SHAKY FOOTING INJURED ANKLE HAS BECKHAM QUESTIONABLE FOR DEBUT.

Byline: BILLY WITZ

Staff Writer

CARSON -- He stretched, he jogged, he worked out his abdominals, he juggled a soccer ball and then he laid down on the grass and watched his teammates finish their short-sided scrimmage.

David Beckham's debut practice with the Galaxy may not have been much to look at, but judging from the estimated 1,000 fans and 100 media members who turned up Monday afternoon at the Home Depot Center, it had to be the most keenly observed physical therapy session in Major League Soccer history.

The question after watching Beckham run, watching Beckham stretch, and watching Beckham sit, was will Beckham play on his injured left ankle -- as he's scheduled to do Saturday in a nationally (and internationally) televised exhibition against Chelsea?

To that end, Beckham didn't talk. At the end of the 45-minute practice, Beckham waved to the crowd -- which was speckled with new home and away Galaxy jerseys bearing his No. 23 -- as he left the field and headed up the tunnel to the locker room.

Also off limits to reporters was trainer Ivan Pierra, who put Beckham through a series of drills.

"Obviously he's still not 100 percent and it's important that we monitor it," Galaxy president Alexi Lalas said after taking in the practice from a rooftop deck. "Hopefully it will get better and better as the week goes along and he'll do as much or as little as appropriate on Saturday."

Asked if the decision would be up to Beckham, Lalas said: "No, no. It's our medical staff's call."

Beckham's injury could present an early clash between the on-the-field and off-the-field interests of those involved with his American venture. For months, the Galaxy, MLS and sponsors such as adidas and EPSN have sold tickets and marketed around Beckham making his debut Saturday. ESPN is planning to use 19 cameras to follow Beckham.

The Galaxy, which has won just three of 12 games, sorely needs Beckham to be in top form once it resumes league play Aug. 5 at Toronto FC.

"That's a huge thing," Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon said. "Reality has to come into play versus the marketing aspect of it. His ankle is troubling him, and I think all of us hope he doesn't rush it.

"Whether it's Pachuca, Chivas de Guadalajara or Toronto (three of the Galaxy's opponents in the next three weeks), we just want him to be healthy. For all of us the most important thing is our campaign. We've got a four-game road trip that's just brutal. Three of the four games are on turf and he needs his ankle to be as stable as possible."

Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said Beckham's ankle, injured in May with Real Madrid then tweaked last month while playing for England, swelled up after Beckham's eight-hour flight from London to Los Angeles on Thursday.

But for now, Beckham is still scheduled to fly to Denver on Thursday to participate in the coin flip for the MLS All-Star Game. He'll continue to get physical therapy on the ankle, and after watching the Galaxy's game against Tigres UANL tonight, he'll get back on the practice field Wednesday.

"This is the game he's targeted and will continue to target," Lalas said, acknowledging the organization's tension in deciding whether he'll play. "Yeah, we want him out there, but we have to remind people this is not a robot. He's a human being.

"It's certainly getting better. As important as this game is on Saturday and as exciting as it is, there's another game around the corner."

It was easy to see the value in Beckham's presence Monday. Galaxy players often go through practice in front of no more than a handful of reporters and fans -- on a busy day.

"When you bring out more people, and there's all that attention, sometimes people change," Cannon said. "It's kind of funny, people all of a sudden are taking this practice like it's the most important of the year. When the media comes out, everybody gets hyped, it's like any other event in life. When there's a lot of attention on it, people tend to focus and concentrate and bear down a little more and take things a little seriously."

Even for those who didn't practice.

Quavas Kirk, who jogged and stretched alongside Beckham and fellow injured players Edson Buddle and Kyle Veris, said he wished he could have been practicing.

"It's insane. It's like a circus," Kirk said. "We're not used to this. I love it. It's going to be unbelievable."

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Galaxy vs. Tigres UANL, 5:30p.m., Home Depot Center.

TV: Telefutura

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kyle Veris, left, and David Beckham talk during Beckham's first practice with the Galaxy on Monday at Home Depot Center.

(2 -- color) About 1,000 fans watched David Beckham practice at home Depot Center.

(3) David Beckham, left, and Cobi Jones laugh during practice with the Galaxy on Monday at Home Depot Center.

Sean Hiller/Associated Press