Golden Balls out of World Cup

After a non contact injury, where David Beckham tore his Achilles tendon, his chances of heading to South Africa with the English national team are slim to none.  While I have never made it a secret that I think the golden child of football is one of the most overrated players, I also have a tremendous amount of respect for him and his heart.

Beckham can never be accused of not loving the sport and not giving everything he can for his teams. Unlike other international players - such as Paul Scholes - he clearly loves pulling on the Three Lion's kit. Whether or not his chase to be the most capped English player is seem as a gimmick of the Beckham marketing machine or an athlete overstaying his welcome, I do not think one can question the will and desire that Becks has to carry on for his nation.

So what does this mean for the player, England and the Galaxy? First, if Beckham can come back I am sure he will do whatever it takes to return to the pitch as soon as he can. I do not think that Becks will want his career to end on such a note. I think the loss will be more hard felt for the English national team. Why? With all the controversy surrounding John Terry the loss of their former captain and iconic leader will potentially create a void in the dressing room. In addition, Capello's ability to use Becks as a late game veteran substitute made England that much more dangerous. Beckham remains dangerous on dead balls and crosses, something that could have been very useful late in a game. Finally, England's other wingers are not lighting the world on fire currently. As for the Galaxy, I do not think they will feel as much of the impact - their season is only starting to get into the preseason swing of things. Beckham could be back over the summer or early fall and therefore could have an impact on the MLS season.

I feel for Beckham, as the Sports Illustrated article points out, he has worked hard to make himself available and ready to head to South Africa and that has now been placed in serious jeopardy. Let us hope that golden balls makes a swift recovery and can leave the game his way, not on crutches.