his 115th international appearance, Beckham moved within 10 of the English record held by retired goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
England (9-1), which clinched a World Cup berth last month, finished first in Group Six with 27 points, six ahead of second-place Ukraine (6-1-3), which goes to next month's European playoffs.
"Always it's important to win," Capello said. "We lost one game and it's important for me to learn more things about the players. I am happy for the second half and for the goals that we scored.
"There were some good things, some not so good. It's something the players know, but those ideas are for us. I'm not happy because we had to wait too many times to win back the ball. This is not the first time."
The English played their final qualifier without injured regulars Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. Substitute James Milner and Beckham both hit posts late in the match.
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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.
Well, what did Beckham do besides play for 31 minutes that impressed Bruce?
In any event, the cult of personality is getting ridiculous, whether it's in politics, sports, entertainment, whatever. Unfortunately, we in the media promote this nonsense at the expense of truth and substantive thought.
Wait a minute! I have it! Leiweke paid Bruce beaucoup bucks under the table to get Beckham named POM. Or was it AC Milan? They all look alike to me.
If it was Leiweke, then Arena had better watch his back. I expect AEG to make the following announcement if Arena doesn't win MLS Cup in Seattle:
Let me introduce the new coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy...STEVE BRUCE!
Or, as Chivas USA fans would say...
PUUUTTTOHOHOHOHOH!!!....
"Unfortunately, we in the media promote this nonsense at the expense of truth and substantive thought"
Somehow your above doesn't go with your below J. D'Hip:
"PUUUTTTOHOHOHOHOH!!!...."