For two players who have been compared to each other all season, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and David Beckham said very little when meeting for the first time Saturday.
A quick handshake and “hello” was the only exchange between Major League Soccer’s two biggest stars at a news conference before Sunday’s sold-out Fire-Los Angeles Galaxy game at Toyota Park.
The language barrier likely had a lot to do with it, although Beckham knows a little Spanish from his Real Madrid days. And Blanco doesn’t let language stop him from communicating with MLS referees and joking with teammates. But this was different. The media was watching and photographers were snapping away.
Then again, maybe they just didn’t have much to say to each other. It’s known that Blanco has nothing more to say about Beckham. He has been asked about the Galaxy midfielder almost non-stop from the day he first signed with the Fire.
When asked if he will be relieved to get Sunday’s game over so he no longer has to deal with as many Beckham questions, Blanco smiled.
“Yeah, I will be,” he said. “I don’t know about [the media] … “
Beckham was asked about Blanco but tried to deflect attention away from the “Blanco vs. Beckham” story line.
“He’s a great player, but I can’t worry about [Blanco],” Beckham said. “If you start thinking about one guy, you’re not concentrating on the other players. And I know they have other players who can hurt us.”
Beckham returned to action Thursday night against the New York Red Bulls, coming off the bench in the 68th minute. He is expected to play against the Fire.
An ankle injury and, more recently, a knee injury have kept Beckham on the sidelines most of his time with the Galaxy. He has played in only seven of the Galaxy’s 23 games (including a friendly and the SuperLiga tournament) since making his MLS debut July 21.
The Galaxy attracted sellout crowds on the road against FC Dallas and Toronto FC and drew more than 35,000 fans when it faced the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Beckham missed all three games and also three sold-out home games, leading some fans to ask for refunds.
“You can’t help it sometimes,” Beckham said of the injuries. “It has been just as frustrating for me as it has been for the people who came to see me play.
“This has been one of the most frustrating seasons I’ve ever had. I’ve never had so many injuries.”
Even with the injuries, Beckham’s signing still is considered a success around the league.
More than 66,000 fans came out Aug. 18 to Giants Stadium to watch Beckham get two assists in the Galaxy’s 5-4 loss to the Red Bulls. He remains a hot topic in the sports media and in celebrity magazines.
His teammates have enjoyed Beckham-mania as well — especially the perks.
“When we went to Toronto, we went on a charter flight,” Galaxy defender and Aurora native Quavas Kirk said. “I’d never been on one. It was unbelievable. They had a buffet on there. We had a lot of space.”
Considering his A-list status with celebrity wife Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, his multimillion-dollar contract and his endorsements, Beckham is used to the good life. He was asked if he would be attending any posh events in Chicago on Saturday night.
“I don’t do too many posh events. I’ll probably watch the [MLS] games with the lads,” Beckham said. Then he joked, “[But] if there are any posh events, let me know.”
While Beckham enjoys joking around, he admitted that when it comes to the locker room, he usually isn’t a jokester but rather the guy getting teased.
“I enjoy the jokes [with the Galaxy],” Beckham said, although he wouldn’t elaborate on how his teammates tease him. “I can’t tell you. I really can’t tell you.”
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larroyave@tribune.com
