Lalas Shoots Down The Loan Ranger: Beckham May Have To Stay on Holiday

Harry Redknapp’s loan ranger master-plan was in tatters last night after former LA Galaxy manager Alexi Lalas poured cold water on David Beckham’s chances of appearing in a Tottenham shirt later this month.

Lalas, in charge of Beckham’s MLS club from 2006-2008, said: "The reason David went on loan to Milan for the last two years was to prepare, in theory, for the World Cup.

"I think that was commendable and understandable to a certain extent - but now it is happening again I'm not sure."

Redknapp has been most vocal in his interest in taking Becks – England’s most capped outfield player – on loan, though Newcastle and Blackburn have also expressed an interest this week.

But Lalas told BBC Radio 5 live: "Soccer fans in the US say David Beckham has given a lot, but he's also taken a tremendous amount out of Major League Soccer."

Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy’s second most famous player, has already rejected the chance to go out on loan as he did so successfully with Everton before the World Cup. And American fans remain furious over the six-month Achilles tendon injury 35-year-old Beckham suffered playing on loan for AC Milan against Chievo in March.

That put him out of the World Cup and saw him appear only as a bit-part player in the regular season last year, playing just five games. The MLS’s best paid player was booed by Galaxy fans when he came back from his loan spell at the San Siro in 2009 and Lalas admits: "When Landon Donovan comes out and says he won’t go on loan this year, it certainly puts pressure on David."

Redknapp has toned down his need for Beckham, whose MLS season kicks-off on March 15, admitting: "Weeks fly by and this month will have come and gone before we know where we are. It's a difficult one. But let's wait and see, it's not in my hands.

"He'd be great to have around the place and I'm sure he's got a lot to offer as a player and a person. As a professional, he's top class."

Blackburn’s new owners – India’s chickens-to-chemicals Venky Group - have said their club are "open whenever David is ready to come". They have also confirmed a £6.2m bid for Brazilian Ronaldinho.

Beckham remains keen to gain some playing time in the Premier League to enhance his chances of adding to his record 115 England caps. Under pressure Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, in charge of Milan when Beckham was his loan ranger, said: “Beckham could be good support for Tottenham if he comes back. But we are not interested. In that position we have good players."

Ghana 2 USA 1: Africa have their heroes, but the American dream is shattered

While 23 million Ghanaians go off into the night to celebrate, 305 million Americans are left with their heads in their hands. About 20,000 of them were among the 33,000 at the Bafokeng Sports Palace last night, stunned. The World Cup tends to do that to even the most powerful of nations.

A night of high drama ended Phokeng's involvement in this fascinating World Cup - and the USA's. Though it will be absolutely no consolation to the brave US and their huge army of travelling fans, it produced a result South Africa 2010 desperately needs.

With five African nations crashing out with two wins between them, Ghana carry the hopes of a continent as Africa's first World Cup hits the squeaky bottom phase.

The Americans came back from beyond once more, but they couldn't do it twice. A rousing crusade is over. The American dream of global dominance with the round ball remains incomplete. But they'll be back.

And they'll be ready to go that extra step. Legend has it that Landon Donovan, the son of a semi-professional ice-hockey player, demanded to play soccer when he was seven.

His mother Donna took him along and he scored six goals. So far, after 21 years and two World Cup finals, he has scored five including his penalty in Phokeng. And that's the most any CONCACAF player has ever managed. Quick, dogged and determined, Donovan epitomises the grit that drives this vastly-improved US side.

But he's not alone. Michael Bradley, son of coach Bob who got it so wrong with his starting line-up against Ghana last night, never stops running. Fulham's Clint Dempsey was hacked down countless times, but never lost his rag, never lost his hunger.

But even that wasn't enough. So what do we make of Ghana, the Black Stars who carry the last African flag into the quarter-finals? The name itself means "Warrior King", this was the home of the much-feared Ashanti tribe and the first African nation to declare itself free of British imperialism in 1960.

They've always been a bit special... and they proved it again without Michael Essien, their Chelsea talisman, who pulled out injured before the tournament.

Richie Kingson, regarded as the third best goalkeeper at Wigan last season, showed just why he's looking for a new club. He was immense when the Americans, having reshuffled their side, began putting the pressure on.

Early on, it was all Ghana. Bradley started with Ricardo Clark rather than Maurice Edu but it was Clark who was dispossessed after just five minutes. Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng, the man who famously crocked Germany captain Michael Ballack at the FA Cup final, did the robbing.

And blow me, he took the ball, whisked past Watford's Jay DeMerit and struck it low with his left foot past Everton'sTim Howard. Great goal and the start of serious Ghanaian dominance. After half-an-hour the Africans had 64 percent of the possession. And we were starting to understand why captain DeMerit has told Watford he's looking for a new challenge.

But while Sulley Muntari, Ghana's best player after Essien, languished on the Ghana bench, Bradley made his changes. Outnumbered in midfield, he pulled Clark off after just half-an-hour and put Edu on up front.

It worked a charm. The US came right back into it, chance after chance falling to Jozi Altidor, the one-goal Hull striker last season, and Edu.

They had to wait too long for the equaliser though. Just over an hour was gone when Dempsey scurried into the area and Jonathan Mensah pulled him down. I thought he may have got a touch on the ball, but in the book he went and Donovan stepped up to take the penalty.

The US pushed and pushed for the winner but with Kingson dominant, we were into extra-time. It looked for all the world as if the Americans would go on to win it... but somebody forgot to tell Asamoah Gyan.

Scorer of two goals out of three for Ghana so far, the 24-year-old from French club Rennes bundled past Carlos Bocanegra and smashed a glorious left foot shot past Howard from just inside the box.

The final minute saw the two goalkeepers go head to head, literally, as Howard went up for a corner only to be denied by the courageous Kingson. Does Arsene Wenger have his number?

Donovan lamented afterwards: "Soccer is such a cruel game. One minute you're on top of the world, the next you're at the bottom of the mountain. We were a little bit naive at times and you can't do that at this level."

With Argetina or Mexico next up in the quarter-finals, Gyan said simply: "I am the happiest man in the world."

To see the Gyan goal and hear US coach Bob Bradley's summing up, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1ubvWHu97U

Soweto, the ultimate World Cup destination: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mUVdUk0GMQ. Includes fantastic dancing lady and the ultimate World Cup companion!

Neal Collins is in South Africa to marvel at the South Americans, pray for England... and promote his first novel A GAME APART, the real story behind this World Cup. For more information see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

A great day in Pretoria... and Port Elizabeth. England and the USA emerge from Group C

WHEN I was kid I had this nightmare. I'm walking through Pretoria with an England shirt on and the cross of St George waving over my head. I last about ten minutes before large Blou Bulle rugby fans leave the Limey trampled underfoot with my flag stuck somewhere painful.

I used to wake up sweating.

That nightmare came to pass today at the heart of Afrikanerdom, where they used to be more bothered about the Boer War than the World Cup. Video evidence will soon be available. I had no choice. England playing for their lives against mighty Slovenia in Port Elizabeth but I'm assigned to the USA's battle for survival against Algeria at Loftus Versfeld.

What a day. There were 35,000 at the home of what I once knew as Northern Transvaal, where Englishmen, Americans and certainly Algerians might have been in for a frostry reception in the 1980s.

And here we were, thirty years later, flags resplendent, celebrating perhaps the most colourful World Cup in history. For a taster, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ryvtZP9qnk

Africa's first effort at hosting the global extravaganza could have done with an African victory - and certainly the Algerians, who claim to represent the whole of the Arabic northern power block - were out in numbers.

And the Yanks? Incredible. Thousands of them draped in their stars and stripes. Yes, thousands of Yanks and their dollars loving South Africa. And there's me and the missus, the only ones with the red cross waving and England emblazoned across our chests.

To provide context: I lived in what was known as Verwoerdburg from 1970 to 1985. Tough place to grow up with my accent. Even tougher place to play rugby against schools like Menlo Park and Affies.

But today the centre of what is now known as Centurion was home to a thriving fan zone. The centre of Pretoria was alight with World Cup fans, the beer was flowing, FIFA's licensed hot-dogs were selling like hot cakes and I thought to myself... what a beautiful World Cup. How far this nation has come in the 16 short years since democracy.

Not that the game between the US and Algeria glittered too much at the start. A chap called William Clinton took a seat near me. Well, within 400 yards. It's on the video! Former American president Bill (we're familiar now we've been to the same game) said: "South Africa is bursting with pride. They think they've done a good job, better than everyone said they would. It's been good for this country and this continent and I believe in them."

Okay, he didn't tell me that. He told the SABC cameramen. Me? I was talking to Algerians, Pretorians and Americans. Neither side could produce the early goal which might have swung Group C. And then the mobile phone twanged. My brother at home in Centurion. Jermain Defoe had scored for England after just ten minutes against group leaders Slovenia, that mighty nation of 2,030,000 who prefer skiing to football.

England (pop 52,000,000 with football the national sport under the patron saint St David of Becks) were finally playing. Glimpses of the action on the screens in the boxes. How to take in two games at once?

Conversation flowed, flags waved and all I got in response to the dreaded England shirt was a sea of smiles and chants of "Eng-er-land".

When Algeria hit the bar, England responded in distant Port Elizabeth with a Wayne Rooney effort which hit the post. As the US began to wrest control of the game at Loftus, Slovenia were starting to play after half-time at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Two huge crowds gripped by Group C action - and a global audience of billions tuning in to see South Africa host day after day of perfectly run international football.

Okay, Bafana Bafana were squeezed out on Tuesday, but the nation should not mourn. The French have gone home to rotten fruit to be told they have put their nation back 50 years. President Sarkozy will meet with Thierry Henry today to tell him so.

But for the rest of us, this World Cup keeps on giving. England hung on for victory, improved but still way short of what we expect from our millionaires in boots.

But just when it looked like they would win the group despite John Terry's press conference tantrum on Sunday, the US came up with the goal we'd all been waiting for.

America's greatest footballer threw himself into the melee with the 91st minute winner which broke Algerian hearts and put the US through on top of the Group. Landon Donovan, some geezer.

A goal like that might have led to trouble at some of the games I've seen over the years. But not here, not at the Rainbow Nation's grand party. The thousands of Algerians laughed and sang with the cockahoop Yanks. They didn't react to the over-the-top celebrations by the American players. They simply took it on the chin. Incredible. Try that at West Ham or Millwall.

And it went on. Through the Pretoria night, flags waving, vuvuzelas blasting. The much-derided park-and-ride system moved smoothly into action and an hour later, everyone's been there, done that. England and the US through from Group C. Slovenia and Algeria go home with heads held high.

Another great day from the World Cup that keeps on giving.

Neal Collins is in South Africa to complain about England's performance and promote his first novel A GAME APART. See www.nealcollins.co.uk.

To see Neal at the National Arts Festival on July 4, go to http://www.computicket.com/web/event/neal_collins_a_game_apart/148367625.