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"An unhappy ending to the Hollywood story of David Beckham. Having earned 115 caps for his country, his dream was to feature at this summer's World Cup in South Africa." (Telegraph TV)
After suffering damage to his achilles tendon, international soccer star David Beckham can no longer play for England in the 2010 World Cup.
Beckham recently traveled to Finland to have surgery on the injury, but his surgeon says he will not be ready to play in time for the World Cup in South Africa.
Many critics and fans alike are speculating on the effect Beckham's absence will have on the English team.
ESPN Soccer analyst Tommy Smith says it's Beckham's experience England will be missing.
"David Beckham’s loss to England is very hard to gauge as a player, there is no doubting his leadership ability. David Beckham is a universally renowned player who was well liked by other players. Remember Capello the English manager has just sacked John Terry, the captain of England. David Beckham with three World Cups under his belt, he could have stepped in galvanized the English squad and get them to focus on the task. The task at hand is to win a World Cup for England."
But not everyone believes Beckham is still a star. BBC Sport's chief soccer writer Phil McNulty points out Beckham's role for England would have been minor anyway.
"We are actually left with the brutal reality that England have lost a fringe squad player, someone who -- barring exceptional circumstances -- would not have started any game at the World Cup. This should not be forgotten should anyone wish to portray Beckham's injury as a serious wound to England's aspirations."
The on-field injury causes some concern for Beckham's off field brand. Many speculate that his absence from soccer could spell doom for his endorsements. But an analyst on CNN says the Beckham brand will continue to score.
"If you look at the coverage of David Beckham in the media, as much of it has been about his off field persona than his on field performance. So that is not too much of a disaster. You could even argue that with him not going to the World Cup or probably not going to the World Cup that in fact for his brand and indeed brands associated with him there’s less risk."
Regardless of the outcome, as one writer for the New Jersey Star-Ledger points out, a World Cup without David Beckham just won't be the same.
"There is no neutral ground on David Beckham. Like the Yankees, you either love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him. Either way, just know this — the World Cup won’t be as interesting without him there."
Writer: Maurice Scarborough
Producer: Newsy Staff
