David Beckham scored on a curling, 25-yard shot to lead England past Wales 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier Saturday in which he wound up with a suspension and broken rib.
The England captain, rebounding from his poor play for Real Madrid in the Spanish league, picked up a yellow card ruling him out of England’s next game against Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
But he wouldn’t be able to play anyway. Beckham was injured minutes after his 76th-inute goal when he was challenged by Wales defender Ben Thatcher. The English team initially said there was no break but a second X-ray revealed a hairline fracture.
On a day when 38 qualifiers were played across the globe leading to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Czech Republic beat Romania 1-0 in Prague, stopping the Romanians’ runaway start. Finland beat Armenia 3-1 to draw even on top with Romania.
