It is, without doubt, a personal blow of epic proportions for Beckham. His loan spell to AC Milan during the MLS off season was specifically geared to staying fit, continuing to play and keeping himself at the forefront of England manager Fabio Capello’s mind.

As a self confessed Beckham fan, I feel sorry for Beckham. But what does it really mean for England?

We’ve read a few blogs and opinion pieces on the matter and they all seem to agree that it just isn’t THAT big a blow to England’s chances of winning the World Cup.

Well, we disagree. Not because Beckham is at the peak of his powers (he isn’t), or because there are no better options on the right (there are) but because Beckham IS still Beckham and having that presence in the dressing room and those albeit waning talents on the bench would have been invaluable to Capello.

Let’s look at that right wing. Beckham would not and should not have started a game at the World Cup. That’s fair enough to say. That berth should right go to Aaron Lennon of Spurs – except he continues to struggle with a groin injury and it’s not known if he’ll be fit for the World Cup.

Next in line would appear to be either Theo Walcott of Arsenal or Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City. We’re sorry, but neither of these two exactly fill us with confidence.

Walcott has pace and, so far at least this season (one game aside), very little else. Wright-Phillips has a bit more to offer but his season hasn’t set the Premiership alight either.

Bubbling under is James Milner who, by comparison, has had a brilliant season for an ambitious Aston Villa side. But brilliant only by his standards, which aren’t and never will be “world class”.

The names Stewart Downing, also of Villa, and Adam Johnson of Man City have also been mentioned. Please, let’s be serious. One has failed to live up to his promise (though we’ll admit he’s getting better) and the other is a kid – the Theo Walcott of this World Cup if you like.

Which leaves just one name unmentioned. Joe Cole of Chelsea. Now here we have a player who can arguably be called “world class”, at least on his day. Here is a player that has done it for England before. Here is a player Sporting Fare could believe in and trust.

Capello, on the other hand, does not. A season interrupted by injury and then sporadic appearances appear to have put him at the back of the queue for South Africa in the manager’s mind.

Far be it for us to question the great Capello, but in this instance we think he’s wrong. If Joe Cole is fit he should go to the World Cup, especially now Beckham is out. Be it as a starter ahead of any of the names mentioned above or as back up to a fully fit Lennon, we don’t mind. But go he should.

In the meantime, our sincerest commiserations are with David Beckham. Three years of hard work dashed by misfortune only 90 days before his target would have been reached. Heartbreaking, really.

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That doesn’t tell the full story however. It was a night of high drama in Seattle, with a fairytale for one team and, in the end, heartbreak for one Englishman.

And what about that news that Beckham could end up owning an MLS team in his own right?!

LA Galaxy enjoyed much of the play in a first half that was slow to get going, gradually building the pressure on RLS until Mike Magee finally scored after coming close previously. Beckham fed Landon Donovan, who had come close himself earlier on, and the MLS Most Valuable Player took his time before crossing for Magee to finish at the far post.

It was no less than Galaxy deserved and they went into half time looking confident, while RLS looked shaken. Whatever was said in the dressing room by RLS manager Jason Kreis changed all that though.

The second half was very much Salt Lake’s as Galaxy became more and more defensive, determined to hold on to their slim lead instead of pressing for more. A Beckham freekick straight into the wall was about the best they offered and when, just a couple of minutes later, RSL were denied a possible penalty you began to think it was Galaxy’s day. RSL were having none of it.

Robbie Findley picked up a loose ball in the LA box and finished with his left for the equaliser in the 64th minute. During the melee in front of goal LA ‘keeper Ricketts was injured and replaced by Josh Saunders. Only then did Galaxy wake up and a string of crosses from Beckham looked dangerous. Salt Lake defended well and held on to the final whistle, also having a couple of chances themselves, with Saunders saving brilliantly from a Mathis freekick in particular.

Extra time beckoned and though RLS had the better of it, neither side could make the breakthrough. Penalties then, and more heartbreak for Beckham. Desperate for his first trophy in the States he took LA’s first penalty and put it away well. Saunders, proving the most capable of substitutes, saved two spotkicks but it wasn’t to be. RSL midfielder Robbie Russell put away the final kick to give his side their first ever title.

Looking back at the game, it was a thriller as far as US football goes and a good advert for the game over there. Congratulations go to the much deserving Real Salt Lake. But back to Beckham.

He joins AC Milan in January to continue his bid to stay fit and claim his place in the England squad for next year’s World Cup. Three years into a five year contract with LA Galaxy, he has a couple of years to continue his record of winning a trophy with every club side he has been at, but the fact is he isn’t getting any younger. Will he be guaranteed a spot in the Galaxy side for those two remaining years?

You can’t deny he is supremely fit and, with no disrespect to the American league, he should remain one of the best players available to Galaxy for at least that long. AC Milan are said to be delighted that they can use his talents for the remainder of the Italian season. Things look good for Beckham. What intrigues Sporting Fare, however, is the news that Beckham has the option to purchase the 20th MLS team.

The League currently has 15 teams but that is set to grow over the next few years, with Philadelphia, Portland and Vancouver joining soon and Montreal looking to become the 19th. Beckham’s Galaxy contract gives him the option to invest in an MLS team and he has already spoken of his desire to own a team.

MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed: “David has the option for our 20th team and that option can’t be exercised until after 2011 or after he stops playing. So we’ve got some time to figure that one out.”

It would be an interesting option for Beckham once he finally hangs up his boots and underlines his desire to grow the popularity of the sport in the States. We can’t wait to find out how that progresses.

More immediately though – how disappointed is David with Galaxy’s defeat? We’ll leave the last word to him:

We all want to win titles and personally I’d love to be successful. But I think we have been successful this year without winning tonight, we have quietened a few people along the way which is always nice but we couldn’t finish it off. I wouldn’t say it’s tougher to lose on penalties but it’s Russian roulette, that’s just the way it is. It’s not a nice way to lose. The people that step up are brave enough to step up and if you score, great and if you miss it’s hard to take, but it just wasn’t our night.

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If it works out just as well then it’s almost nailed on that he will be on the plane to South Africa, Fabio Capello clearly keen to take him if he stays fit.

But should he? The contentious issue continues to keep pubs and papers in business. Sporting Fare is clear on the issue, however – yes, he should go. As an impact substitute and / or back up to one of his as yet unproven heirs there is no better option. Taking two or three from the Walcott / Young / Milner group and leaving Becks behind would be, in our opinion, A. Bad. Idea.

So good luck to him in Milan. Because England are going to need him at some point.

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