Beckham's England career cut too short
Soccer Betting Lines
03/15/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some people may describe David Beckham as
overrated, others might call him spoiled or pampered, but one thing that is
very evident when it comes to Beckham is that he is persistent.
How else to explain why Beckham was running around the pitch at the San Siro
in Milan on Sunday at the age of 34, when he should have been basking in the
California sun halfway around the world?
Beckham simply lives to play for England's national team, and the only way he
would get another chance to play for the Three Lions in this summer's World
Cup was to pull on the red and black jersey of AC Milan.
All of which makes the sight of Beckham hobbling off the field in the dying
minutes of Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday with a torn Achilles tendon
so hard to watch.
The injury will rob England's most-capped outfield player of a chance to
join the team at this summer's World Cup in South Africa, which would have made
him the first England player to take part in four World Cups.
Beckham's England career appeared to be over after the 2006 World Cup when he
voluntarily stepped down as England captain, and was not in the plans of new
England boss Fabio Capello.
He appeared well on his way to retirement when he left Real Madrid and headed
off to California to play in Major League Soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy in
2007, like an elderly U.S. citizen moving to Florida or Arizona to live out
their final years.
The Englishman would get to enjoy the sunny weather and would be right at home
in Hollywood, while also collecting a decent paycheck for his efforts.
But a funny thing happened to Beckham as he crept closer to retirement; he
realized that he needed to play for England again.
He had a past history with Capello at Real Madrid, as the Italian manager
banished Beckham to the reserves, only for Beckham to earn back a place in the
team.
And he pulled off a similar reversal after a successful loan spell at AC
Milan, which gave the former Manchester United standout the opportunity to
earn his 100th cap for England .
Many felt that Capello allowed Beckham to reach the milestone as a favor, and
that he wouldn't have a chance to earn a seat on the plane to South Africa
this summer.
However, Beckham returned to Milan again this past January with only one thing
in mind.
"It's the only reason I am choosing to be away from my family for six months,"
Beckham told Fox Sports Radio about his desire to play at the World Cup.
"Being in the World Cup squad is not guaranteed, even if I go to Milan it is
not guaranteed, but I need to do everything possible to give myself a chance.
"It's always a roller-coaster in my career ... and it is going to be like that
for the next six to eight months, but I am looking forward to it."
Little did Beckham know that his ride would be cut short just a few months
into his England adventure.
After being kicked in the face in the opening minutes of Sunday's game, which
left a nice little gash on the right cheek of one of the world's most
recognizable faces, Beckham took a pass in midfield with no player near him
late in the second half.
He took a step, but immediately grabbed at his left ankle and indicated to the
bench that he was coming off.
He was examined on the sidelines for a few minutes and ultimately taken to the
dressing room on a stretcher, but as tears streamed down his face he appeared
to already know his fate.
To be fair, Beckham wasn't guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster, but he
appeared to be on his way to accomplishing what at first seemed a very
unlikely goal.
He was not a player who would crack the starting 11, but was at peace with
that fact and was prepared to contribute whatever he could to the team,
whether it was to drop a pinpoint cross on the head of Wayne Rooney, or bend
home one of his trademark free kicks.
Beckham's career as an England player has had plenty of ups and downs, from
his red card against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup that saw him receive
death threats, to his free kick goal against Greece that allowed England to
qualify for the 2002 competition.
He has always been a magnet for attention, leading some to view him as more
of a celebrity than a soccer player, but his desire to win back a place on
England's team over the past couple of years has been inspiring.
His absence won't dramatically alter England's hopes of ending a World Cup
title drought that dates back to 1966, but it provides a sad ending to an
otherwise storybook career.
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“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
New York Giants betting lines
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Dallas Cowboys betting lines
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
Oakland Raiders betting lines
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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