18 - 24 April 2002
Issue No.582
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 18 - 24 April 2002 Issue No.582 |
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From the sidelines
Better to play another day
England's soccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has apparently put his foot down -- and wants star player David Beckham to do the same.
Eriksson has decided that Beckham, who broke his left foot last week, will play in the World Cup, even if he has to do so on one leg.
Beckham shares his coach's hopes of making it to Japan and South Korea but Eriksson's decision carried great risks for the player, his club and country.
While Beckham's foot, set in plaster following a crude two-footed tackle in a Champions League match, will probably heal in time for England's first game against Sweden on 2 June, it might not mend well enough to withstand another challenge, even one lesser in intensity. Perhaps forgotten amidst the latest injury, Beckham injured the same foot a week earlier in Spain against Deportivo. One injury atop another on top of one other and pretty soon you have what was a foot, rendered temporarily out of order, ending up permanently disabled.
Eriksson's decision to play Beckham "whatever his status" also goes against common sports sense which says a fully fit player of modest means is, in the end, more valuable to a team than a super- duper star not physically 100 per cent.
The 23-man squad that Eriksson must name by 21 May should be filled with able-bodied players able to withstand the rigours of seven highly- physical World Cup games -- the number of matches to be played if a team is to reach the final -- in 30 days.
While the pundits agree with this assessment, they argue that an exception must be made because Beckham is an exceptional player. Granted, Beckham is far from ordinary: part-England captain, part-soccer great, part-fashion icon, part- husband of a former Spice girl.
But the six weeks that he will have to stay in a cast will also make Beckham part out of shape and out of form. And neither the shape nor colour of Beckham's hair or clothes will win for England the World Cup which has eluded it since 1966.
At 26, there will be other World Cups for Beckham -- provided England qualifies again -- other Champions League opportunities for Manchester United and other chances at the Premiership and FA Cup titles.
Millions of people want to see Beckham in the World Cup, would love to see his priceless right foot delivering its trade-mark deadly crosses and defence-splitting free kicks, would relish to see him in the dream rematch with Argentina.
But those same millions should understand that it is better for England and United to lose the services of Beckham for a few months rather than forever.
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