On Sunday, a three-game trip came to an end for Los Angeles with yet another loss, this time a 1-0 setback against the New England Revolution in front of a sellout crowd of 35,402 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Beckham has yet to start for the Galaxy since signing a five-year, $32.5 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.\
The loss left the Galaxy with a 3-7-5 record at the halfway point in its MLS season. Los Angeles has earned only 14 points in those 15 games, and unless it starts winning again soon, its playoff prospects appear bleak.
Beckham said he might be back “in the next week or two,” which leaves open the possibility that he will play for England in an exhibition against Germany on Aug. 22 or in European Championship qualifiers against Israel on Sept. 8 and Russia four days later.
“I know the fans are disappointed,” Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said. “We feel for the fans, because they’re excited to see him play. But at the same time we have to make sure we do the right thing by him, too. … He feels and looks better, but he’s still not 100 percent.”