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Beckham’s Goal

In my previous post, I didn’t make sufficient mention of this.

That ball was struck to absolute perfection: over the wall, with a slight right-to-left curve, and then dipping to shin-height at the near post.

Mora, Ecuador’s keeper, made an excellent try for a ball that he was screened from seeing. And if he were three inches taller he might well have stopped it.

But Beckham could not have place that ball any better. Simply could not have.

And that’s why for all his many lackluster minutes he has to be in there. The own-goal against Paraguay, the cross to Crouch for the first goal against T&T, and now this: nobody else in England can compare.

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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 38 comments.

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By jamaal | June 26th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Top

Beckhams goal was a good goal dont get me wrong but it wasnt perfect. like mentioned before, any goalkeeper over 5′5′ (lol) would have gotten to it. i agree that he is needed even tho for 89 minutes he dont do nothin but puke and give long balls

Posted from United States United States

By iron | June 26th, 2006 at 1:16 am
Top

rooney isn’t overrated, he just isn’t getting enough chances because of sven’s stupid formation. any time rooney got the ball he looked dangerous, but he was up there alone and not even 100% fit… silly sven.

Posted from Australia Australia

By Picanha | June 26th, 2006 at 1:17 am
Top

beat the Portuguese? shouldn’t be too hard? England will be playing Portugal’s B side. You have an obligation to beat them. Period. No excuses. Good luck.

Posted from Canada Canada

By Justin Fischer | June 26th, 2006 at 1:58 am
Top

You guys are all dumb David Beckham is one of the top players in the world you guys have no idea about soccer and yes the goalie should have gotten that ball but he didn’t so one hell of a goal by beckham

Posted from United States United States

By kaooek | June 26th, 2006 at 2:23 am
Top

I hope you cheating brits get knocked out once and for all. The most overhyped, boring worthless, uncreative, luckiest team in the cup award goes to England.
England is the laughing stock of the european countries.. you dont deserve to be here, or have beaten Ecuador.
You are celebrating send offs from Portugal to try and sneak your way into the tournament.
How pathetic and disgusting attitude – I dont blame you, England doesnt have any skill.

Posted from United Kingdom United Kingdom

By Rolf Habich | June 26th, 2006 at 2:28 am
Top

What a pitiable performance on both sides.

We were totally underwhelmed.
(The most honourable staff members of the world’s most intellectual newspaper THE SUN will probably proclaim it as something only second to Nelson’s Trafalgar victory.)

Bad luck for Ecu with that hit against the cross-bar; good luck for Beck with his perfect shot.

Beyond that? Beyond that?Beyond that?

What a prolonged yaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhwwwwwn … !

Remember Germany vs. Sweden and Portugal vs. Holland ? The tempo, the drama, the artistry ?

And yet England proceeds … after 4 ugly matches ! AWFUL !

But they will soon get the cup -of tea, that is, back home; in Derbyshire or Yorkshire or Shshshshire ( don’t mentiom the CUP, please)- well, with plenty of cups yet no world.

Posted from Germany Germany

By Kim | June 26th, 2006 at 2:46 am
Top

All I want to say is the American announcer Marcelo Bilboa is an @@@@@@, he is one of these announcers that were hired who is a HAS BEEN,who only watches soccer when it suits him. He bad mouthed David Beckham not 20 minutes before his KICK A**S goal. After he scored, he was “thats why he is the best, he is the captain”" blah blah. Shut the hell up”!! you are an idiot Bilboa. You did the same thing in the Argentina game last week, etc. You know nothing, you just watch a few games and make harsh comments. I doubt that you even watch the Argentine league, the Mexican league or the English Premier league. you are an embarassment as an American announcer, thank god for Julie Foudy and Alexi Lalas.

Posted from United States United States

By cicatrix | June 26th, 2006 at 2:49 am
Top

it was a lovely goal, nice to have a little reminder of why we keep Becks around, as sometimes I really do wonder. England had better pull their socks up for the game against Portugal, they’ll have to work a lot harder for a victory than the previous matches so far. Come on England! Please don’t make me listen to Portuguese car horns all night July 1st.

Posted from Canada Canada

By dila | June 26th, 2006 at 4:45 am
Top

they were fortunate..
it was an awful dull game n i wonder why considering they have all the stars in it.
why cant they play like they did in the EPL?
…*sigh…

Posted from Malaysia Malaysia

By Jeff | June 26th, 2006 at 5:39 am
Top

Becks scored a fine goal, not one of the tournament’s best, but a fine goal. Cutting ti the chase, what was up with the negative/cautious tactitics Sven used? This seemed like a prime moment to pick an attacking lineup or play an attacking formation. Why not a 4-4-2 with Rooney and Crouch playing in front of Gerrard and Lampard…or Gerrard and Carrick? Also, it seemed odd to me that with a five-man midfield they played the ball over the top so consistently rather than playing to feet. If Crouch were up front it would make more sense, but I was puzzled by the way they constantly whacked the ball in the air. I can only guess that since England’s supposedly great midlfielders seldom run off the ball, except a few times each game, that their greatness is nullified? As someone else wrote, why are these guys full of hustle and bustle for their club teams but don’t run for the national team?

Posted from United States United States

By owen | June 26th, 2006 at 6:04 am
Top

I wonder if it ever occurred to any of the constant critics that England is actually playing extremely good teams that are actually trying to make it hard for England? And England wins anyway. I loved the comment about the artistry in the Germany-Sweden game – you mean the two moments of artistry? Surrounded by 88 minutes of boring football? Oh – wait – that sounds like your description of the England-Ecuador game! Or Netherlands-Portugal – I give you drama there – lots and lots of it – including from the ref. Didn’t see a lot of goalscoring skill though.

Posted from United States United States

By Teik Chun | June 26th, 2006 at 10:11 am
Top

ooo…that is bad performance about
Carrick in the vs Ecuador. 4-1-4-1 is a good formation but has put a wrong guy,
The place of Carrick should replace by Hargreaves.
Which team wants to win after Germany …Please watch out Frings…the player make a importent for Germany…

Posted from Malaysia Malaysia

By Binarybloke | June 26th, 2006 at 11:06 am
Top

“Remember Germany vs. Sweden and Portugal vs. Holland ? The tempo, the drama, the artistry ?”

The cheating, the diving, the gamesmanship, the headbutting, the begging for red/yellow cards…
The Port v Holl match will be remembered only for the worst elements of the beautiful game.

Go England!

Posted from United Kingdom United Kingdom

By Saleem | June 26th, 2006 at 11:50 am
Top

Praise the lord that he is gifted different people with different qualities. Beckham has truly been gifted with a great right foot, and the intelligence to use at critical moments. He has got to be in the team just for this quality.

Posted from United Kingdom United Kingdom

By korea | June 26th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Top

wonderful goal!!!

but be careful

world cup is swiss cup.

Damn it! referee!!!!!

Posted from Australia Australia

By Pedro | June 26th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Top

British newspapers want Figo out of game… Jesus Christ!!! all that fear? the game is played next saturday, 4pm… don’t try to play it earlier… leave it to the pitch…

Posted from Portugal Portugal

By Patrick Lockyer | June 26th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Top

So much from so many about which they know little. Don’t write for a while guys, study the game a bit first, as many posters online are just like Marcel Bilboa the ABC TV commentator only ten times worse. The English are at the end of a hard season. We should play a Winter World Cup and see the difference as ‘other’ skills come into play. Do you think the South American and Africans would do well then? The stadium was very hot. Soccer is not meant to be played in that heat. The tempo has to be reduced. The near misses for England were ‘created’ and it could have been 4-1. The near misses for Ecuador were mostly as a result of good fortune as in the Ashley Cole intervention. The game was sound and entertaining if you understand and have put ‘time in’ to soccer. This is a Championship and you have to stay the course unlike Pope of USA and Deco of Portugal. I have put in 50 years and get a great deal more than most of you ‘new to soccer’ posters do obviously and I include the ones from UK. I was a paid professional Videographer for senior clubs up on the gantry at Liverpool and Newcastle and West Ham and helped coach players. I was in Germany as a soldier in 1966 when my team captain and two other West Ham players won us the World Cup. For the Argentina V Mexico match I donned my Sombrero and went to my local Mexican Restaurant and supported them and made new friends and loved every minute, especially the fine goal from Argentina. But there is just as much luck to get that goal as there is for Beckham to get his. You still have to have the nerve to try and then face the wrath when you ’sky’ it or miss. That makes the character of the player. Being a ‘fanatic’ is to support your side thru thick and thin. The English fans were behind their team from start to finish and deserved their win. The American commentators are cr*p and have no passion for the game. I enjoyed better listening to the passion of the Spanish Commentators without even understanding them. Get rid of dispassionate no nothing commentators and see the ratings go up. Put explainers on that know the game. America has invented terminology like ‘make up call’ and ‘put out of bounds’ when the goalkeeper makes a terrific save and puts it ‘out for a corner. They say ‘foul on so and so’ when the foul is against ’so and so’. It would suffice to say that the foul was on England by Ecuador or vice versa. They need to admire the wonderfully well timed tackles that rob the attacker without fouling him and to understand, like the players do that if they are given a yellow it’s their fault and no one else’s. Unlike was the case in the reporting of the US matches. They need to identify and explain that to foul to break up play as Ghana did is not the same as to foul with a hasty two-footed tackle from behind just in front of the referee that might injure as US players and others did. There were handball instances and pushing in the box on Sunday that might have led to penalties in other matches and especially in German matches at home and you have to accept that. It is part of the beautiful game. Please don’t let these post match analyzers spoil this game by introducing time outs (for advertising) and re runs of incidents. The game works best when left to the ref and you have to accept the good with the bad. The ref in the Portugal V Holland match had an enormous task and people don’t seem to understand that. Who could have done better? Would you have liked to officiate at such a game. He kept his nerve very well when many might have run away to the dressing room and cried. These are hot blooded soccer players and Portuguese and Italians are known for that. There are some South American teams who are known for boiling over also. I risk sounding pompous but if that’s what it takes so be it. Get some time in before thinking you are an expert at defining and explaining and criticizing soccer.

Posted from United States United States

By peacex | June 26th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Top

its time the FREAKING BRITISH MEDIA/ENGLAND FANS start appreciating david beckham. without him. probably the 1st game against paraguay will be a draw. no goals for the 2nd game and of course not a win against ecuador.

Posted from Singapore Singapore

By dobbo | June 26th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Top

NO ONE CAN BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM!!!!! :)

Posted from Canada Canada

By lextorite | June 26th, 2006 at 9:53 pm
Top

Lennon IN, Beckham OUT….

Posted from Canada Canada

By mars | June 27th, 2006 at 5:57 am
Top

I’ll give England a perfect score thus far. Not pretty to watch but generally concrete. I can’t say anything bad about Beckham neither. Altough he does take every effing free kick so he should put one in every blue moon. I’d like to see Crouch supporting Rooney with the nod-ons and it is maybe a shame that we didn’t give Theo Walcott a run out maybe during the last game of the group against Trinidad, so we could what if anything he might do, but I willhave to accept that Sven’s conservatism is paying off. Anyway, I am glad were still in it and I am glad we are facing the Portuguese at the next stage rather than the Argentines or Brazilians or Italians or even the Dutch. The draw is working for us thus far, and the team should be improving enough to meet each growing challenge. Were as good as any of them, and lets just hope we can see some positive fruitful attacking play.

Posted from United Kingdom United Kingdom

By joyville | June 27th, 2006 at 3:51 pm
Top

I’ve seen Becks score this goal before. But it was nice to see it again.

Posted from United Kingdom United Kingdom

By Hoiseng | July 2nd, 2006 at 10:45 am
Top

I HATE PORTUGAL! arghh ..BECKHAM ROX FOREVER !

Posted from Malaysia Malaysia

By Regina | July 7th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Top

BecKs, you rocks!!

Posted from Indonesia Indonesia

By Joseph | May 16th, 2007 at 6:50 am
Top

you know, england lost and they fully diserved it. they are fighting agaist them instead of playing the game. i would not tolerate that for a second. btw, i have a portuguese mother so i know what im talking about and i wont let these jokes get to me.

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