Days of speculation about the condition of David Beckham's ankle came to an end with words from the man himself. And it wasn't what soccer fans in Toronto or across North America wanted to hear.
"Unless there's a drastic change, I won't play tomorrow," Beckham announced at a press conference on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre.
"On my fitness side, today was the first day I've ran. Running straight forward is not a problem, but turning corners is still a big problem at the moment. So I don't think I'll be involved in the game tomorrow, unfortunately."
Beckham's likely non-involvement in Sunday's match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Toronto FC at BMO Field means that it will be at least another week before MLS fans can see the legendary midfielder take to the field. Beckham's only appearance in the LA shirt was a 12-minute outing in a July 21 friendly against Chelsea.
The English superstar's non-involvement puts a damper on what promised to be a historic night in Major League Soccer history. It would've been Beckham's first official league game, shown to a national TV audience on ESPN2 and played in a stadium full of Toronto fans that are already considered the most rabid in the league.
The timing of this ankle problem, therefore, comes at a less than ideal time for Beckham or the Galaxy. It's also an ironic outcome, due to the fact that Beckham is known for being a durable player.
"It's always frustrating for any sportsman to get an injury," Beckham said. "I have been pretty lucky in my career. There's only a few bones I've broken and a few injuries that have only kept me out a few weeks. [With this type of injury] it's usually a six- or seven-week layoff and it's been about 6-1/2 weeks now."
Beckham first sprained his ankle playing for England in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Estonia on June 6. He then played on the injured ankle in the final two games of the season for Real Madrid, needing injections in order to play in the last match on June 17. Beckham's contribution helped Real Madrid to the Spanish league championship, but playing on his injured ankle led to torn ligaments and swelling that has yet to fully abate.
Beckham said that his injury is progressing, and he dismissed the notion of not being able to play for an extended period of time.
"I think maybe a week to 10 days I'll be looking at," Beckham said. "Running like I did was a huge step for me, since I haven't really been able to move on it. The problem with it being my left ankle, if you look at my stance when I kick the ball, strike the ball, it puts a lot of stress on my ankle. ... I never play with strappings or taping on my ankles, so that doesn't help either.
"It would be nice to play some part in the game in Washington [on Thursday], but I have to keep my fingers crossed and keep working."
Sunday's match also happens to be the Galaxy's first league game since July 7. Los Angeles has spent the last month playing games in the U.S. Open Cup, SuperLiga, and the exhibition World Series of Football. These commitments led to a backloaded MLS schedule that will see the Galaxy play 14 league games in a 56-day span starting with the match in Toronto.
Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said the series of cup matches has kept his team sharp for the exhausting stretch that awaits them over the next two months as LA battles for a playoff berth.
"It's never easy, but we've played games at least, so we've been able to get the team on the field," Yallop said. "The fixture list is what it is. We've just got to deal with it and pick up the points."
This upcoming schedule may also play a role in Beckham's health situation. The midfielder mentioned several times during the press conference that he "is here for five years, not just for this year," meaning that he doesn't want suffer a recurrence of the injury that could hurt himself and the Galaxy for the 2007 season and beyond.
"I want to be fit and I want to perform when I play in games," Beckham said. "That's the most important thing. It's a long-term thing and that's what I'm looking at."
The bright side for Beckham is that he was able to make the trip to Toronto and participate in some limited training. Just being able to be spend some time with his new teammates is a major plus for the Englishman.
"I said before I came here that I wanted to be one of the players," Beckham said. "That's what it's always been about for me, whatever team I've played on, whatever country I've played in, I've always wanted to be part of the team. With my experience through soccer. ... I've seen many things and heard many things from many great players. Hopefully that's where my experience can pass down to a lot of the younger players. The team spirit is there, and that's a big thing in a club."
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
