COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Are you ready for some futbol? Apparently, David Beckham isn’t. The English star is scheduled to make his first appearance for the Los Angeles Galaxy in an exhibition Saturday night against Chelsea. But a nagging left ankle injury will probably prevent him playing, he said during halftime of the MLS All-Stars’ 2-0 win over Celtic FC on Thursday night.

Hobbled by a nagging left ankle injury, Beckham watched the game in a suit from a suite at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as two other transplants starred for the Major Soccer League.

New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel scored the night’s first goal in the 36th minute and fellow Colombian Juan Toja added another in the 44th minute.

It was the third consecutive year the Major League Soccer All-Stars have beaten a European league team. That’s proof, suggested New England Revolution and MLS All-Star head coach Steve Nicol, that the league may not be as far behind the rest of the world’s premiere leagues as many think.

“We’ve come a long ways in 11 years,” Nicol said. “I think it’s great when players like Juan, David and some of these other guys (are) coming in.”

MLS will likely have to wait a bit longer for Beckham, however.

Galaxy team president Alexi Lalas is holding out hope that Beckham will be healthy enough to play Saturday but said the team won’t rush Beckham.

“We all understand there’s an incredible amount of interest in this game from television, from sponsors, but this is sports,” Lalas said. “The sponsors understand that. Regardless of whether David Beckham is or isn’t on the field, it’s going to be a wonderful moment for us Saturday.

“But I think we all hope he does get on the field.”

Beckham sounded doubtful about making his debut this weekend.

“At the moment it doesn’t look good that I’m going to play because the swelling is still there,” Beckham said. “I’m here for five years. I’m not just here for the game Saturday. It’s great that Chelsea is here but I think it’s more important to me personally that my ankle is right and I don’t think it will be right for the game.”

Thursday’s contest was called labeled a friendly, but the MLS stars know the rest of the world isn’t quite sure what to make of them.

“We said before the game, there’s no such thing as a ‘friendly’ game anymore,” Angel said. “We wanted to go out and do it right.”

Angel made a skillful deke to the keeper’s right after taking a through-pass from midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, and poked the ball past a diving Artur Boruc.

Toja’s goal was a little more scrappy, something he’s become known for in his inaugural season. He found the ball at his feet inside the 6-yard-line after a free kick, and wasted little time hitting the open net.

“(Angel) is a player I’ve been watching since I was a small child,” Toja said in Spanish through an interpreter. “To play on the All-Star team with him makes me very happy. And that we were both able to score a goal and represent our country to a high standard makes me happy.”

American soccer fans will be happier the sooner they see Beckham in action.

Lalas is crossing his fingers.

“There’s a possibility that’s he’s going to play,” Lalas said. “From the time that he landed here, he was targeting Saturday to play. I think that if there’s any chance it’s possible, he’s going to be out there.”

The world is watching and the MLS is about to see how it can handle a superstar.

“This is a new world that our players are living in and not one that they’ve experienced before,” Lalas said. “So, it’s going to take some time for them to get used to it. You can’t have this type of whirlwind and not expect it to take a certain toll. … The fact is the eyes of the world are now upon us and we need players who can handle that type of pressure.”

A service of the Associated Press(AP)