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David Beckham World Cup interview. Exclusive to Yahoo! and Frost.

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Frost Magazine, in association with Yahoo! gets the inside scoop from David Beckham on England’s disappointing World Cup campaign and tells us which players have impressed him in South Africa.

What was your assessment of England at the World Cup?

We didn’t play at the level we knew that we were capable of. Over the four matches we weren’t good enough and regardless of the goal that never was, Germany played better than we did over the 90 minutes and deserved to go through. Having seen the lads in training, the spirit was good, everyone trained at a really high level, it was just disappointing we couldn’t transfer that onto the pitch. As a team, we have to learn from everything that’s happened, come back stronger and play to our potential.

What was the experience of watching from the bench like?

It was different and at times I wanted to get out onto the pitch and play! It was frustrating at times, but purely because I know what the players out on the pitch are capable of. I have to say the fans were unbelievable, like they always are. It must have been really tough, having spent the time and money they did and the team were so desperate to give them the success their support deserved.

Have your experiences in South Africa and the success of Diego Maradona given you the urge to take up coaching?

While I am flattered to be talked about as a coach and am always available for my country, whenever I am needed, I still see myself as a player and remain supportive of the manager. Diego has done a great job so far though and I wish him well.

Who do you think is in with a shout of winning the World Cup?

It’s a tough one, there are a few teams who are very closely matched and will be there or thereabouts. Argentina looked strong in qualifying from their group with three wins from three and are a potent attacking force with the likes of Messi, Tevez and Higuain. The Germans have such pedigree at World Cups and seem to get better as each tournament progresses. Brazil are Brazil, so you’d expect them to do well and maybe go on to the final. I love watching them play football, all the players are so relaxed and comfortable on the ball. I was lucky enough to play with a few in my career and they are without doubt some of the most skillful athletes.

My other two picks would be Netherlands and Spain. The Dutch have pace throughout their side and with Van Persie, Sneijder and Robben, they have potential match-winners. Spain, despite their shock defeat at the hands of Switzerland, are unbelievably strong all over the pitch. Villa is on red-hot form at the moment and if Torres starts scoring, they are going to be a handful for anyone. That’s before you consider Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Alonso, Fabregas, need I go on?

Which players have impressed you at the tournament so far?

With all the pressure on Messi, prior to the tournament, he’s been a star-performer so far for me. He’s been brilliant on the ball and an important link man for Argentina and instrumental in their four wins so far. Sneijder has been in fine form for the Dutch and scored some vital goals. I’ve also been impressed with Chile as a team and Sanchez, bags of pace and trickery. Diego Forlan for Uruguay has scored goals but also worked hard for the team, the same can be said for Ozil for Germany. I’d heard a bit about him before the tournament and he hasn’t disappointed, at the centre of many German attacks. David Villa has been Spain’s standout performer. He has scored goals, created chances and worked his socks off for his team and looks a good bet to be the top scorer at the World Cup.

How will the performance of Team USA affect the development of football in the US?

It can only be positive. I thought USA played well in the tournament and it will stand them in good stead for future tournaments. I know TV viewing figures were considerably more in the US compared to the World Cup four years ago. The MLS is getting stronger all the time and the increase in the number of youth leagues will all help in the development of football in the US.

Got something you’d like to ask David Beckham? Then head over to Yahoo! Answers. The football legend and global superstar will be answering the best of your questions in a unique video interview on Wednesday 14 July, with live video link-ups to 18 countries – shown exclusively on Yahoo!. So get thinking and submit a question today.

Stefans TV Picks; 21st June

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Monday 21st – Five, 23:00
What happens when a crew of anonymous criminals is put together to pull off a perfectly planned bank heist, only for it to go horribly wrong with pretty gruesome results? Only Tarantino knows. The films that Quentin has released into the world have often been viewed as masterpieces but his 1992 breakthrough movie still stands out as one of the best. I am of course talking about Reservoir Dogs. With brilliant writing and outstanding camera work (tracking shots that rival Goodfellas’ restaurant entrance for all you movie buffs out there) Dogs is an absolute must!

Tuesday 22nd – E4, 22:30
Any fans of Family Guy will know that the last few seasons of a once great cartoon started to run dry. The creator/writer, Seth McFarlane, needed to come up with a new concept to save the franchise and so he gave us The Cleveland Show. A spin off from Family Guy, The Cleveland Show follows the adventures of long suffering character Cleveland Brown as he moves back to his hometown of Stoolbend, Virginia with his 14 year old son (who is constantly hopping between genius and idiot) and meets up with old friends and his highschool sweetheart. As part of E4’s Toonsday, they are showing the entire first season again, so make sure you catch the first episode and get reminded of what good cartoons are like and don’t worry about the danger of spin-offs, this is much more Frasier than Joey.

Wednesday 23rd – BBC 1, 14:15
I know, I know, not everyone is digging the football, but this is an important game. After Robert Greens terrible butter covered hands and last weeks game that made me realise that even someone like me could be a professional footballer, today’s Match of the Day Live will show the game that will decide whether England are in the rest of the tournament or not. As we face Slovenia I shall be wearing the three lions on my shirt, singing along to The Great Escape theme and asking all, even if they don’t like the game, to cross their fingers for our boys to win. EN-GER-LUUUUND EN-GUR-LUUUUND EN-GUR-LUUUUUND

Thursday 24th – BBC 4, 21:00
Ever since I’ve been a teenager I’ve loved the band The Eels. The creative force behind the band is that of lead singer Mark Oliver Everett known simply as E. Always one to shy away from the spotlight until he is on stage, in Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives: Mark Everett we see a rare glimpse into the life and history of E as he travels America finding out more about his father, a genius who developed the theory of parallel universes, yet was unable to build a relationship with his son who saw him as a stranger with whom he lived. For fans of the band, Parallel Worlds will help identify the meaning behind E’s deeply personal lyrics, for those not familiar or who don’t like The Eels, this show will be like a brilliant version of Who Do you Think You Are!

Friday 25th – BBC 2, 21:00/Channel 4, 22:00
What’s all this then? Two selections? That is right my friends, a nice double bill for you tonight. Starting on BBC 2 in Are You Having A Laugh? David Walliams presents a documentary all about the use of disability in TV. With input from actors and comics including Stephan Merchant, Dom Joly and Ben Miller, we’ll see the attitude towards how disability has been portrayed over the years and how it has changed to become, sometimes questionably, used in comedy today. Straight after over on Channel 4 we have the glorious return of The I.T Crowd. The BAFTA award winning sitcom is back for season 4. Once again we shall get to join the (primarily basement situated) adventures of Moss, Roy and Jen. This week Jen decides she wants more from her job and applies as Entertainment Manager and asks the boys from I.T to help her find ways to amuse her boss’ business connections.

Saturday 26th – BBC 1, 18:05
His enemies have formed an alliance against him, his assistant has been shot, his Tardis has been destroyed, the stars are all going supernova and the Doctor is trapped in the Pandorica. The finale of Doctor Who promises to be action packed and full of answers to so many questions and my inner geek is waiting with huge anticipation for the last episode. Although after this I’m really not sure how I’m going to fill the hour between 6 an 7 on the following Saturday evenings!

Sunday 27th – E4, 23:00
This week opened with one of my favourite filmmakers and I felt it would be nice to close it with another, that filmmaker is Kevin Smith. Dogma (the fourth in Smith New Jersey Chronicles) tells the story of two angels, Bartleby and Loki (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) who are trying to find a way back into Heaven after being banished for reasons including getting drunk and flipping God the bird, while Bethaney Sloane (Linda Fiorentino), after being given a Holy Quest by the angel Metatron, tries to stop them. It is as much a study in, and questioning of dogmatic faith as it is an outlet for Smiths love of dick and fart jokes. This was the first of his films I saw and instantly got me hooked on Smiths writing style and his returning characters Jay and Silent Bob. Cleverly written and thought provoking when your not laughing, Dogma shows the side of religion you never see in church.

Stefans TV Picks.

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Monday 14th – Channel 4, 23:15
Once again we dive into the world of Televisual Wonderment, and the week is starting on a high with the brilliant Mr Eddie Izzard. His show Dressed to Kill is a fantastic piece of stand up and even though it’s 12 years since it was recorded in San Francisco, its still holds up against (and in my opinion is still better than) most of the comedy shows today. So sit back and marvel in the seemingly unplanned unrehearsed ramblings about history, space, movies, Italians saying Ciao and his famous Cake or Death routine.

Tuesday 15th – Sky Movies Premier, 23:40
Korea’s movie industry isn’t that well known over here, even with this sad fact, they’re still responsible for some of my favourite films, from the famous like OldBoy to the lesser known, but often recommended by me, I’m A Cyborg, But that’s OK. Their new big movie to hit our shores is The Good, The Bad, The Weird, a funny, action packed Western that spends the majority of its time either in elaborate mass gunfights or marathon length horse chases. The Good, The Bad, The Weird thankfully retains the casts original voices and hasn’t been confined to the dire pile of dubbed movies, however having said this, the subtitles aren’t great and for the likes of me (who sometimes forgets to put his glasses on) it was occasionally hard to read as the words bled into the pale desert landscapes. But even with this it’s still a brilliant movie that you should stay up late for.

Wednesday 16th – Discovery, 18:00
As those who’ve read my articles know, I love movies, even with all their unbelievable acts. I occasionally find myself, while watching an explosion filled, bullet dodging actioner if it is really possible to jump of a high cliff into freezing water and survive, or drive a car through a fire without melting the tyres, and when these questions arise…enter the Mythbusters. Mythbusters is all about two wannabe mad scientists, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, proving or disproving scientific myth and rumour. In this weeks double bill the guys turn their attention to the gory myth of body splitting via a snapped High Tension Cable and in the second episode they study the film Wanted in an attempt to re-create the bullet curving technique. With additional experiments and theorem smashing by the henchmen of the team Grant Imahara (electronics/robotics), Tory Bellici (builder) and Kari Byron (nerd pin up girl) Mythbusters is as humorous as it is fact filled. Loadsa fun to watch.

Thursday 17th – BBC 4, 21:00
Comedy can be a great way to change people’s outlook or highlight political issues in a way that appeals to the masses. Starting in the 60’s an nearly taking over in the 80’s political satire has always been a major comedy genre and in Frost on Satire we see it’s beginnings with programmes like ‘That Was the Week that Was’, interviews with comedians from both the UK and the US about the power of satire and clips showing the greatest satirical TV moments from the last 50 years. Expect some outstanding comedy most likely including the likes of the Cleese, Barker and Corbett sketch ‘Class’ and Ben Elton when he was great!

Friday 18th – ITV1, 18:30
Sorry to all those who are sick of all the red crosses all over the place, who only visit a select few pubs and already hate and despise vuvuzelas with a vengeance but once again England are taking to a South African pitch, this time to play Algeria in the World Cup Live, and so say the annoying football shirt clad loud braying majority (of which I am one) C’MON ENGLAAAANNNND!

Saturday 19th – ITV2, 12:00
After growing up in the 80’s I have many fond memories, some of the most prominent are ones of me and my friends riding our bikes, all pretending to have a little brown wrinkly alien joining us on our adventures. Yes of course, I’m talking about E.T The Extra Terrestrial. If your old enough to remember watching it, then reminisce back to more innocent times while watching a bunch of kids outwit highly trained agents on their BMX’s and if your too young or haven’t seen it….I feel sorry for you, make sure you catch this masterpiece of cinematic storytelling, I just really really hope it isn’t the re-mastered version and those agents are still carrying guns!

Sunday 20th – BBC4, 21:00
I am saddened, the weather is promising a glorious summer, and I am attending no festivals. Glastonbury, Download, Isle of Wight, Reading….all denied to me this year, so I’ll have to be contented with highlights on the telly-box. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Glastonbury this year, Glastonbury at 40 will be sharing the history of the UK’s most famous festival. Narrated by Mark Radcliff, we will be treated to archive footage ranging from muddy hippies to the clean trainer’d Jay-Z and music from a plethora of bands who have played there over the years.

Yahoo! Offers Chance To Win The Ultimate Sports Prize

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Play the Yahoo! Penalty Shootout Online Game for the opportunity to win tickets to sixteen of the world’s greatest sporting events

Participate on First Day of World Cup and Yahoo! Will Contribute Up To $100,000 to Help Eliminate AIDS in Africa

London, June 10, 2010

If you could attend any sporting event in the world, which would you choose? Who would you take? All questions for anyone who plays to win the ultimate sports prize, the Yahoo! Sports Pass. The prize will give one lucky winner two tickets to 16 of the world’s greatest sporting events, four events per year for four years. In addition to allowing the winner to pick the events of their choice, the Yahoo! Sports Pass also includes travel and accommodation for each event.

To win the Sports Pass prize, play Yahoo! Penalty Shootout, an online game that allows you to face off against friends, other fans and rivals in a virtual penalty kick competition. Fans in more than 16 countries will be able to play the game at http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/world-cup/penalty-shootout/ for a chance to win the Yahoo! Sports Pass.

The Penalty Shootout contestants with the two highest scores in the world at the end of the online competition will be flown to Brazil to compete in a real live penalty shootout featuring famous England and Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman. The winner with the highest number of kicks against Seaman will be awarded the Yahoo! Sports Pass.

“The penalty shootout is always the most intense, highly charged aspect of any football competition,” said Andrew Cocker, Yahoo!’s UK Head of Marketing. “For the winners of the Yahoo! Penalty Shootout promotion, the stakes could not be higher – a prize that any sports fan would love – tickets to 16 of the biggest sporting events in the world. The final challenge is to beat David Seaman: a big test for the ultimate sports prize.”

In addition to trying to win the ultimate sports prize, fans that play Yahoo! Penalty Shootout for (RED) on the first day of the World Cup will help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa.  For every goal scored on June 11, Yahoo! will contribute USD $1, up to USD $100,000, to the Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) monies. Since 2006 (RED) has been engaging business and consumers to help eliminate AIDS in Africa and to date (RED) partners and events have generated $150 million for the Global Fund. For more info about (RED) visit www.joinred.com

The Yahoo! Penalty Shootout game is another example of Yahoo! bringing innovation to the world’s largest sporting event. In addition to online games, Yahoo! is providing fans with a variety of compelling World Cup tools and content:

  • Get a quick snapshot of the latest World Cup information with new rich shortcuts in Yahoo! Search results – photos, videos, schedules, live scores, stats, team information and news at your fingertips.
  • Download the Yahoo! Toolbar to stay on top of World Cup action with real-time scores, schedules and breaking news. Be the ultimate fan and customise toolbars with country-themed skins.
  • Predict winners for each round with Yahoo Fantasy Football (http://uk.wc.fantasysports.yahoo.com/world-cup ), a pick’em style fantasy football game. This is Yahoo!’s largest global launch of a fantasy product. Fans can play the game in 22 countries in 11 languages.
  • Predictalot from Yahoo! Labs, a fun experiment that puts the “wisdom of the crowd” about the World Cup to the test. Predictalot lets fans in every country make millions of interesting predictions, like “How many teams from Europe will advance to the quarterfinals? or “Will a country that has never won before win it all this year?”
  • Receive World Cup updates on-the-go with Yahoo!’s seamless online and mobile experiences. Visit m.yahoo.co.uk and enjoy comprehensive up-to-the minute scores, schedules, standings, news, player profiles and more.