Beckham backs USA for Euro crown due to contractual obligation

DAVID BECKHAM has backed the USA football team to finally achieve its potential by triumphing at Euro 2008, under strict orders from Major League Soccer chiefs.

Speaking at the announcement of Gary Neville as the running mate for his England captaincy campaign, Beckham declined to praise any of the 16 teams who have qualified for the tournament and instead would only say: "The US have continually underachieved at the European Championships.

"Austria-Switzerland is a golden opportunity to shake off those demons and get beyond the 'ineligible for entry' stage of the tournament."

The comments are thought to be a result of a clause in his LA Galaxy contract which states that his opinions on soccer must not detract from the MLS brand, and must aim to reflect those of the average American soccer mom.

The agreement first came to the fore in a recent interview with Time in which Beckham described his footballing hero as 'Cobi Jones', his favourite stadium as 'Bruce Arena', and his views about the standard of football in the MLS as 'USA! USA! USA!'

However, Beckham was caught out last month and reprimanded by MLS when an undercover reporter tricked him into admitting that Manchester United might beat Chicago Fire in a one-off match (held at a neutral venue). The American media turned on Beckham for his perceived betrayal, but his refusal to make a sensible prediction for Euro 08 has won back the support of his detractors.

Although he did little of note in England's recent friendlies, ESPN anchor Tom Wolchovski reported: "star quarterback David Beckham featured in Team England's 3-0 series whitewash over the Caribbean franchise Trinidad Toboggans, hitting three field goals, six powerplays and a home run, ending the regular season with an HBI of .529"