David Beckham Sits Out Galaxy Loss To Revolution

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (AP) _ English star David Beckham resumed his tour of American soccer benches on Sunday, sitting out the Los Angeles Galaxy's 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution to rest

Monday, August 13th 2007, 7:41 am

By: News On 6

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (AP) _ English star David Beckham resumed his tour of American soccer benches on Sunday, sitting out the Los Angeles Galaxy's 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution to rest his tender left ankle.

Beckham has yet to start for the Galaxy since signing a five-year, $32.5 million (euro23.8 million) contract to leave one of Europe's top leagues and give the sport a boost in the skeptical United States. He made his Major League Soccer debut on Thursday, but was back on the bench against New England.

Taylor Twellman scored in the 55th minute to give the Revolution a 1-0 victory in front of 35,402 fans, many of them forced to buy four-game ticket packs for the chance to see Beckham. A few in the front row behind the benches got the former England captain's autograph before and after the match, but the rest had to settle for a glimpse of him chewing ice from a cup on the sideline.

In Sunday's other match, the New York Red Bulls beat Toronto FC, 3-0.

Beckham jumped from his seat in the second-row of the Galaxy bench when Landon Donovan misfired on the potential game-tying goal from the front of the New England net in the 86th minute. When the Galaxy had a a corner kick in injury time, Beckham wasn't able to provide one of the set pieces that made him one of the world's most recognizable athletes.

The 32-year-old Beckham sprained his ankle while playing for England in June, then aggravated it while still with Real Madrid later that month. He played 21 minutes on Thursday as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to D.C. United, but tweaked it again.

``My ankle flared up a bit after the game the other day, and it's swollen up a little bit from flying,'' Beckham said Saturday after practicing in Foxborough. ``We'll have to see how it is. It was fine running out there a little bit, but that's all I really tried on the field.''

Beckham arrived at Gillette Stadium on the team bus, wearing his warmups like the rest of his Galaxy teammates. But he did not join them on the field for pregame warmups, and when the rosters for the match were announced about 40 minutes before the 7 p.m. kickoff, he was not listed as a starter or a substitute.

Among the disappointed were some of the Revolution players.

``It's exciting,'' New England defender Michael Parkhurst, who started against Los Angeles after missing one non-league game with a hyperextended knee, said after practice on Saturday. ``We grew up watching him, and obviously he's one of the best in the world.''

Beckham's setback calls into question whether he will be able to play for England in an Aug. 22 exhibition against Germany or European Championship qualifiers against Israel on Sept. 8 and Russia four days later.

Teenager Jozy Altidore scored twice and Juan Pablo Angel added a goal and an set up another at East Rutherford, New Jersey to lead New York over Toronto FC.

The 17-year-old Altidore, the youngest player in MLS, has five goals on the season. It was his first multi-goal game.

The Red Bulls scored in the 24th minute when a cross from Clint Mathis was deflected by Toronto defender Tyrone Marshall and landed directly on the foot of Angel, who blasted it past goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos.

The score remained 1-0 through halftime, and Altidore got into gear after the break.

In the 50th minute, he beat Toronto FC defender Adam Braz to the ball and a collision between Altidore, Braz and keeper Stamatopoulos resulted in a goal for the teenager.

In the 63rd minute, Altidore received a pass from Angel and knocked a low liner past Stamatopoulos for the final score.

Red Bulls captain Claudio Reyna started the game, but left in the 22nd minute with a groin injury and was replaced by Mathis.

Toronto played the final 25 minutes of the game down a player, after midfielder Chris Pozniak received a red card for a hard foul on New York midfielder Dane Richards.