The Third Dukes

Isn't 16 months before the puck drops a little early to preview the 2011/2012 season?

And now for a sample of US soccer coverage:

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/yanks-not-such-easy-meat-after-all--fbintl_ap-wcup-johnleicester-130610.html

RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP)—For England, drawing 1-1 with the United States in their opening game of the World Cup wasn’t a total disaster. It just felt like it.

The pundits had suggested that the Americans would be a pushover, fresh meat for the team of the Three Lions to feast on. “Easy,” jingoistic tabloid The Sun had predicted.

Well, trash that front page. These Yanks proved as indigestible as the chewy sun-dried beef—biltong, the South Africans call it—that is a favored snack around these parts.

It wasn’t that the Americans were particularly tough—this wasn’t a stellar U.S. performance by any stretch of the imagination.

Rather, the England lions’ teeth are not as sharp as they thought they were. There are far more dangerous beasts out in the African bush than in this team where the outrageous talent of Wayne Rooney is tempered by obvious weaknesses that the World Cup will quickly expose, as they were Saturday night in the Royal Bafokeng stadium, which overlooks platinum mines.

The cringe-worthy handling error that will give England goalkeeper Robert Green night-sweats for years to come—he earned the tabloid headline “Hand of Clod” back home for gifting the US team the tying goal—was, in truth, just one of several England frailties that prevented it from getting better than a draw.

Given how they were outrun and even out-muscled at times by the Americans, England defenders John Terry, Ledley King and, from halftime, the sluggish Jamie Carragher will be overwhelmed by the better class opponents England will encounter later in the knockout stages of competition.

In midfield, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard seem determined to prove that two great talents don’t always combine well together. England attacks lacked conviction, with both Emile Heskey and Shaun Wright-Phillips failing to make the most of goal chances. Judging from this disjointed performance, England can forget about ending its 44-year wait for a second World Cup trophy.

More broadly, the result confirmed that the once large gap between the worlds of football and soccer is narrowing. Team USA and England are still two sides divided by a common language but no longer by vast gulfs of talent on the field. In 10 trans-Atlantic encounters, this was their first draw.

That made it a victory of sorts for the U.S. and for the thousands of fans who chanted “USA! USA!” long after English renditions of “God Save the Queen” had fallen into an uncomfortable silence.

Bob Bradley’s players can now feel more confident not only that they will reach the next stage of the competition but even, perhaps, that they could finish atop Group C.

The group winner is less likely to face mighty Germany in the next round. Because of this draw, England and the U.S. are now dead-heated in the race for that prize. The winner will be the team that does best against the other two nations in the group, Algeria and Slovenia.

England manager Fabio Capello made bold suggestions before this game that England could go all the way to the final on July 11. With potato-faced, goal-scoring star Rooney on Capello’s side, who was going to argue with him?

Well, lots more people now.

Most worrying for England is that it doesn’t have a decent goalkeeper.

Green was meant to do the job against the Americans. Instead, it looked like he was playing for them.

Those who weren’t celebrating in the stadium squirmed with embarrassment when he let Clint Dempsey’s shot wriggle out of his hands. Everyone, including Green, knew he should have stopped it. Green buried his head in the turf. He must have wished that it would swallow him up.

Bradley could hardly believe it. His open-mouthed look of “Is it Christmas, already?” said it all.

“A genuine mistake, a horrible mistake,” Green said after he had showered. “It’s something that happens in life.”

In life, perhaps, but not in the World Cup. Not if you want to win it.

Hi.

Where do I get my Robert Green Appreciation Society membership card?

In all honesty, that was probably the best game of what's been a rather subpar Cup so far. Both teams went for goal a lot, and were it not for good plays in defense and keeping, this could've been 4-2 England. As it is, we'll take 1-1 and run like hell to the next match. Here's hoping for three points against Slovenia!

Your call, folks. These are listed in order from 1 to 10 as chosen by Yahoo's (not always respected) soccer reporter.

GROUP A: Mexico, South Africa (bwahaha France)

GROUP B: Argentina, Nigeria

GROUP C: England, United States

GROUP D: Germany, Ghana

GROUP E: Netherlands, Cameroon

GROUP F: Italy, Paraguay (lucky Italians)

GROUP G: Brazil, Portugal

GROUP H: Spain, Chile

Mexico d. Nigeria

England d. Ghana

Netherlands d. Paraguay

Brazil d. Chile

Argentina d. South Africa

Germany d. United States (can't do it, I want to but can't)

Cameroon d. Italy (bwahahaha)

Spain d. Portugal

England d. Mexico

Brazil d. Netherlands

Germany d. Argentina

Spain d. Cameroon

Brazil d. England

Germany d. Spain

Brazil d. Germany

Well, that sucks that no one else got it in. Though I'm curious what Buddy's was...

...anyway, so what did everyone think?

...well?

I'd like to request a 24-hour extension, please. Things have come up.

I might be up for this... always wanted to do a retro MITB. So who do I send the entry to?

Part of the problem those I've talked to have with the "beautiful game" is just because of the low scoring, but not because of its tedium. To me, basketball will produce the correct outcome more often than football -- by which I mean association football. In football, you can utterly dominate the game for the entire time and still not only not win, but LOSE because of a daft decision by the official in your penalty box. In basketball, the referees often have to make hundreds of score-altering calls per game, and very rarely do their decisions affect the outcome as far as wins and losses.

That's the real reason that wasn't even touched on in this article: in sports such as gridiron or basketball, the team that plays better that day wins much more often than not. (And by the way, don't diss basketball -- last I checked it's the #2 sport in the world and Great Britain's the one behind the times. Or if you want to mock gridiron football, we'll mock cricket. Or snooker.) It's not just that upsets happen in football -- those are understandable. It's that unfair results happen. And that drives Americans up the wall.

The Happening had the shittiest ending ever.

Hey, kill your family. Find army. End movie. All in 3 minutes renders half the movie pointless.

No, that was "The Mist".

Yes, folks, if it's time to honor the best, it must be time to dishonor the worst as well. Here we go:

WORST PICTURE: "Disaster Movie"/"Meet the Spartans" (joint entry), "The Happening", "The Hottie and the Nottie", "In the Name of the King", "The Love Guru"

WORST ACTOR: Larry the Cable Guy ("Witless Protection"), Eddie Murphy ("Meet Dave"), Mike Myers ("The Love Guru"), Al Pacino ("88 Minutes"), Mark Wahlberg ("The Happening")

WORST ACTRESS: Jessica Alba ("The Love Guru"), Annette Benning et al. ("The Women"), Cameron Diaz ("What Happens in Vegas"), Paris Hilton ("The Hottie and the Nottie"), Kate Hudson ("My Best Friend's Girl")

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Uwe Boll ("Postal"), Pierce Brosnan ("Mamma Mia!"), Ben Kingsley ("The Love Guru"), Burt Reynolds ("In the Name of the King"), Verne Troyer ("The Love Guru")

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Carmen Electra ("Disaster Movie"/"Meet the Spartans"), Paris Hilton ("Repo the Genetic Opera"), Kim Kardashian ("Disaster Movie"/"Meet the Spartans"), Jenny McCarthy ("Witless Protection"), Leelee Sobieski ("88 Minutes")

WORST COUPLE: Uwe Boll + ANYTHING ("Postal"), Cameron Diaz + Ashton Kutcher ("What Happens in Vegas"), Paris Hilton + Joel David Moore ("The Hottie and the Nottie"), Larry the Cable Guy + Jenny McCarthy ("Witless Protection"), Eddie Murphy + Eddie Murphy ("Meet Dave")

WORST DERIVATIVE IDEA: "The Day The Earth Blowed Up Real Good", "Disaster Movie"/"Meet the Spartans", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", "Speed Racer", "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"

WORST DIRECTOR: Uwe Boll ("In the Name of the King"/"Postal"), Friedberg and Setzer ("Disaster Movie"/"Meet the Spartans"), Tom Putnam ("The Hottie and the Nottie"), Marco Schnabel ("The Love Guru"), M. Night Shyamalan ("The Happening")

WORST "ORIGINAL" SCREENPLAY: "Disaster Movie"/"Meet the Spartans", "The Happening", "The Hottie and the Nottie", "In the Name of the King", "The Love Guru"

Plus, they present a lifetime "achievement" award to Uwe Boll (which is German for Ed Wood)!

I, on the other hand, WILL post them.

BEST PICTURE: "Benjamin Button", "Frost/Nixon", "Milk", "The Reader", "Slumdog Millionaire"

BEST DIRECTOR: The same five movies, by David Fincher, Ron Howard, Gus Van Sant, Stephen Daldry, and Danny Boyle, respectively.

BEST ACTOR: Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"), Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), Brad Pitt ("Benjamin Button"), Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler")

BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"), Melissa Leo ("Frozen River"), Meryl Streep ("Doubt"), Kate Winslet ("The Reader")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Josh Brolin ("Milk"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder"), Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight"), Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adams ("Doubt"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Viola Davis ("Doubt"), Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler"), Taraji Henson ("Benjamin Button")

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: "Frozen River", "Happy-Go-Lucky", "In Bruges", "Milk", "WALL-E"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: "Benjamin Button", "Doubt", "Frost/Nixon", "The Reader", "Slumdog Millionaire"

My thoughts: Really a slapdash list, with not much variety out there. I hope Langella wins, because he did an amazing Nixon. Jolie should win just because everyone has said so. Downey's nomination is way out of left field, but I applaud it, even if I think they'll give it to Brolin -- Ledger has been getting too much hype for too long. Tomei should win, but that doesn't mean I'd make her the favorite -- I'd bet on Henson getting good coattails there. "WALL-E" is a great shocker, but look for "Milk" to take that category. For the others, I'm rooting for "Slumdog" but betting on "Button".

So let me get this straight.

In this game, I state my case and nothing more, have nothing to say and therefore don't say it, and thus am acting scummy and get lynched.

In previous games, when I'm unbelievably active and try to provide explanations, I'm acting scummy and get lynched.

What the hell, EWB.

I call dibs on Rick Steiner!

So it's not quite the Coca Cola League, but dig this:

LONDON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - A player with English minor league club Chippenham Town has set a record for the fastest-red card in senior soccer when he was sent off for a wild tackle three seconds after kickoff, British media reported on Monday.

Striker David Pratt, 21, was dismissed in a Southern Premier League game against Bashley on Saturday.

The previous fastest sending-off is generally accepted to be 10 seconds for Bologna’s Giuseppe Lorenzo after he struck an opponent in a 1990 Italian league game.

English soccer’s previous “best” was 13 seconds when Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Kevin Pressman handled outside his box in a game in 2000.

Yahoo USA's Martin Rogers provides his prediction for the finish as well as his analysis of the 20 clubs:

1. Manchester United

2. Liverpool

3. Chelsea

4. Arsenal

5. Aston Villa

6. Everton

7. Tottenham Hotspur

8. Newcastle United

9. Fulham

10. Bolton Wanderers

11. Hull City

12. Wigan Athletic

13. Manchester City

14. Sunderland

15. Portsmouth

16. Middlesbrough

17. Blackburn Rovers

18. West Ham United

19. Stoke City

20. West Bromwich

ANALYSIS:

1. Liverpool. Could 2009 be the year that the Anfield giant finally ends a league title drought that has lasted for nearly two decades? Only one defeat bodes well, as does a rock solid defense that has only let in 12 goals so far. This is a team full of confidence, both at home and in Europe. The season could end up as a resounding success or with nothing to show for it, but Rafa Benitez has done exactly what he had to do by the turn of the year – put Liverpool in contention. Grade: A

2. Chelsea. The Blues are starting to resemble the former prom queen who has seen better days. Sure, second place and an unbeaten away record is a solid enough platform. However, head coach Big Phil Scolari has increasingly shown signs of frustration, and reports suggesting owner Roman Abramovich has been credit-crunched could restrict winter spending. Nicolas Anelka is scoring for fun and the defense is a fortress, but Scolari’s men will have to rise in big games against their title rivals if they are to secure the trophy. Grade: B-minus

3. Aston Villa. Martin O’Neill likes to credit his “special group of players” with Villa’s success this season, which sees the Birmingham club with a legitimate shot at qualifying for next year’s Champions League. In reality, it has just as much to do with O’Neill, a special breed of manager who is finally tapping Villa’s long-suppressed potential. Owner Randy Lerner also deserves credit for the way he has backed O’Neill in the transfer market, but keeping hold of Ashley Young in January is imperative. Grade: A

4. Manchester United. Seven points back with two games in hand, world club champions – all without hardly breaking a sweat. United has been far from its mighty best at times this season, but there will certainly be no panic at Old Trafford, where a repeat of the EPL-Champions League double is not beyond reason. Expect another chapter in the Cristiano Ronaldo-Real Madrid saga but don’t be surprised to see United hunt down Liverpool and Chelsea as the season wears on. Grade: B-minus

5. Arsenal. Serious problems are abound at the Emirates Stadium. Boardroom unrest is casting a shadow over the club and things are no better on the field. Arsene Wenger is under more pressure than at any time in his reign and Cesc Fabregas could be out for three months with knee ligament damage. Strength in depth should ensure a top-four finish, but Aston Villa is putting up a strong challenge. Gunners fans are rightly nervous. Grade: D

6. Hull City. Tasting life in the Premier League for the first time ever, Hull’s chances of finishing anywhere but bottom of the EPL seemed as remote as George Bush attending a shoe convention in downtown Baghdad. Talismanic Brazilian Geovanni has pulled the strings with a series of breathtaking goals and assists, as Hull has deployed a brand of soccer rarely seen from a newly promoted side by attacking with two strikers away from home. Maybe it won’t last, but already Hull has added color and unpredictability to the season and deserves huge credit. Grade: A-plus

7. Everton. No strikers? No problem. David Moyes has been without a single first-choice forward for the past two weeks, yet Everton still marches on steadily. Puzzlingly mediocre home form has been offset by six away wins, and when James Vaughan and Louis Saha return to fitness, the club will like its chances of securing a UEFA Cup place in the second half of the campaign. Grade: B

8. Fulham. They can’t win away from home, but it doesn’t matter. Roy Hodgson’s team is on course to pick up enough points at Craven Cottage to ensure there are no late headaches. Jimmy Bullard and Danny Murphy oversee one of the hardest working midfields in the league, and there is some genuine room for optimism. Grade: B-plus

9. Bolton Wanderers. A nice little run of five wins in eight games has lifted Bolton to a comfortable mid-table position, where it will probably remain for most of the season. Swedish striker Johan Elmander is settling in nicely and should contribute enough goals to keep the team clear of any danger. Grade: B

10. Portsmouth. Losing Harry Redknapp was a bitter blow, but even a patchy recent run shouldn’t take the gloss off a decent start. New boss Tony Adams will have some concerns over consistency. He will be keen to replace Real Madrid-bound Lassana Diarra as a matter of urgency. Grade: B-minus

11. Wigan Athletic. Emile Heskey and Amir Zaki have caused opposing defenses all kinds of trouble and will be sure to attract interest from bigger clubs during the January transfer window. Wigan seems to have found a happy place under Steve Bruce and should be consistent enough to be immune to danger of the drop. Grade: B

12. Newcastle United. A few good results and suddenly Joe Kinnear’s appointment doesn’t look quite so ridiculous. So much so, that the veteran manager is in charge until the end of the season. Progress will always be stunted until owner Mike Ashley can offload his stake, an option that is becoming increasingly unlikely as fiscal factors grip England. Michael Owen won’t be around for much longer, but Newcastle is growing in belief and should finish in the top half. Grade: C-minus

13. Sunderland. Roy Keane’s sudden walkout appeared to leave the Black Cats mired in crisis just a couple of weeks ago. But then Ricky Sbragia (Ricky who?) engineered two straight wins with eight goals scored and lifted hopes again. Plenty of money was spent on this squad last summer. It just needs the right man at the helm. Grade: B-minus

14. Middlesbrough. No wins in six games and all of a sudden Middlesbrough looks genuinely vulnerable. Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli look likely to move on to greener pastures, so Boro could face a tricky fight for survival in the closing months. Grade: B-minus

15. Stoke City. Life in the EPL is tough for newcomers. Stoke can be reasonably satisfied with its start and is halfway toward survival if it can continue to chip away at building a solid points tally. Home wins against Arsenal, Villa and Tottenham have been the highlights, along with Rory Delap’s remarkable throw-ins that are more effective than corner kicks. But a lack of depth could haunt them at the business end of the season. Grade: B

16. Tottenham. The Spurs have had such a Jekyll-and-Hyde season that an accurate rating is hard to evaluate. Two points from eight games was an atrocious start that doomed Juande Ramos, but Harry Redknapp has led a stirring and immediate revival. Only one point separates Tottenham from the relegation zone. Make no mistake, though, it is on the way up. Grade: B

17. West Ham. Underperforming, embarrassing and having little chance of achieving their goals – and that’s just the owners of West Ham. The Hammers will be held back for as long as Icelandic businessman Bjorgulfur Gudmundsson demands an extortionate amount of money for his stricken club. Relegation would be no shock. Grade: D

18. Manchester City. Does it take time for a new manager and new players to settle in? Yes. Is there any way a squad featuring Robinho, Elano, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards should be in the bottom three? No way. City’s spending power, backed by a mighty Arab oil consortium, is frightening. What is more scary for City supporters, though, is a woeful six-game winless run that has put boss Mark Hughes in danger of the sack. Grade: D-minus

19. Blackburn Rovers. Sam Allardyce has come in to try to sort out the mess left behind by Paul Ince. Yet questions remain as to whether there are enough quality players in the squad to survive. Their one world-class player, Roque Santa Cruz, looks likely to leave next month, and Rovers could have trouble convincing potential replacements that their future is bright. Grade: D

20. West Bromwich Albion. As expected, they’re just not good enough. Albion will pick up a few wins in the second half, yet it is hard to see it making a real run at staying up. The reality is that this is a team too strong for the Championship but clearly too weak for the top flight. Grade: C

Lower English clubs vote for ‘homegrown’ players

By STUART CONDIE, AP Sports Writer 6 hours, 15 minutes ago

LONDON (AP)—English clubs playing in the three levels below the Premier League voted Thursday to force the inclusion of at least four so-called “homegrown” players on their squads starting next season.

The Football League, which governs England’s three lower-tier professional divisions, said that a 16-man squad will have to include at least four players who have been registered in the country for a minimum of three seasons before their 21st birthday.

That should guarantee four English players in each squad, which could boost attempts to develop better players for the national team, the league said.

“I would like to compliment Football League clubs for having the foresight to make changes that will benefit the wider game,” league chairman Brian Mawhinney said. “As a result of today’s vote, those players being developed will have a greater chance to demonstrate their talent at first-team level.”

Clubs have been criticized for favoring foreign players at the expense of developing local talent. The policy can bring instant success, but with the long-term effect is a smaller pool of eligible players for the national team.

The Football League said the decision sidesteps concerns it could contravene European labor law by not exclusively favoring English players.

Clubs could still sign players 18 or younger from overseas, emulating Arsenal’s youth program. They would count as homegrown by the time they reach 21.

It has been too long. I must.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP)—African champion Egypt will have to overcome Algeria, Zambia and Rwanda to reach its first World Cup finals in 20 years.

The draw for the final stage of African qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was made at FIFA headquarters on Wednesday. The 20 African nations were put into five groups of four teams each, with the five group winners qualifying for the finals.

The host nation qualifies automatically.

Cameroon, the highest ranked African country at No. 12 in the world, was drawn with Morocco, Gabon and Togo.

In other groups, top-seeded Nigeria faces Tunisia, Kenya and Mozambique. Ghana will play Mali, Benin and Sudan, while Ivory Coast heads a group featuring Guinea, Burkina Faso and Malawi.

So to put this in table form:

GROUP 1		  GROUP 2		  GROUP 3		  GROUP 4		  GROUP 5


Egypt			Cameroon		 Nigeria		  Ghana			Cote d'Ivoire

Algeria		  Morocco		  Tunisia		  Mali			 Guinea

Zambia		   Gabon			Kenya			Benin			Burkina Faso

Rwanda		   Togo			 Mozambique	   Sudan			Malawi

My thoughts are that Ghana has the easiest path to the Cup, while Cameroon has the hardest. If I had to predict, I'd say Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire, but we'll see in 2009.

http://www.ewbattleground.com/forum/index....showtopic=66228

That's the Dragon Ball Z of Mafias.

7 pages? Bah -- that's 5 minutes of a Dragonball Z episode.

Next time, on WWF 1999 Mafia: it's at around 50 pages now on that board setting with the most posts available per page, and we've still not finished the day phase! Oh, when will it ever end?

It's the Dragonball Z of Mafias.

So the US is through to the Hex with two matches to spare after thrashing Cuba 6-1. Beasley owned the game in the first half, and after the Cuban player got sent off (a shame, really, because his first yellow was iffy but the second had to be called), the game just went to hell for Cuba. I hope I see some of these players in the US in the future, wink wink.

Also, may I just add lol, mexico

I'll put this here rather than its own thread, since qualifiers start up again soon anyway.

Beckham should call time on England career

By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports Oct 9, 3:42 am EDT

David Beckham should do himself, England and the Los Angeles Galaxy a big favor this weekend by calling time on the extended farewell tour that has become his international career.

Saturday’s 2010 World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan at London’s Wembley Stadium would be the perfect opportunity for Beckham to say goodbye after 106 national team appearances and allow all parties to move on.

His England story has become increasingly about numbers and milestones more than genuine production.

First, there was the will-he-or-won’t-he saga surrounding his 100th England cap, which he finally achieved against France in March. Once that came and went, thoughts turned to 108, the number of appearances made by England’s most capped outfield player and World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore. Even 125, the all-time England record held by goalkeeper Peter Shilton, has been mentioned as a possible target.

Yet all each little historical landmark served to achieve was to mask the fact that Beckham’s work with England is done.

England is growing in confidence under Fabio Capello, with the hesitancy and uncertainty that marked Steve McClaren’s doomed reign having been comprehensively swept away. In the transitional phase, Beckham still offered some value, as a steady and familiar character to be relied upon for maximum effort and commitment. But with young sensation Theo Walcott continuing to emerge as a genuine potential world superstar, the right-hand side of midfield is in safe hands.

The new England has a fresh look, one which depends on pace and dynamism. Such qualities are encapsulated perfectly by Walcott, the fearless Arsenal wunderkind.

From Capello’s point of view, there is no harm in keeping Beckham around. The veteran is friends with Walcott, and Beckham has impressed many with the way he has helped the 19-year-old settle into the squad. Yet there can be no long-term value in carrying a player on those factors alone, especially as Walcott is becoming more and more assured within the national team setup.

That brings us to the topic of whether Beckham still warrants selection on form alone. The answer, sadly, is now a definite “no.”

At the start of the Major League Soccer season, he was in fine shape, helping the Galaxy make a 6-4-2 start and winning the league’s player of the week award in Week 2. Recently though, he is a reflection of the malaise that gripped the club after the opening weeks of the campaign and never let go.

For a player of his credentials and ability, Beckham has been poor and ineffective during the long and miserable run which saw the Galaxy win only one game since June. Frustration has been etched upon his face in several games, even in the team’s sole recent victory against D.C. United when he constantly clashed with officials.

Beckham’s ill temper earned him a suspension for collecting five yellow cards, meaning he will miss the trip to Houston on October 18 and will play just once more for the Galaxy this season in their final meaningless home game against the Colorado Rapids.

The Galaxy organization is mired in catastrophe and, if for no other reason than his astronomical pay packet, he owes the club his full attention in its hour of need.

Beckham has been a worker, a fighter and a team player his entire career, and the abject humiliation being suffered by MLS’s most famous club is severely damaging his legacy. At this rate, he will be leaving American soccer in three years time with precious little imprint except for some shirts sold and some extra backsides in seats.

It would take more than an ever-present Beckham to lift the Galaxy from 14th and last place in the entire league next season, but by putting the club first he would deliver a powerful signal of intent.

The dynamics of world soccer dictate that players should not have to choose between club and country. But the reality is somewhat different to the principle, especially in MLS, which does not recognize international dates and carries on regardless.

No player should be criticized for showing patriotic loyalty, yet the gravity of this situation is such that it demands his focus.

Beckham looks very much like a player who does not want to be in Los Angeles. That is not necessarily a knock on him. There are around 20 other players at the club about whom the same could be said. Yet none of them make a guaranteed salary of more than $6 million, plus tens of millions more in endorsements.

The Galaxy’s failure is a disaster on the scale of which we have rarely seen in sports: the highest-paid team with the highest profile and the highest expectations floundering to an inexplicable level of ineptitude.

The team is not just bad. They’re not just missing out on championships and narrowly failing to squeeze into the playoffs. They are the worst team in the league by a distance and, apart from expansion teams, one of the worst sides MLS has ever seen.

The San Jose Earthquakes – with a fraction of L.A.’s budget, the head coach that the Galaxy discarded (Frank Yallop), some solid but unspectacular players and a 32-year-old import in Darren Huckerby – have drastically outperformed L.A. for several months.

The Galaxy need some hunger and passion and they need leadership from the front. They need Beckham to stand up and be counted and to carry players along in his slipstream.

Next season will be vital to the credibility of the organization and it needs a fresh Beckham to begin the campaign.

This weekend would be the right time for him to bid an emotional farewell to his beloved England fans, at the home of English football, following what will surely be a comprehensive victory.

When Beckham arrived in the United States, he insisted he was here to achieve bigger things for the sport of soccer and for his new team. If those were more than empty words and he is serious about leaving behind a legacy of success rather than embarrassment, now is the time to prove it.

Thoughts?

So I just saw footage of the interview, and is it wrong that my first thought was to wonder when Ozzy Osbourne was named a soccer manager?