Beckham Demonstrates Commitment

SEATTLE -- David Beckham continues to claim he's committed to both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Major League Soccer, and on Friday afternoon seemed to back that up with a promise to play in Sunday's MLS Cup final despite pain in his foot that will require pre-game injections, to return to the team following next summer's World Cup and even to involve himself in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the players and MLS owners.

Late Thursday, Beckham moved to alleviate concerns that followed the publication of a photo showing him wearing a protective boot on his right foot and promised he would play on Sunday. He took the week off and practiced Friday for the first time since the Galaxy defeated Houston in the Western Conference final on Nov. 13.

"Unfortunately, it's been frustrating because since the game, I haven't been able to train because bone bruising is pretty ... you have got be kind of careful with it not to get any kicks on it," he told the assembled media here at Qwest Field. "So it's been frustrating, but I'm sure it'll be fine for Sunday. Definitely be fine for Sunday. It's one of those things that you just have to get through. After five, ten minutes of the game, I'm sure I'll forget about it."

When asked if he'd require injections to handle the pain, the 34-year-old midfielder said, "Yeah, definitely."

"It's part of sports," he sad. "You know, if you want to be involved in certain games, then you have to make certain sacrifices. That's the way it is. But it'll be fine."

Beckham's desire to be involved in the World Cup has prompted him to negotiate another loan to AC Milan that will cause him to miss around the first four months of the 2010 MLS season. That move, along with the revelation that he could buy out the remainder of his five-year contract with the Galaxy following this season, left some to speculate that his American adventure may be ending. On Friday, Beckham reiterated his short- and long-term commitment to MLS.

"Yeah. Yeah," he said quickly when asked if he would return to Los Angeles following the World Cup. "I obviously hope to be involved in the World Cup and then I'll return for the rest of the season."

By then, there will have to be a new labor deal between the owners and players. With his $6.5 million annual salary, Beckham certainly doesn't have some of the grievances of many of his colleagues, some of whom make $20,000. He has little to gain by getting involved in what promises to be a pretty contentious battle over the league's future. But Friday, he said he "know[s] how players want things to be done" and "understand[s] what they want in life and in their careers."

"I think it's always important that I'm involved in certain things that are going on, meetings that are going on with the players union and decisions that are being made. Anything I can be involved in, of course I'll always step up for that."

Quite a change from a player who was accused of having little sympathy or generosity for his working-class teammates during his first two years in Los Angeles. Perhaps those feelings will continue if Beckham decides to exercise his right to own his own MLS franchise once he retires. He said he is looking forward to that as well.

"I love the game, so I want to be involved in the game in some way when I finish," he said. "Owning a franchise is something that's definitely possible and something that I'm really thinking about, and I think will happen eventually." He said soccer "can definitely grow and it can definitely get bigger," in the U.S., and that it is "something that I'm looking forward to being part of."