Beckham was the first England player ever to collect two red cards and the first England captain to be sent off.[191] Beckham's most notorious red card was during the 1998 FIFA World Cup after Argentina's Diego Simeone had fouled him, Beckham lashed out with his leg and the Argentine fell.
He amassed 41 yellow cards and four red cards for Real Madrid.[192]
England 2010
Due to an injury suffered to his torn left Achilles tendon, Beckham was forced to miss the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a player. On 14 May 2010 it was announced that Beckham would work as a mediator between management and the players, and as an English member of the coaching staff for the England national football team at the tournament.[168] As an agreement between Beckham, his representatives, his club, Los Angeles Galaxy and Fabio Capello, the former England captain was on the plane to South Africa on 2 June.
Beckham had played in all of England's qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup and was part of the England squad at the World Cup finals in France,[146] but the team's manager Glenn Hoddle publicly accused him of not concentrating on the tournament,[147] and he did not start in either of England's first two matches. He was picked for their third match against Colombia and scored from a long-range free kick in a 2–0 victory, which was his first goal for England.
In the second round (last 16) of that competition, he received a red card in England's match against Argentina.[148] Beckham, after having been fouled by Diego Simeone, kicked Simeone while lying on the floor, striking him on the calf muscle. Sports Illustrated was critical of the Argentinians' theatrics in that incident, stating that Simeone first delivered a "heavy-handed challenge" on Beckham and then "fell like a ton of bricks" when Beckham retaliated.[149] Simeone later admitted to trying to get Beckham sent off by overreacting to the kick and then, along with other members of his team, urging the referee to send Beckham off.[150] The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. Many supporters and journalists blamed him for England's elimination and he became the target of criticism and abuse, including the hanging of an effigy outside a London pub, and the Daily Mirror printing a dartboard with a picture of him centred on the bullseye. Beckham also received death threats after the World Cup.[151]
The abuse that Beckham was receiving from English supporters peaked during England's 3–2 defeat by Portugal in Euro 2000, a match where Beckham set up two goals, when a group of England supporters taunted him throughout the match.[152] Beckham responded by raising his middle finger and, while the gesture attracted some criticism, many of the newspapers that had previously encouraged his vilification asked their readers to stop abusing him.[153]
On 15 November 2000, following Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager in October, Beckham was promoted to team captain by the caretaker manager Peter Taylor, and then kept the role under new manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. He helped England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup Finals, with their performances including an impressive 5–1 victory over Germany in Munich. The final step in Beckham's conversion from villain to hero happened in England's 2–2 draw against Greece on 6 October 2001. England needed to win or draw the match in order to qualify outright for the World Cup, but were losing 2–1 with little time remaining. When Teddy Sheringham was fouled eight yards (7 metres) outside the Greek penalty area, England were awarded a free-kick and Beckham ensured England's qualification with a curling strike of the kind that had become his trademark. Shortly afterwards, he was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001. He once again finished runner-up, to Luís Figo of Portugal, for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Beckham was partially fit by the time of the 2002 World Cup and played in the first match against Sweden. Beckham scored the winning goal of the match against Argentina with a penalty, causing Argentina to fail to qualify for the knockout stage. England were knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil. The following month, at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Beckham escorted Kirsty Howard as she presented the Jubilee Baton to the Queen.
Beckham played in all of England's matches at Euro 2004, but the tournament was a disappointment for him. He had a penalty saved in England's 2–1 defeat to France and missed another in a penalty shootout in the quarter-final match against Portugal. England lost the shootout thus going out of the competition.
Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in January 2005 and was involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.[154] In October 2005, Beckham's sending off against Austria made him the first England captain to be sent off and the first player to be sent off twice while playing for England. He captained England for the 50th time in a friendly international against Argentina the following month.
In England's opening game at the 2006 World Cup, against Paraguay on 10 June 2006, Beckham's free kick led to an own-goal by Carlos Gamarra as England won 1–0. In England's next match, played against Trinidad and Tobago on 15 June 2006, Beckham's cross in the 83rd minute led to a Peter Crouch goal, which put England into the lead 1–0. Beckham gave another assist to Steven Gerrard. In the end they won 2–0. He was named Man of the Match by tournament sponsor Budweiser for this game.
During England's second round match against Ecuador, Beckham scored from a free kick in the 59th minute, becoming the first English player to score in three separate World Cups,[155] and giving England a 1–0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals. He was sick before the game and vomited several times as a result of dehydration and illness after he scored the winning goal.
In the quarter-final against Portugal, Beckham was substituted following an injury shortly after half time and the England team went on to lose the match on penalties (3–1), the score having been 0–0 after extra time. After his substitution, Beckham was visibly shaken and emotional for not being able to play, being in tears at one point.
A day after England were knocked out of the World Cup, an emotional Beckham made a statement in a news conference saying that he had stepped down as England captain,[156] saying, "It has been an honour and privilege to captain my country but, having been captain for 58 of my 95[157] games, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under Steve McClaren." (Beckham had actually won 94 caps up to that point.) He was succeeded by Chelsea captain John Terry.[158]
Having stepped down as captain after the World Cup, Beckham was dropped completely from the England national team selected by new coach Steve McClaren on 11 August 2006. McClaren claimed that he was "looking to go in a different direction" with the team, and that Beckham "wasn't included within that." McClaren said Beckham could be recalled in future. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kieran Richardson, and the World Cup alternative to Beckham, Aaron Lennon, were all included, although McClaren eventually opted to employ Steven Gerrard in that role.
Beckham had assisted in three of England's four total goals in those two games,[159] and he stated his desire to continue to play for England after his move to Major League Soccer.
On 22 August 2007, Beckham played in a friendly for England against Germany, becoming the first to play for England while with a non-European club team.[160] On 21 November 2007, Beckham earned his 99th cap against Croatia, setting up a goal for Peter Crouch to tie the game at 2–2. Following the 2–3 loss, England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals. Despite this, Beckham said that he has no plans to retire from international football and wanted to continue playing for the national team.[161] After being passed over by new England coach and Beckham's former manager at Real Madrid, Fabio Capello, for a friendly against Switzerland which would have given him his hundredth cap; Beckham admitted that he was not in shape at the time, as he had not played a competitive match in three months.[162]
On 20 March 2008, Beckham was recalled to the England squad by Capello for the friendly against France in Paris on 26 March. Beckham became only the fifth Englishman to win 100 caps. Capello had hinted on 25 March 2008 that Beckham had a long term future in his side ahead of crucial qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.[163] On 11 May 2008, Capello included an in-form Beckham in his 31 man England squad to face the United States at Wembley Stadium on 28 May before the away fixture with Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June. Beckham was honoured before the match by receiving an honorary gold cap representing his 100th cap from Bobby Charlton, and was given a standing ovation from the crowd. He played well and assisted John Terry on the match-winning goal. When substituted at half-time for David Bentley, the pro-Beckham crowd booed the decision.[164] In a surprise move, Capello handed Beckham the captaincy for England's friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June 2008. The match was the first time since the 2006 World Cup that Beckham had skippered England and marked a dramatic turnaround for Beckham. In two years, he had gone from being dropped completely from the England squad to being reinstated (though temporarily) as England captain.[165]
During the 2010 World Cup Qualifier against Belarus in which England won 3–1 in Minsk, Beckham came off the bench in the 87th minute to earn his 107th cap making him England's third-most-capped player in history, overtaking Bobby Charlton in the process. On 11 February 2009, Beckham drew level with Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an English outfield player, coming on as a substitute for Stewart Downing in a friendly match against Spain.[166] On 28 March 2009, Beckham surpassed Moore to hold the record outright when he came on as a substitute in a friendly against Slovakia, providing the assist for a goal from Wayne Rooney in the process.[167]
In all, Beckham had made 16 appearances out of a possible 20 for England under Capello until his ruptured Achilles tendon of March 2010 ruled him out of selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[13] His last game for England before injury had been on 14 October 2009 as a substitute in England's last World Cup qualifying game, which ended England 3 – 0 Belarus.[13] While unable to play, Beckham still went to the tournament as part of the England back-room staff, acting as a mediator between management and the players.[168]
After a poor performance from England at the World Cup Capello remained as manager, but was under pressure to revamp the England squad for the imminent UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign. He unveiled a new team at the next England match, a home friendly game against Hungary on 11 August 2010, with Beckham still unavailable for selection but aiming for a return to playing in the MLS by the following month.[13] In the post-match interview, Capello said of the prospect of the now 35-year-old Beckham playing any future competitive matches for England, that "I need to change it. David is a fantastic player but I think we need new players for the future", referring to the new players that play in Beckham's right midfield position, including Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson, adding "This is the future of the team under Fabio Capello or another manager."[13] He said that Beckham may be selected for one last friendly game, stating, "If he is fit, I hope we will play one more game here at Wembley so the fans can say goodbye." In response to the comments, Beckham's agent released a statement reiterating Beckham's position that he had no desire to retire from international football, and would always make himself available for selection for England if fit and if needed.[13]
Beckham was named in the provisional squad to represent the Great Britain Olympic football team at the 2012 olympics.[169] He was not included in the final selection by manager Stuart Pearce.[170]
Rahasia Tendangan Pisang Beckham
| Wednesday, 30 November 2011 17:29 |
Kawula muda masih ingat dengan gaya tendangan Beckham yang menjadi
trend? Tendangan yang biasa disebut tendangan pisang ini ternyata bisa
dijelasin secara ilmiah dengan ilmu dinamika fluida. Sebuah bola yang
menembus udara akan memicu aliran udara di permukaannya berlawanan
dengan arah gerak bola. Jika bola bergerak di udara dengan kecepatan
kurang dari 20 kilometer per jam, aliran udara di permukaanya akan
terpisah di titik karakteristik yang terpisah cukup lebar.
Permukaan bulat bukan bentuk aerodinamis yang efisien. Ketika aliran
udara di permukaan bola yang bergerak terpisah, udara di belakangnya
bergolak karena terjadi turbulensi. Turbulensi selalu menghasilkan gaya
hambat sehingga bola menjadi objek yang sulit diarahkan. Namun, pada
kecepatan sekitar 20 kilometer per jam, keajaiban bisa terjadi.
Turbulensi semakin jauh sehingga menghasilkan lapisan udara batas. Hal
tersebut menyebabkan aliran udara tipis terbentuk (tripped) sangat dekat
dengan permukaan bola.
Efek turbulensi berkurang dan gaya hambatnya hilang. Tendangan atau
lemparan bola dengan kecepatan di atas itu dapat dilakukan dengan
leluasa dan diarahkan lebih tepat ke sasaran. Nah, ketika bola berputar,
lapisan pembatas masih masih terbentuk namun titik berpisahnya aliran
udara mengalami pergeseran. Tempat terpisahnya aliran udara lebih dekat
ke sisi yang berlawanan dengan arah putaran bola. Pergeseran ini
menyebabkan perbedaan tekanan dan membelokkan dorongan yang mengatur
gerakan dan arah bola.
Tentu saja, kunci menghasilkan tembakan yang bagus adalah sedikit
putaran. Namun, membuat putaran yang sangat sedikit lebih mudah saat
melempar bola baseball daripada menendang bola sepak. Kalaupun hal
tersebut terjadi pada hasil tendangan bola, mungkin banyak dipengaruhi
jumlah panel di permukaannya. Bola Teamgeist dengan 14 panel secara
aerodinamik lebih mendekati bola baseball daripada bola sepak Inggris
dengan 26 panel atau bola dengan 34 panel berpola heksagonal. Jadi,
perhatikanlah saat bola tersebut ditendang dengan sedikit putaran.
Kira-kira Beckham akan mengeluarkan jurus tendangan ini enggak ya kawula
muda? karena pasti semua udah penasaran pengen lihat aksinya secara
langsung!
|
- Ambil langkah mundur 5-6 searah 45 derajat. Lalu lari menuju bola dengan kecepatan medium. Ingat hanya langkah terakhir yang harus lebih jauh dan cepat.
- Jika Anda kaki kanan. Ketika akan menendang bola, tempatkan kaki yang tidak menendang di samping bola dan condongkan sedikit ke kiri.
- Tendang bola seperti yang diperlihatkan dan gerakan tubuh sesuai arah tembakan agar menghasilkan tendangan melengkung.
- Perhatikan titik tembaknya.
- Ingat untuk menggerakan tubuh ke arah tembakan lalu miringkan tubuh Anda seperti yang ditunjukkan.
Spektakulernya tendangan David Beckham membuat banyak pesepakbola dunia ingin tahu rahasianya.
Tercatat 30 kali bersama United dan enam kali bersama timnas Inggris Becks mencetak gol dari free kick.
Keahliannya ini bukan sesuatu yang ia dapatkan secara instan. Yang dia lakukan untuk mencapai kemampuan seperti itu adalah latihan dan latihan.
Beckham muda sering berlatih menendang berjam-jam di lapangan. Dia letakkan bola di suatu titik lalu menendangnya ke arah gawang, mengambilnya kembali, kemudian meletakan ke titik tersebut dan menendangnya lagi berulang-ulang kali.
Anda tentu juga bisa sepertinya, terlebih teknik Beckham dapat dianalisa dari banyaknya video yang beredar di dunia maya. Berikut ini salah satu video dan analisanya..
Tercatat 30 kali bersama United dan enam kali bersama timnas Inggris Becks mencetak gol dari free kick.
Keahliannya ini bukan sesuatu yang ia dapatkan secara instan. Yang dia lakukan untuk mencapai kemampuan seperti itu adalah latihan dan latihan.
Beckham muda sering berlatih menendang berjam-jam di lapangan. Dia letakkan bola di suatu titik lalu menendangnya ke arah gawang, mengambilnya kembali, kemudian meletakan ke titik tersebut dan menendangnya lagi berulang-ulang kali.
Anda tentu juga bisa sepertinya, terlebih teknik Beckham dapat dianalisa dari banyaknya video yang beredar di dunia maya. Berikut ini salah satu video dan analisanya..
Los Angeles Galaxy
I'm coming there not to be a superstar. I'm coming there to be
part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things. With me,
it's about football. I'm coming there to make a difference. I'm coming
there to play football ... I'm not saying me coming over to the States
is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be
difficult to achieve. Baseball, basketball, American football, they've
been around. But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could make
a difference.[75]
Beckham on going to America
From ESPN
From ESPN
Predictably, the announcement made top news all across the globe. Though many worldwide media outlets reported the deal to be worth US$250 million,[77] the astronomical figure was soon revealed to be something of a PR stunt engineered by Beckham's media handlers (British representative agency 19 Entertainment).[78] In order to maximise the media effect, in the press release they decided to list the potential sum that Beckham could make over the 5-year period from all his revenue sources, which in addition to his Galaxy pay also include his personal endorsements. Beckham's actual deal with the Galaxy was a 5-year contract worth US$32.5 million in total or $6.5 million per year.[79]
The high-profile acquisition paid immediate financial dividends for Galaxy long before Beckham joined the team. On the strength of the signing and the media frenzy it created, the club was able to pull off a new 5-year shirt sponsorship deal with Herbalife nutrition company worth US$20 million. The gate revenue peaked as well with 11,000 new season tickets holders and sold-out luxury suites (each one of the 42 inside the team's home ground, the Home Depot Center).[80] Even the LA Galaxy owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) saw an immediate spike in business. Involved on many business fronts worldwide, AEG was already leveraging its Beckham association in places such as China, where the company had been working aggressively in Shanghai and Beijing for years to receive clearance to build arenas and stadiums. The company's CEO Tim Leiweke put it as follows: "Suddenly, we're known as the company that owns the team that David Beckham is going to play for, so our world changed".[81]
In the months following the announcement, the additional terms of Beckham's contract became public knowledge. One unique contract provision was giving him the option of buying an MLS expansion franchise at a fixed price whenever he stopped playing in the league – an allowance that the league's owners had never given to a player before. Another provision was the opt-out clause after the 2009 season, meaning that should he decide so, Beckham was free to leave the club after completing year three of his 5-year contract.[80]
In April 2007, he and wife Victoria bought an $18.2 million home on San Ysidro Drive in Beverly Hills.[82]
Beckham's contract with LA Galaxy took effect on 11 July, and on 13 July, the famous Englishman was officially unveiled as a Galaxy player at the Home Depot Center to much fanfare and world media interest in front of more than 5,000 gathered fans and some 700 accredited media members.[83] Beckham chose to wear number 23. It was announced that Galaxy jersey sales had already reached a record figure of over 250,000 prior to this formal introduction.[84]
In parallel, Beckham's handlers at 19 Entertainment succeeded in putting together an unprecedented US media rollout designed to expand his carefully crafted personal brand in America. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated, a few weeks earlier Adidas launched the extensive 13-part ad campaign "Fútbol meets Football" starring Beckham and NFL running back Reggie Bush, and W magazine published a racy photo spread featuring David and wife Victoria photographed by Steven Klein. Meanwhile, ESPN sports network was running "Hello, Goodbye" promotional campaign and it also agreed to air David Beckham: New Beginnings documentary produced by 19 Entertainment and directed by Gary Brooks before the friendly match versus Chelsea, which was expected to be Beckham's American debut. In addition to popularising soccer, Beckham's arrival was used as platform for entertainment industry endeavours. Since both Beckham's and his wife's often overlapping careers were handled by 19 Entertainment that's owned by Simon Fuller, who in turn has a business relationship with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of Hollywood's most powerful talent agencies, it was important also for CAA that the Beckhams made as big a splash as possible upon their arrival in the United States. On 16 July, CAA had hosted a welcoming bash for David at its new eight-storey, $400 million headquarters in Century City with CAA employees reportedly instructed beforehand to line the staircase and clap for Beckham upon his arrival.[85] That night Victoria's reality show prime-time special Victoria Beckham: Coming to America aired on NBC, drawing negative reviews in the American press and poor US viewership ratings.[86]
The day after the made-for-TV debut was reserved for the welcoming party for the Beckhams at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art, formally billed as being hosted by Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith though in actuality a CAA-organized event. Attended by many Hollywood A-listers, the lavish bash was big news in the US celebrity tabloid media, including daily entertainment TV magazines such as Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood.[88]
Back on the soccer front, Beckham missed the next four Galaxy matches – three in the North American SuperLiga and an MLS game away at Toronto FC though he still made the trip with his teammates, sitting on the bench in street clothes. It was in Toronto on 5 August that the team got its first taste of what life would be like on the road with Beckham on the roster. Due to security concerns, it was the first time the team flew on a charter for a road match, rather than flying commercial (MLS normally forbids charter flights for away matches, claiming they provide competitive advantage, but in this case they made an exception due to the frenzy created around Beckham and resulting security issues). Also, instead of the usual MLS-mandated modest hotels, LA Galaxy stayed at the five-star Le Méridien King Edward in downtown Toronto (an expense paid for by the local Toronto promoter), while the glitz and glamour continued with the velvet rope, red carpet party at the Ultra Supper Club with Beckham as the centerpiece guest.[89]
Two weeks after his 12-minute appearance vs. Chelsea, still not fully healed Beckham finally made his league debut as a substitute on 9 August away versus DC United in front of the sellout crowd of 46,686 (nearly three times the average DC United home crowd) at the RFK Stadium, coming on for Quavas Kirk in the 71st minute.[90] Coming into the nationally televised match on ESPN, played under a heavy downpour with his team down a man and down a goal, even if only 70 percent fit, Beckham left a mark during the remaining twenty plus minutes. He hit a long free kick that Carlos Pavón failed to finish on for the equalizer, and then in the final minutes Beckham served a weighted through ball into Donovan's path that United's keeper Troy Perkins managed to break up in the last moment – the Galaxy lost 1–0. The next match on the road trip was at New England Revolution and Beckham decided to sit it out, fearing further aggrivating his ankle on the Gillette Stadium's artificial surface.
Beckham returned to the pitch the following week, again facing DC United, in the SuperLiga semi-final on 15 August. During this game he had many firsts with the Galaxy; his first start, first yellow card and first game as team captain.[91] He also scored his first goal for the team, from a free kick, and also made his first assist, for Landon Donovan in the second half. These goals gave the team a 2–0 victory, and a place in the North American SuperLiga final versus Pachuca on 29 August.
During the SuperLiga final against Pachuca, Beckham injured his right knee, with an MRI scan revealing that he had sprained his medial collateral ligament and would be out for six weeks. He returned to play in the final home match of the season. The Galaxy were eliminated from playoff contention on 21 October, in the final MLS match of the season, a 1–0 loss to the Chicago Fire. Beckham played as a substitute in the match, bringing his season totals to eight matches played (5 league); one goal scored (0 league); and three assists (2 league).
Beckham trained with Arsenal from 4 January 2008 for three weeks, until he returned to the Galaxy for pre-season training.[92] Beckham scored his first league goal with the Galaxy on 3 April against the San Jose Earthquakes in the ninth minute.[93] On 24 May 2008, the Galaxy defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3–1, giving the Galaxy their first winning record in two years and moving the club into first place in the Western Conference. In the match, Beckham scored an empty-net goal from 70 yards out. The goal marked the second time in Beckham's career that he had scored from his own half, the other being a 1996 goal from the half-way line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.[94] Overall, however, the Galaxy had a disappointing year, failing to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.
Loan to Milan
Beckham was unveiled at Milan's training facility by the club's chief executive Adriano Galliani on 20 December 2008.[98] The player chose number 32 shirt previously worn by Christian Vieri, as both the number 7 and 23 shirts were already used by Alexandre Pato and club captain Massimo Ambrosini, respectively. After his physical, Beckham was reportedly told by a club doctor that he believed he could continue playing football for another five years, up to the age of 38.[99] The day after his unveiling, Beckham was brought to San Siro where he got introduced to home fans by walking out on the pitch before the league match versus Udinese and proclaiming 'Forza Milan' over the public address system.[100] Afterwards, he and wife Victoria watched from a luxury box as Milan destroyed their opposition 5-1.[101]
As the three-week Christmas break began in Serie A, entire Milan team flew to Dubai for winter training.[102][103] Overcoming several minor fitness issues, Beckham made his debut in a Rossoneri shirt on 6 January 2009 in a friendly against Hamburg at Dubai's Sevens Stadium.[104]
Playing on the squad led by the 26-year-old superstar Kaká in addition to several other world-class players at or near the peak of their careers – 28-year-old Ronaldinho, and 29-year-old Andrea Pirlo – as well as club veterans Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf, Ambrosini, Giuseppe Favalli, Gianluca Zambrotta, Filippo Inzaghi, and Andriy Shevchenko, Beckham made his competitive debut for the rossoneri in Serie A as a starter away at Roma on 11 January 2009, playing 89 minutes of the 2–2 draw in front of 53,444 at the Stadio Olimpico.[105] Playing his first competitive match in almost three months, Beckham gave a decent performance in right midfield alongside Pirlo. Though clearly lacking match fitness, occasionally struggling to keep up in a high-tempo match, Beckham put in enough useful crosses and corners to justify the coach Carlo Ancelotti's decision to play him from the start.[106] Going into Beckham's home debut versus Fiorentina a week later, all the talk was around Milan's best player Kaká being the target of a reported £100 million transfer bid by Manchester City.[107] Beckham turned in another understated performance on the right side of midfield before advancing into a more active central role in the second half thus effectively taking over Seedorf's role after the Dutch international got subbed off. Milan won 1-0 courtesy of Pato, but the 65,000+ San Siro crowd mostly focused on Kaká, imploring him to stay on.[108]
A noticeably older team, Ancelotti-coached Milan was proving a good fit for the 33-year-old Englishman. He scored his first goal in Serie A for Milan in a 4–1 victory over Bologna on 25 January, his third appearance for the club.[109] Though Beckham was expected to return to L.A. in March, after impressing at the Italian club, scoring two goals in his first four matches and assisting on several more, rumours began to swirl that Beckham would stay in Milan, with the Italian club reportedly offering to pay a multi-million dollar fee for him. The rumours were confirmed on 4 February, when Beckham stated that he was seeking a permanent transfer to Milan, in a bid to sustain his England career through the 2010 World Cup. However, Milan failed to match Galaxy's valuation of Beckham, in the US$10–15 million range.[110]
Still, negotiations continued during a month of speculation.[111] On 2 March, the Los Angeles Times reported that Beckham's loan had been extended through mid-July.[112] This was later confirmed by Beckham, revealing what was described as a unique "timeshare" deal, in which Beckham would play with L.A. from mid-July till the end of the 2009 MLS season.[113]
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