Beckham's England career cut too short

Soccer Betting Lines

03/15/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some people may describe David Beckham as overrated, others might call him spoiled or pampered, but one thing that is very evident when it comes to Beckham is that he is persistent.

How else to explain why Beckham was running around the pitch at the San Siro in Milan on Sunday at the age of 34, when he should have been basking in the California sun halfway around the world?

Beckham simply lives to play for England's national team, and the only way he would get another chance to play for the Three Lions in this summer's World Cup was to pull on the red and black jersey of AC Milan.

All of which makes the sight of Beckham hobbling off the field in the dying minutes of Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday with a torn Achilles tendon so hard to watch.

The injury will rob England's most-capped outfield player of a chance to join the team at this summer's World Cup in South Africa, which would have made him the first England player to take part in four World Cups.

Beckham's England career appeared to be over after the 2006 World Cup when he voluntarily stepped down as England captain, and was not in the plans of new England boss Fabio Capello.

He appeared well on his way to retirement when he left Real Madrid and headed off to California to play in Major League Soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, like an elderly U.S. citizen moving to Florida or Arizona to live out their final years.

The Englishman would get to enjoy the sunny weather and would be right at home in Hollywood, while also collecting a decent paycheck for his efforts.

But a funny thing happened to Beckham as he crept closer to retirement; he realized that he needed to play for England again.

He had a past history with Capello at Real Madrid, as the Italian manager banished Beckham to the reserves, only for Beckham to earn back a place in the team.

And he pulled off a similar reversal after a successful loan spell at AC Milan, which gave the former Manchester United standout the opportunity to earn his 100th cap for England .

Many felt that Capello allowed Beckham to reach the milestone as a favor, and that he wouldn't have a chance to earn a seat on the plane to South Africa this summer.

However, Beckham returned to Milan again this past January with only one thing in mind.

"It's the only reason I am choosing to be away from my family for six months," Beckham told Fox Sports Radio about his desire to play at the World Cup. "Being in the World Cup squad is not guaranteed, even if I go to Milan it is not guaranteed, but I need to do everything possible to give myself a chance.

"It's always a roller-coaster in my career ... and it is going to be like that for the next six to eight months, but I am looking forward to it."

Little did Beckham know that his ride would be cut short just a few months into his England adventure.

After being kicked in the face in the opening minutes of Sunday's game, which left a nice little gash on the right cheek of one of the world's most recognizable faces, Beckham took a pass in midfield with no player near him late in the second half.

He took a step, but immediately grabbed at his left ankle and indicated to the bench that he was coming off.

He was examined on the sidelines for a few minutes and ultimately taken to the dressing room on a stretcher, but as tears streamed down his face he appeared to already know his fate.

To be fair, Beckham wasn't guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster, but he appeared to be on his way to accomplishing what at first seemed a very unlikely goal.

He was not a player who would crack the starting 11, but was at peace with that fact and was prepared to contribute whatever he could to the team, whether it was to drop a pinpoint cross on the head of Wayne Rooney, or bend home one of his trademark free kicks.

Beckham's career as an England player has had plenty of ups and downs, from his red card against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup that saw him receive death threats, to his free kick goal against Greece that allowed England to qualify for the 2002 competition.

He has always been a magnet for attention, leading some to view him as more of a celebrity than a soccer player, but his desire to win back a place on England's team over the past couple of years has been inspiring.

His absence won't dramatically alter England's hopes of ending a World Cup title drought that dates back to 1966, but it provides a sad ending to an otherwise storybook career.

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Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.