The reason soccer/football will never be a major sport in the US is not the marketing scheme over here or anything like that, it is the "soccer mom" image of European football. David Beckham was hopefully going to change that. This is the job he was really signed to and he knows it. You don't pay $125 million for a foreigner past his prime unless you mean to primarily use his image to change the image of your sport. It has less to do with actual play than the anit-soccer mom campaign raging in the states to make soccer admirable and masculine. As it is right now, the sport and its players are viewed to be comprised of those who lack the strength, courage, and size for our 3 major sports. This is not the case for the English premier league which is a showcase for excellent athletecism. We are trying to get that here. This will not happen if Beckham is only a player. He must be the envoy, the only one with any credibility, and rightfully so.

Byron Hill, Belmont, California

The reason soccer will never be a major sport over here is that the final score is so often 1-0. American football is designed for television to be high scoring. Watching two teams run back and forth for a couple of hours without any scoring is simply too boring. However, soccer is becoming more and more popular as a participant sport but that does not necessarily translate into media success.

ian, Frederick , USA MD

this is a joke if theres a chance of playing for England , do you think he really wants to run around playing sunday league at Galaxy and get Injured? this is a Joke and its all down to his foolish attention seeking wife ! who has insisted on being the (always in the news for nothing at all ) Beckham will get Skill fade playing their and he will struggle to maintain performance ... at European level , he basically sacrificed his beloved game of football for a stupid lifestyle that in itself shows what type of mind set the hollywood couple have ..." holywood couple" he's a flipping fooltballer !

lee harrison, leeds, uk

No, no, Alan from Durham. Americans, unlike such you think, are not quite so stupid as to expect injured players to be on the field. Believe it or not, we have some experience in sporting events; we call them Baseball and Football and Basketball. Why, Alan, we don't expect even THOSE players to perform while injured. And the reason, Alan, that it will take a while for soccer to become a popular, competing sporting event in America is because its NEW here! It will have to earn a "market share" (I use that term because I'm sure you think we're all capitalists) against the established sports we're already inundated with!

Cheerio.

James, Sacramento, California

American do understand that injured players can't play. We're not idiots, contrary to what the world may think. The reason people at Gillette were unhappy Beckham didn't play is because the people actually attending MLS games are the same people that want to see "soccer" grow into a huge sport here. We see the potential that Beckham has to raise the public's awareness of MLS (which is growing, both financially and team-wise). The reason soccer isn't huge in the States is the same reason why more people attend Premiership games than League One games - people want to see the best football they can. MLS is (I'd say) Championship level play, with moments of bottom-three Premiership play and moments of League One play. Simply put - when more players like Beckham (who is past his prime, but still is deserving of an English cap) come to play for MLS, the league will flourish.

Brendan, Virginia, USA

Posh is Beckham's real manager. She doesn't want him to 'open' in the sticks. He'll make his debut in New York. Count on it. The entire Beckham thing is a marketing ploy to sell gear and help Posh get established in Hollywood. Playing for a poor England team against minnows like Estonia, he can look OK, but as a major player he's been washed up for years. Nice trade--the USA sends ten reasonably decent EPL players to England and we get back one has-been.

H. Wellisch, New York , NY

Wow, ignorance appears to be a particularly pernicious trait in the British public. "americans dont realise that when a player is injured/unfit that he cant play" Actually, Americans are quite aware of what an "injury" means to an athelete. However, they are also aware of what being ripped off by a corporation feels like. Imagine if Derby County announced that in order to get a ticket to Pride Park to watch Man U fans had to buy a package of four tickets at an inflated price. American businesses are taking advantage of true US football fans by marketing Beckham to giggly teenage girls who show up, know nothing about football, and scream every time Beckham scratches his buttocks. We don't need Beckham, please take him back!

Braden, NY, NY

Hey Ernie. We would do but we don't want him!

Ernie Mann, Warwick, U.K

As a runner, triman and generally good fellow, I have had my share of aches and pains training for Marathons, 5K's and so on. It is understandable that fans are upset that Beckham cannot play for now.
Muscle sprains, tears and trauma take time to heal. If you havn't run a 5k lately, don't whine...heal thyself,,,in time, Beckham will reveal his unique talents.
In the meantime check out Manchester United sometime, they rock on the cable soccer scene....
a fan or all football.

aj furman, beloit, wi

He seems quite a delicate flower.

jerry, seattle, us

Too bad Galaxy couldn't hire Zidane. At least he wouldn't be crying over an injury and worrying about a media monkey of a wife. Send him back.

Nathan, Seattle,

Dave could get away with this in Europe but in the US, pro athletes are expected to play through pain. American football and hockey are tough, rugged injury prone games - arguably more so than soccer - but no one gets a free pass. Two or three games off then it's back at it. A month on the bench and they become a national joke.

John Dawe, Manchester,

I bought a Rev's ticket, for good win. Being a Yank who follows the British matches, Beckham's injury was well known. You think the owner of the Galaxy would have bought a player that was health and could make some points, instead he bought a name with a bad ankle. Caveat emptor. GO REV's.

Richard, New Britain, CT/USA

Of course Americans understand that injured players can't play - at least the ones who care about sports do. Do you think we expect American football players to get on the field while hurt? The people who booed him were most likely not there to see a soccer game or even to see him play, they just wanted to see a celebrity "do his thing." What they really don't understand is that once he does start playing he's not going to save the Galaxy and score 10 goals a game - the hype has been so much and Americans know so little about the sport that they're expecting him to do something magical every time he touches the ball.

Tom, New Orleans, U.S.

I don't think Americans were booing at Beckham at all. It was the fact that they were mislead into believing he would be playing that game that caused their disappointment and after watching some movies and being told of fan participation in England at football games I don't think there is room to throw stones... but oh how I know you love to!

Leila, Orlando , USA Florida

They do this in every sport in the states. From american football to hockey. It's just the nature of the beast over here. It's the American way to play injured. Not saying its the right thing, and quite frankly I rather not see Becks play 'til he's 100%, not 70, 80 or 90. Nevertheless, All the greats (in American sport culture that is) have done it.
Europe is not getting Becks back within five years so stop all the crying.

Naeem, Los Angeles, California

The reason why he was booed was because the spectators were kept in the dark of the fact that he would not be playing, even though the club knew well in advance.

Shame on the organizers and the clubs for this deceit. They should say clearly when he will play again and stick to that and not try and fill the stadiums by hiding the fact from the fans.

Mike, San Francisco, CA

Americans, Beckham is payed this astronomous amount of money over five (5) years which in turn means that he is supposed to last (another) five years. I think that's longer than any NFL player ever lasted.

Henric, Sydney,

the biggest mistake beckham will ever make in his life...ie moving to the USA

Mr P Mulay, Wadebridge Cornwall,

If Alexi Lalas, the LA Galaxy and the MLS think that one player can turn Americans into football/soccer fans, they are ignoring some not to distant history. The old NY Cosmos of the now defunct NASL brought in famous names from Brazil (remember Pele), Italy and other countries but in the long run they played in nearly empty stadiums with minimal television coverage because the star power did not improve overall quality. If the MLS wants fans to come back to matches and also tune in (to the TV) they need regularly provide over an extended period a quality league and teams with both home grown and imported talent. Regarding the "Beckham Package", the New England club's owners should be ashamed of themsleves.

Adam, Pasadena, USA/California

Beckham should not be even considered he did not play much for Real Madrid and it is a con that he is earning so much money for doing nothing when there are millions out there who could do with a few quid. The whole thing is absolutely rubbish and he should taken out of the team and sent home.

M Cranston, Coleraine, Northern Ireland

"americans dont realise that when a player is injured/ unfit that he cant play."

Not to pick a fight, but that's rubbish. There is as great a percentage of sports fans in the U.S. as there are anywhere else. Americans have no trouble understanding the concept of "injured athletes may not play." It's one thing to observe (correctly) that most Americans don't understand (or care about) "soccer." However, to say Americans are too dumb to understand that unfit players can't play is simple yank-bashing.

Harold, Marion, Arkansas, USA

Starting off on the wrong foot and finding that things aren't going right there is only one way, pull out. This business of playing in America and being paid a vast amount of money to play for a duff football team is not good for the reputation of the president of the club. Its no good for the poor devils in the team who obviously don't know how to win games, and its no good for David Beckham. He should tell them its not going to work, its not as if he's hard up for a quid or two. As they say, It'll do 'is 'ed in.
The way things are going, his new mate, the little fella with that funny religion, and smiler, between them, they'll empty his pockets !

Phil de Buquet, Newport, England

He should never have even been signed from Madrid, esp seeing as even then he was suffering from a dickie ankle injury.

PS ... Hello Chilliwack, if you know Simon the English Landscaper, say Hi from his sister in Baltimore!

Jessica T, Baltimore, US

It is sad but you can understand the arguement on both sides (the fans & the team). The people benefiting form the Beckham package are the real cheats, taking advantage of eager fans who honestly want to watch a game and at the same time see beckham. Personally i wont pay to see him. I think football is no more a game even in england right now its all about MONEY n that has taken the fun out of a wondeerful sport.

Adegbola, London, United Kingdom

Galaxy created the hype. They deserve what they get. The belief that one man will boost a minority sport in the US is laughable.

Mark, Bradford, England

my view is, will david beckham increase the interest in UK soccer in the USA? Possibly. But will David Beckham increase the interest in the UK of UK-style soccer in the USA? Probably not.

eileen, manchester, UK

"americans dont realise that when a player is injured/ unfit that he cant play. "

Really? That's news to me. American fans enjoy a number of professional sports where injuries are quite common -- and where "benching" the injured athlete until he heals is standard procedure. Do you think we in the USA have invented some magical new medical procedure that obviates the severity of sport injuries? Please think before you post.

Jasper, Boston, USA

By all means ask for the money back but don't send him home. we don't want him or his talentless wife.

nick, London, UK

Please, England, take him back. Take his wife back, too, please.

June Smith, Los Angeles, California USA

I think Ron is off the mark. PR disasters dont create full stadiums. And this is with Beckam knowingly injured. He will be back to all these stadiums again, playing next time and its likely to be to a full stadium again. How on earth can that be a disaster Ron?

carlo Cavecchi, Denver , CO/USA

Maybe the fans should be booing the owners of the Revolution for hiking up ticket prices rather than Beckham-if you're injured, you can't play, simple as that. Plus there was still a football match going on, serves them right for going just for a bit of celeb-spotting.
Personally I think people will be disappointed with Beckham, he doesn't have the immediate aesthetic appeal of a tricky player like Ronaldinho or Messi. I can't see him being there for the length of his contract.

AL, Wash, DC,

yeah, right. and fratton park will be full of boos because rooney ain't there.

americans don't deserve "soccer".

and beckham was never going to save the galaxy.

jem, london, uk

Its all fluff .............. which rhymes with bluff.

shay, boston, usa/ma

no, don;t send them home - keep them over there please!

Stuart Murray, Amsterdam, Netherlands

I'm not sure of how much football players make in the UK or Europe but in America if an athlete makes 100+ million over 5 years they are expected to play. Where do you think the money comes from? American athletic salaries are based on how many fans want to watch them play. Football/soccer is not a popular sport in America because America is already saturated with pro sports. Give Football/soccer 10 more years to build up a fan base. Just about every kid in america plays soccer growing up now.

Ben, charlotte, nc, USA

Reading this I thought to myself how small minded the whole thing is. Americans should not be so star struck and see soccer the way it really is: a sport that is played by two opposing teams. No "packages" [Chelsea, Man United, Benfica and Barcelona, only to name a few could make like 5 different packages a game].
Soccer is about a team and what brings you every given sunday to a football match, and sometimes every sunday, is the passion that one has for one's team, for the sport. It is not about this or that player. We leave that for the golf's and tenis'lover.

Fernando Foneca, Lisbon, Portugal

A little unfaIr Ernie. He is injured and has always given everything for any team he plays for. Once fit and playing, then is the time to judge.

Rogan, Valley Forge, PA

Beckham is doing his part for now by bringing in the fans. One might speculate whether he might have had a latent weakness in his ankle, but that's really the L.A. Galaxy's problem. Perhaps these circumstances will give Mr. Beckham an opportunity to reflect on how he presents himself. His public statements describing his mission as making U.S. professional soccer "better" seem inappropriate under the circumstances. And these statemens violate the social convention in which highly gifted professional athletes (not including boxers) are the only people in America expected to speak modestly about themselves.

Bob, Reston, VA (USA)

Beckham's in America so Posh can break into Hollywood... His football career was over years ago.

Sam, New York, NY

fair go to the man.. he is a great player, i rate his as good at zidane as a midfield playmaker and rank him as the most decent human superstar today, read up about him and you'll learn he is really a guy most people love to be fans off. who else that famous takes time out to do the things he does for the ordenery folk.. keep that in mind when you decide your opinion of the guy, but its jut not happening for the poor guy at the moment. give it time.

singh, Brsiabane, Australian

Ernie - many fans this side of the pond would take him back in a shot. The marketing people in the States are so keen on making a quick buck on their investment that they are stupidly dragging an injured player round the country - making his recovery even slower. Beckham is many things but he's not a bottler.

Robert, London, UK

the difference between america and england is that we pay to see our team play not an idividual. that is what a fan does, it supports a team. not a single player, that is glory hunting

chris bryll , kyushu,

When I first heard of Beckham`s sale to the LA Galaxy,I thought that whoever made that decision does not understand football.How can one justify paying that kind of money for what Beckham has achieved on the pitch? Yes, he has scored with a few free kicks,but does he ever dribble past a defender ? Many of his counterparts can do it but they have not had the exposure by the media.Obviously,Beckham was bought for a financial investment which it will soon prove a bad one, when the curiosity factor dies down.If Beckham didn`t have that silly squeaky boys voice and spoke proper english,he may have better luck as a film star.

Tony Donnarumma, London, England

Really, nobody cares over here. US Football starts soon and the MLS has lost its chance.

Ron, Chicago, IL

I enjoyed the game even without Beckham. The goal by Twellman was an excellent one.

Better for Beckham to get fully fit before entering the field.

I grew up in a soccer- mad country and first came here in 1979. At that time, soccer here was close to being zero. I left in '84. When I came back in '99, I was pleasantly surprised to see how far soccer has come in this country. Now millions of American school kids play the game.

The level of play here is getting better all the time. I predict that in another 5-10, years, the US will be a world soccer power.

It is a myth created by the media that Beckham came here to rescue soccer. Soccer in America is doing very well, thank you, with or without Beckham. It is developing very nicely.

Geoffrey , Arlington, TX US

the guy is injured we can't blame him for that, american should be thankfull for having him we are still sobbing in madrid

nawel, france,

Please don't send him home. we've only just got rid of him after ten years of hype.

Let us have a few more weeks rest at least, I beg of you.

Interesting that Lalas says "the ticket is for the team not just Beckham"....sounds like he wants his cake and wants to eat it too. Can you imagine Wycombe buying Ronaldinho, playing at Wembley and leaving him on the bench?

"The ticket says Wycombe Wanderers, not Ronaldinho", said the manager after the game as 90,000 conned punters destroyed his team's bus.....

J.Wilkes, Gloucester,

I still have students asking why soccer is so popular in other countries, but not in the States. I may not enjoy watching soccer, but after living in London for three years (I'm back in Texas now) I have respect the game.

I just tell my kids that we don't appreciate the game because we didn't grow up watching the sport. We can't ask the rest of the world to embrace American football because we are maniac about the sport, now can we?

Athena, Texas,

Beckams contract is £125million for 5 years.

How many matches can he play in that time?

What is the average cost per match?

He has talent but is it really worth that sum of money????

Gerry Stutters, Norwich, UK

That shows the level of attention football has, as a sport, in America. What motivates the fans to go to the stadium is the player, not the game itself. That's sad.

Fabio C, London, UK

hahahaha, a 'Beckham Package'.. dear oh dear

Owen, London, UK

European football is thriving at the schoolchild level in the US. Beckham playing here (or not) will neither make nor break it. At the pro level it may be a different story, that is a business matter and has nothing to do with sport. I wish Beckham the best of health, but Ernie has a point.

Hotspur, NY , US

No please don't send him home, we've only just got rid of him and his wife. Not that you'd know, their vacuous, airheaded, money and fame grabbing selves seem to be in the media even more than normal. Are their football teams in Nova Scotia that he can transfer to?

Paul, London, UK

Alan:
Give Americans a little credit--athletes get injured in other sports that are popular in the US like US Football and Basketball. Superstars cannot always play. I think the issue has been that Beckham's arrival has been touted like the second coming and his injury has been downplayed so much that only people who are listening hard heard about it. So, it's not surprising that people have been bitterly disappointed.

Will Beckham make a difference to football in the US? Somehow I doubt he'll do a better job than Pele or Maradona before him in spite of the fact that more young people are playing football in the US than ever before. There's only room for one low-scoring sport here and that's baseball.

Charles, Boston, MA

David Beckham is undoubtedly one of the great footballers of our time; he is also a great money earner for his lords and masters. Unfortunately, in the US, "Brand Beckham" does not have the same force as here in UK - hence we see the Beckham marketing machine working overtime to try and establish it. This means that David Beckham the footballer is the main thing - if not the only thing - the US is interested in. Its rather a novel idea that an A class footballer should be seen purely from the point of his football playing expertise; something which idolising fans pay good money to see. And thereby hangs the problem - there is no US soccer with David Beckham, at lease not as yet, apart from about thirty minutes worth over the last weeks. And at almost US$1mil per week, (nice work if you can get it!), one has to wonder how long LA Galaxy's financial backers are going to want to continue to pay out, without seeing a return for their money. Will David come to rue the day the $ beckoned?

Jason, Norwich,

Frankly, my dear, I couldn't give a damn.

Ian - Bristol Blue, Bristol,

At least he hasn't killed any dogs like the other most talked about sportsman in the US! Give the lad a break, well I guess he has one in the ankle. It must be very frustrating to not be able to turn out. But I wonder if he is ever going to be fit enough to handle that kind of game schedule. If not they paid a big price for very little

keith manton, houston, usa

Americans have no patience for anything......If a conflict or problem can't be resolved in the time it takes for a half a season of (insert popular US TV series her) to be over. It's automatically bad, wrong, needs to be changed. If a player is injured that's life, he doesnt play until he is better. What are they expecting from David Beckham anyway? Do they think he is going to propel LA to a champioship? Start living in the real world, DB is not a one man superstar team. He's a decent player who's primary skill is passing the ball, other players need to step up a finish.

dpf, London,

Thanks for that, Ernie Atkins. The man's injured. Even your beefcake 'athletes' in heavy padding don't play injured.

Mike Rogerson, Plymouth, England,

Send him home,no thanks he will have to bring "Posh" back to!

Bill Rees, Truro, Cornwall

They might be disappointed now....but wait to see how gutted they'll be when they actually see him play.

Simon, Moscow, Russia

Ernie Atkins, chilliwack, Canada - You sent us Celine Dion, we send you Victoria Beckham. How do you not get how this works??

Dan, Hampton, UK

He's injured. It happens. I am no expert but surely flying around America will not help his injury? Nor will the ridiculous schedule of games.

Ian Phillips, Nottingham,

Buying football players - and paying to watch them - has always been a gamble. You're not guaranteed a win, a season free from injury or seeing your favourite player take to the pitch - that's the nature of the game, no matter what you spend. The fact that the team seem to be laying the blame at beckham's door by saying that he made the decision not to play is hardly likely to help matters though.

Chris, London,

americans dont realise that when a player is injured/ unfit that he cant play. i understand the 'marketing' value and scam of the whole thing (beckham package)? what a joke. this is the reason why football/ soccer will never be a major sport in the US

alan, durham, UK

"in a T-shirt and long shorts"???

Fuzz, PJ, Malaysia

Ask for the money back and send him home.

Ernie Atkins, chilliwack, Canada