England midfielder David Beckham has suffered from asthma since he was a boy, but it does not affect his performance, his agent was quoted as saying.

The 34-year old England star was photographed using an inhaler during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final in Seattle where his LA Galaxy team lost to Real Salt Lake.

“He has never sought to make it public but if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things like many other sportsmen have done then so much the better,” Beckham’s agent, Simon Oliveira said.

The England veteran is due to go back to Italy’s AC Milan on loan after the MLS season, and has said he hopes playing in Europe will boost his chances of making England’s 2010 World Cup squad.

Kyle Beckerman and Real Salt Lake celebrate winning the MLS Cup (Getty Images)

Uncreative title, I know. I couldn’t think of anything fun. C’est la vie.

In any event, it was a good match. It was very exciting although injuries took their toll, which is always unpleasant. That said, the reinforcements more than held their own for 120 minutes and 7 rounds of penalty kicks. Surprisingly, Landon Donovan and, to a lesser extent, David Beckham, were absent for long stretches of play. Donovan was particularly surprising, given how well he’s played for the national team over the last year or so.

After all of the playing, in which several players, including Andy Williams and Beckham, ran themselves ragged, it came down to penalty kicks. The exciting/aggravating time in soccer. Both keepers played well, with Real Salt Lake’s (I hate their name, BTW. It is hands-down the dumbest name in MLS. I don’t understand why they didn’t call it “Royal Salt Lake” or the “Salt Lake Royals” or something. Why the Spanish? Why???) Nick Rimando performed his wizardry again: stopping just enough Galaxy shots to win the match and the MVP award. Surprisingly, Donovan missed his penalty kick. Go figure.

The atmosphere was electric; Seattle did a wonderful job hosting the Cup and creating the atmosphere. Over 46,000 people watched the match. They weren’t disappointed. Among some, the idea has already taken hold that the atmosphere proves soccer has arrived; I wouldn’t go that far but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Congrats, Salt Lake.

Penalties, where men are bewildered and broken. Real Salt Lake won the MLS Cup Final, edging the Galaxy 5-4 in penalties after a 1-1 draw. David Beckham took his first penalty kick since his epic Euro 2004 miss, slotting it calmly into the net. Normally solid Landon Donovan missed the net completely, for the first time in his MLS career. Beckham’s MLS vindication and, perhaps, Landon Donovan’s farewell were spoiled.

Real Salt Lake were impressive. They controlled midfield, particularly as the seemingly less fit Galaxy faded. Kyle Beckerman was tireless and everywhere. Robbie Findley was a constant threat with his speed. Both should be candidates for inclusion in the U.S. National Team.

Continued at The Big Lead

::: FistedAway today welcomes a guest post from Elliott Tucker, editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::

MLS commissioner Don Garber went from talking with European bigwigs to a dose of cold reality with this MLS Cup weekend, in which the eleven men of Real Salt Lake beat an undermanned David Beckham. Yes, ESPN stopped short of legal action, but did issue a heated written reprimand on most major outlets against “the Don.” What’s the problem, you ask? Why is the Seattle rain falling down on the MLS parade? Television broadcast rights.

And piracy.

Sources indicate that since 2007, an  anonymous bandit on Justin.tv. has been illegally broadcasting streams of MLS games. ESPN, owner of the tv rights and incensed at such piracy, demanded that Justin.tv ban the illegal broadcasters. They have threatened swift legal action should any scofflaw broadcast the MLS Cup final. Yet a closer look revealed a pattern in the user names: DGarber27, DonGarb, DonDonG, and D2ThaMuhfuknG to name a few.

Eventually, after the user’s IP address was traced to MLS headquarters, coincidentally Don Garber’s suburban home in upstate New York, “the Don” came clean. He was quoted as saying that “he just wanted MLS to get to a broader audience,” an odd claim given that the highest peak viewership reached barely 200 users. The most popular match, strangely enough, was marketed under the erroneous title “Doogie Howser MD Reunion Special”. Neil Patrick Harris was happy to do an interview in exchange for a warm, free lunch, but knew nothing of the broadcast.

Despite such suspicious circumstances, the Don apologized to ESPN and promised to never again broadcast over Justin.tv. He also double pinky-sweared to not broadcast the MLS Cup final on Justin.tv this Sunday. However, when pointedly questioned about suspicious user names on other broadcasting platforms, such as “DonzoMcGonzo” at Ustream, and “IreallyamDonGarberJEEZ” at Veetle, “the Don” declined to comment. His grin said it all.

::: Elliott Tucker is the editor of Futfanatico :::

When writing about a game that involves a team I support I like to take the approach of looking at the cup as being both half full or half empty. As a (mostly) non-partisan observer for MLS Cup I didn’t want to pollute this blog with such thinking.  

(I am, however, surprised that I haven’t yet seen an overtime/penalty related headline somewhere about how “The Cup Runneth Over” . . . ) 

Instead, here are some largely unfiltered thoughts on yesterday’s MLS Cup.

It was a Cup Final – Last night’s game was not filled with particularly pretty soccer nor as many goal-mouth chances as I’d like to see, but this is what Cup finals are often like.   What was noticeable . . . players cared.   Players played sick.  Players tried to play hurt.  Fans watched.  (Actually I don’t know that anybody watched, but I can hope.)

Counter ‘this’ – I was lightly supporting RSL over LA last night, mostly because I like the approach Jason Kreis takes (“He’s making an offensive sub, so early, what about penalties?  Go Jason!”) and as a sentimental vote for ex-Rev Andy Williams who I always liked and whose personal/family story was so compelling this year.   What solidified my support for RSL was this . . . they held the ball, the tried to play on the ground, the wanted to play soccer.   LA never seemed quite capable of that despite Donovan and Beckham’s presence – and appeared to be content to try to win by striking on the quick counter.   While possibly effective, it is not my favorite style.

Penalties – Most people start their rant with “what a terrible way to end a game” . . . fine.  What’s the realistic alternative?   The players were dead tired and the soccer was beginning to suffer greatly.   Penalties are certainly dramatic, require some level of skill and provide a chance to feed the US fixation on goalkeepers (more on that below.)  I don’t know a better – reasonable – solution.

Beckham – Frankly, I am glad his team lost.  This is not because I’m anti-Beckham, in fact, I think MLS is better with him in it than without him.    However, what I like is that this loss helps the MLS marketing department write the story line around Beckham’s “unfinished business” to create some drama after his Milan loan draws to a close.   (Too bad he doens’t have a deep evil voice – quite the opposite in fact – or he could have stormed off with an Arnold-esque “I’ll be back” snarl.)

Landon – The contrast of the first goal’s pin-point cross from the wing to his missed penalty and absentee performance post the 45 minute mark pretty much sums up the confusion MLS and US fans have about Landon Donovan.  It will certainly add fuel to the ‘Landycakes’ fire anyway.   Is he a World Class player whose absence from the US National Team shows us as bland and boring?  Is he a player how only really shows well in less-meaningful games and fades away when it matters most?     Like with my view on Becks, part of me was happy that Landon’s team lost.  I like the idea of a ticked-off Landon with something to prove taking the field in South Africa for the USA.  What I worry about is the reverse – some odd crisis of confidence that affects his decision making about his play and his next steps for his club future.

M.V.P. – I like Nick Rimando and both last night and the Chicago game show that he seems good at stopping penalties.  But I must admit it really bothers me when a goalkeeper – any goalkeeper - getts an MVP award.   There are suggest - especially for just PKs.   I much prefer a field player gets it, and this game I’d say Kyle Beckerman was probably worthy.   I doubt most “soccer experts” would really argue this anti-goalkeeper stance, but there’s a continual need to pretend a US soccer fan couldn’t notice a good performance that didn’t directly result in one or more goals. 

*Note: Beckerman’s hair may have removed him from eligibility for the MVP award.  Only the other Beck(ham) can be a super-star/sex symbol while having absolutely ridiculous hair.  And Beckham clearly wasn’t going to win anything last night . . .

Field Turf – I have mixed emotions on this.  The purist in me says a final should never be on turf.   Well, actually, the purist in me says a professional game should never be on turf.  (I may have turned off the TV if there were football lines, so at least that was addressed.)   However, there is a piece of me that also wants to say this.  SHUT UP.   “That injury only would happen on turf.” Maybe.  “You can see the affect of the turf on that play.”  Maybe.   Both teams played on the same pitch.  Both knew what type of surface they’d be on.   Both had some amount of time to practice.   Once the game starts, please just LET IT GO.   Alternatively we’d be hearing about the injury that only happened because of the divot in the grass or the pass that didn’t get completed due to the mud puddle.   PLAY THE GAME.   Let’s rid the game of turf if possible (thanks Toronto!) but let’s deal with it until that day.

So that wraps up MLS 2009 . . . time to start watching the Collective Bargaining Agreement hyperbole that we will all be bombarded with and seeing if we can cut through the malarkey that gets spewed from both sides.

Real Salt Lake stunned the LA Galaxy on penalty kicks to win its first MLS Cup.  RSL won 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Salt Lake goalie Nick Rimando came up huge, making two saves in the penalty shootout, while Landon Donovan put his kick over the bar.  Robbie Russell scored the title-clinching PK in the seventh round. Backup LA goalie Josh Saunders also made two saves in the shootout.

It was the first title for Real since the team joined the league as an expansion club five years ago.  Real also has the distinction of becoming the first professional sports franchise in the US to win a title after finishing the regular season with a losing record. Mike Magee gave LA the lead in the first half – scoring after some excellent work from David Beckham and Donovan.  Robbie Findlay equalized for Salt Lake in the second half.

It was a hard fought game by both sides, and it’s always unfortunate that a close contest like this has to come down to penalties.  In my dream world, they would just keep playing until there was a goal, even if it took all night.

Ham fisted.

Exciting ending.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

What you missed while scientists were finding a new type of predator coral that can eat jellyfish…

• David Beckham’s LA Galaxy lost the MLS Cup on penalties to Real Salt Lake last night, but Beckham is still planning on coming back after his AC Milan move, possibly with an eye towards one day owning an MLS franchise. Beckham Beckham Beckham Beckham.
• Jermain Defoe scored five goals in Tottenham’s 9-1 demolition of Wigan.
• Barcelona drew 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao Saturday, dropping them behind Real Madrid on the table; even worse, Lionel Messi went down with a thigh tear that will likely leave him out of the Super Classico on Saturday.
• Gaël Kakuta, the controversial Chelsea youth prospect, made his debut against Wolves.
• Liverpool will have to beat Debrecini VSC without Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel; the way things are going lately, look for a 2-2 draw in Hungary tomorrow.
• Carlos Vela’s potential has convinced Arsene Wenger to stop trying to sign Marouane Chamakh.
• Thierry Henry considered quitting after his controversial double dribble against Ireland.
• Philipp Lahm says that Bayern Munich is “sick” and “lame”. No word on whether they’re also “bogus” and “heinous”.
• Switzerland’s FC Gossau and FC Thun have each banned players over their roles in a match fixing scandal.
• Palermo have sacked Walter Zenga for extending the club’s winless run to four games, knocking all the pieces over.
• Rubin Kazan’s scoreless draw with Zenit St. Petersburg saw them clinch their second consecutive Russian Premier League title.
• Gary Neville has hit out against “mollycoddled” players who collect paychecks but never seem to actually play rely on their agents to do everything for them.

It’s such a big difference between this year and last. Without Columbus in the game, I have only half paid attention to the run up to this year’s Cup. It’s also tough to watch because it’s such a missed opportunity for the Crew. No team in the league stands out, only 9 points separated top from bottom. This was a real chance to do the back to back “Double”.

I have no real rooting interest in the game. Both would be flawed champions; that’s the effect of parity in MLS. It should be an interesting game, the teams are evenly matched. Donovan may play his last game in MLS tonight. Seattle and their fans are hosting a great party. Even if it won’t be a great week for the Crew, it’s a great night for MLS. I hope the game can match the storylines.

AEG chief executive Tim Leiweke told the Guardian that MLS will alter the existing designated player rule to allow teams to acquire a third designated player.  He believes this will lead to “a lot of significant players” moving to MLS after the World Cup.

The league allots teams one DP.  They may trade another team for a second one.  It’s unclear from the article whether each team would receive a second DP slot, or merely the option to trade for a third place.

Regardless, this step would be positive.  MLS must maintain financial stability, avoiding the pitfalls of the NASL, but it’s important to improve the product on the field as well.  Owners in LA, Seattle and other markets, with the resources to invest in their team, should not be stunted because Robert Kraft is cheap.

Parity and competitiveness are good.  Overwhelming mediocrity is not.  No MLS team won more than 13 matches from a 30 match season.  Eleven teams won between 10 and 13 matches.  No team won more than six of their 15 away matches.  No team had a goal difference greater than 10.  The league has no great teams.

The designated player allows MLS to bring in quality players.  Increasing the number of slots  lets willing teams combine them to produce quality teams.  It also does so at limited financial risk to the collective.

Will recent bete noire Thierry Henry top the “significant players” list?

Real Salt Lake and the Los Angeles Galaxy face off in the MLS Cup Final tonight in frigid, rainy Seattle. It’s on ESPN at 8:30 ET/5:30 PT, so if you don’t like Curb Your Enthusiasm and you need an alternate for the three hours plus that nothing is happening on the NFL field, check it out. Here are a few factors to consider.

Parity: The Galaxy won the Western Conference. Real Salt Lake were the last team into the playoffs. However, the disparity was only eight points. LA won 12 of their 30 matches. RSL won 11. No team won more than 13. Had RSL not suffered a seven-game winless stretch early in the season, they’re about even. RSL drew LA 2-2 at home and beat them 2-0 in LA. Though, those matches were before the metrosexual midfielder (and his entourage) arrived. RSL also had a better goal difference.

Continued at The Big Lead

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David Beckham’s rehabilitation with the LA Galaxy fans will be completed when he goes with the team to join US soldiers on a morale-boosting trip to show their support for the ongoing military campaign in Afghanistan. They’re back in love with him anyway after he took them to the weekend’s MLS Cup Final.

They’ll be there on Thanksgiving Day an emotional experience for all.

Call me a cynic, but when I read of the hardship he was going to endure in a US army barracks I did think it was going to be in Afghanistan, but it’s actually in Germany.

On the evening of Thanksgiving Beckham and his team-mates will play Kaiserslautern FC – currently in the second tier of German football – in a friendly match at their 48-500 capacity Fritz Walter Stadium. Up to 25,000 tickets for the game are being made available to US servicemen, their families and US Defence Department staff.

Watch the highlights of LA Galaxy v Houston in the Western Conference:

What you missed while discovering that jellyfish are not only poisonous and swarming; they are also immortal…

• Scotland national team manager George Burley, who survived not qualifying for the World Cup, has been sacked after losing to Wales in a friendly over the weekend.
• Rafa Benitez claims that he’d resign if Fernando Torres were ever sold; Liverpool faithful glad that they at least know how to get rid of him now. Meanwhile, Benitez has supposedly been mulling over signing Lassana Diarra with the imaginary money he doesn’t have.
• Solomon Kalou was dropped from the Côte d’Ivoire squad over the weekend after an altercation with West Brom defender Abdoulaye Meite.
• Russia is hoping “to entertain” tomorrow against Slovenia; personally, it’d be really entertaining if they happened to choke and lose to Slovenia.
• Jose Antonio Reyes: “Cesc Fabregas will stay at Arsenal.”
• Gerard Pique: “Cesc Fabregas will return to Barcelona.”
• Two Estudiantes fans were shot by a rival faction of other Estudiantes fans. Damn.
• Fiorentina left back Juan Manuel Vargas will not be heading to Real Madrid.
• The head of the Japanese FA has requested that FIFA reconsider banning vuvuzelas from the World Cup.
• Eduardo’s ready to dive right into the roster spot vacated by Robin van Persie in Arsenal’s lineup.
• David Beckham says that internal friction with Landon Donovan has made the Galaxy a better team.