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Beckham's Galaxy lose out
22/10/2007 09:23 - (SA)
Chicago - David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy have been knocked out of playoff contention when the Galaxy fell 1-0 to the Chicago Fire on the final day of Major League Soccer's regular season.
The Galaxy, who had mounted a six-game unbeaten streak to keep their playoff hopes alive, needed a victory in order to advance to the eight-team championship playoffs of the 13-team league.
The Fire only needed a draw but managed to go one better with a 90th-minute goal to claim the last playoff spot, leaving English midfielder Beckham to lament the club's early season struggles before his July arrival.
"We've had a good run, but obviously early season form is what has affected us more than anything," Beckham said after the game.
"We have to win games throughout the season instead of relying on the last five or six games to come back into it. But we've ended the season sort of on a high and we have to be positive about next season."
A sellout crowd of 21 374 at the Fire's home stadium included standing room temporary seating added during the week in anticipation of seeing Beckham.
The British superstar had logged 25 minutes in a Thursday game against New York in his first appearance since a knee injury on August 29. A nagging ankle injury limited Beckham's playing time for the Galaxy since mid-July.
Chicago, who boast their own superstar in Mexican international Cuauhtemoc Blanco, completely dominated the Galaxy for the first 45 minutes of the game, out-shooting them 10-1, but Los Angeles goalkeeper Joe Cannon was in superb form, coming up with big saves time and time again and the first half ended scoreless.
After the Galaxy weathered more prolonged battering from the Fire, Beckham entered the game in the 58th minute, but could not add any spark to his team.
He looked rusty on the several corner and free kicks he took in his time on the pitch, sometimes not even getting the ball over the first defender. He was very obviously not match fit, and was continually gasping for air as the game wound down.
With Los Angeles pushed up looking for a goal, the game-winner came three minutes into injury time, when Caleb Carr lifted a ball from the right wing to substitute John Thorrington, who was unmarked in the middle of the field.
Thorrington - the first American player signed to the same Manchester United youth academy that produced Beckham - slipped the ball under Cannon and gave Chicago fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Galaxy will return to Los Angeles and begin the process of retooling for the 2008 MLS season, including an off-season trip to Australia and New Zealand.
Beckham laughed when asked if he was looking forward to time off until the Galaxy's pre-season workouts start in February.
"I'm a person that likes to train and work every day and that's the way it has been throughout my career," Beckham said.
"For the last 15 years, I've had no longer than three weeks off in the summer. I'm not going to know what to do with myself. I'll be keeping in training and keeping fit no matter what."
Beckham's wife Victoria might just have some idea's for her husband's spare time. She will be part of a two-month, 11-date Spice Girls reunion tour that kicks off in Los Angeles on December 7.
That tour will include dates in New York, London, Cologne, Madrid, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires.
- SAPA
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