LA notebook: Beckham returns to field
Galaxy midfielder trains for first time since West final after suffering bone bruise
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"Yeah, today was the first day I trained. Unfortunately, it's been frustrating, because since the [Houston] game, I haven't been able to train because bone bruising is pretty -- you got be kind of careful with it not to get any kicks on it," Beckham said.
"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, 10 minutes of the game, I'm sure I'll forget all about it."
The Englishman famously gutted through an ankle injury with the help of painkilling injection during his final season at Real Madrid. He admitted he'll have to do the same on Sunday.
"Definitely. But it's part of sports. 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," he said.
BECKHAM'S 'DO: A popular topic of conversation among members of the Galaxy is Beckham's hairstyle, which loosely can be described as a mohawk.
"People can say what they want," Alan Gordon said. "But throughout his haircuts and styles I feel like it catches on. Maybe he's a trendsetter. I guarantee you you will see some kids with that haircut."
Added Sean Franklin, whose own mohawk is starting to grow in a little: "I like it. I think it looks good on him."
But not everyone is impressed with it.
"Very stylish," backup goaltender Josh Saunders said with a sly grin. "He can pull it off, but myself, no chance. He's a trendsetter."
"When are you going to publish this?" Mike Magee asked with a grin. "I wouldn't wear it. He can pull it off ... you've got to give him all the credit in the world.
"I think his hair stylist should be shot," he went on with a laugh.
Beckham said he does it himself and he also cuts the hair of his three sons. He promised he will not do anything else to his hair for MLS Cup.
"I'm too old for that," the 34-year-old said.
ENJOY THE RIDE: One message that veterans of the Los Angeles Galaxy are trying to drive home to their younger teammates is this: MLS Cup Final appearances don't happen every year.
Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein is among those old hands instructing his younger charges to savor the moment. Klein has been on both sides of an MLS Cup result, winning a title in 2000 when Kansas City defeated Chicago, and then coming out on the short end four years later when the Wizards lost to D.C. United.
"You can't take it for granted, that's what I'm trying to tell the young guys," said Klein. "Yeah, in their first year, a couple of the young guys have gotten here, but it could be 10 years before you get back. You really have to enjoy this and take advantage of the opportunity."
Landon Donovan played in three MLS Cups in his first five years (2001 and 2003 with San Jose, 2005 with L.A.), but hasn't been back since.
"In the past I was a little spoiled, and I thought getting to the playoffs and getting to this point was gonna happen every year," he said. "The reality is it takes a lot of hard work that you don't see when you're a young player. You don't realize it."
While some nerves were certainly evident in the team's semifinal series first leg with Chivas USA, the Galaxy appear to have adapted quickly to the pressure that accompanies the playoffs.
"So far I've been really impressed with the way the guys have handled it," added Donovan. "I think it hasn't been nerves, it's been excitement. I think we're all excited to get the game going. The buildup feels a little long, especially because we played Friday night and we'll have nine days before the game.
"But if there's any sense of that in the team, we'll be aware of it and we can kind of nip it in the bud ... I think we're gonna be fine."
BIRCHALL PINCHING HIMSELF: Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall can't get enough of MLS.
And who can blame him? The 25-year-old, a member of the Trinidad and Tobago national team, made his Los Angeles debut on July 16 against New York after spending his entire club career in England and Scotland. He now finds himself about to participate in his first MLS championship game.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder played in nine regular-season games with the Galaxy, including six starts, and had one assist. He was brought in for a tryout earlier in the season, went back to his English club, Brighton and Hove Albion (which refused to release him) and then rejoined Los Angeles in July.
David Beckham has called Birchall "the kind of player every team needs to have."
"It's bizarre, really," Birchall said Friday. "If you had asked me last year, I would have never thought I'd be here. It seems like yesterday that I got here and now we're in the final. It's been such a rollercoaster; I've been trying to fight for my fitness ever since I got here, I needed the preseason to get fit, I got fit and then Bruce (head coach Arena) put me on the team.
"Sometimes I wake up and think, I'm actually in L.A. I'm only 25. To be fair, I never thought I'd leave England, really. Since I've been here, I've had absolutely no regrets."
AGE IS A STATE OF MIND: When Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was asked about L.A.'s "young" backline, Ricketts responded, "Young? Have you seen Gregg Berhalter?"
This elicited a hearty laugh from the assembled press corps, but Ricketts also had plenty of good things to say about the young pups in L.A.'s defense, namely Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin, and A.J. DeLaGarza.
"In football, age is not really a factor," said Ricketts. "Once you can play, you are never young enough or you're never old enough. So Omar, A.J., Sean, they are good guys and growth came when we worked with them, and they've really improved over the course of the season."
NOT HEAVY, JUST FAVORITES: While L.A. comes into Sunday's match favored to win, but head coach Bruce Arena disputes the notion that his side are "heavy favorites."
Arena said, "Why are we heavy favorites? I haven't seen any lines on this game at all. I think Vegas has collected about 12 dollars [on this game]. I don't know why we are favorites."
No word yet on what the over-under is.
Larry Morgan and Jeff Carlisle are contributors to MLSnet.com.
