David Beckham has come under attack from L.A. Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan just as he prepares to return for action with the MLS team.

In a new book due out later this month, Donovan claims Beckham has demonstrated little commitment to the Galaxy cause and has been a negative influence on the team since the ousting of former coach Ruud Gullit.

“All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed himself to us,” Donovan says in ‘The Beckham Experiment’, authored by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl.

“As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways - on the field, off the field.

“Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it? Yeah. If someone’s paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up and train hard, show up and play hard.”

Donovan, who is the United States captain and wears the Galaxy armband in Beckham’s absence, also questioned the former England skipper’s leadership abilities, claiming he is too often silent in team meetings.

“Maybe he’s not a leader, maybe he’s not a captain,” he said. “Fair enough. But at a minimum, you should bust your ass every day. That hasn’t happened. And I don’t think that’s too much for us to expect. Especially when he’s brought all this on us.”

Beckham’s first two seasons in MLS were largely a miserable experience. An unbalanced Galaxy team struggled all year and missed out on the play-offs, with Gullit quitting before the end of the campaign.

Gullit’s departure, is the moment Donovan believes the light went out for the club’s marquee player.

“When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing,” Donovan said. “He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well.

“Somewhere along the way - and in my mind it coincides with Ruud being let go - he just flipped a switch and said, ‘Uh-huh, I’m not doing it anymore’.”

Donovan even claimed Beckham is a bad team-mate, because of his lack of commitment.

“He’s not shown (he’s a good team-mate),” he said. “I can’t think of another guy where I’d say he wasn’t a good team-mate, he didn’t give everything through all this, he didn’t still care. But with (Beckham), I’d say no, he wasn’t committed.”

Beckham pushed for a loan move to AC Milan in January, and then extended it to the point that he missed half of the 2009 MLS season. That served as evidence that he does not care for the league, according to Donovan, who gave up his chance to play in Europe early in his career in order to stay at home.

“My sense is that David’s clearly frustrated, that he’s unhappy and, honestly, that he thinks it’s a joke,” he said. “I also kind of feel (he has taken the team) for granted. I don’t see dedication or commitment to this team, and that’s troubling.”

Beckham is due to make his return for the Galaxy against the New York Red Bulls on July 16, two days after Wahl’s book is due to be published.

He will line up alongside Donovan in that game, but the striker does not want that to be the case for much longer.

“Let’s say he does stay here for three more years,” Donovan said. “I’m not going to spend the next three years of my life doing it this way. This is f****** miserable. I don’t want to have soccer be this way.”

Chelsea have signed Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull on a free transfer to provide back up to Czech Republic international Petr Cech.

The 24-year-old, who made 29 senior appearances for Boro in the Premier League, signed a deal to keep him at Stamford Bridge for four years.

Boro announced at the end of the 2008/9 season that Turnbull would be leaving The Riverside Stadium when his contract expired on June 30.

The former England youth international spent much of his time with Middlesbrough out on loan, making 67 appearences during spells at Darlington, Bradford City, Barnsley and Crewe Alexandra.

Turnbull will now fight it out with 33-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper Hilario, who recently signed a new two-year contract with the Blues, to be second choice behind Cech.

NEW YORK (AP)—The United States can expand its roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup by seven players to 30.

The decision was made by soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean governing body because the U.S. team is coming off the Confederations Cup, where it lost to Brazil 3-2 in Sunday’s final in Johannesburg.

The U.S., seeking its third straight Gold Cup title, included just two regular starters on its 23-man roster announced last week: forward Brian Ching and right back Steve Cherundolo. They missed the Confederations Cup because of injuries.

“With the objective of providing the best performance possible for the public, and in recognition that the back-to-back tournaments strain players and their clubs, CONCACAF will give permission to any team who also is participating in the Confederations Cup in the same year to enlarge their roster to 30 from the 23 already permitted,” CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer said Tuesday. “This allowance will be extended to any team in the future that finds itself in the same situation.”

Teams can dress 18 players for any match.

The U.S. opens Saturday against Grenada at Seattle.

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)—Host cities for the 2014 World Cup say they need to start infrastructure work as soon as possible in order to have everything ready in time for the tournament.

Brazil’s government said Wednesday the mayors from the 12 host cities met with Sports Minister Orlando Silva to discuss responsibilities and create a timetable of what needs to be done.

Silva told mayors the “the biggest concern of the federal government is related to airports and the road system,” which are key to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected during the World Cup.

The mayors reiterated the need to start work as soon as possible to make sure the cities can meet all of the requirements for the competition.

Real Madrid have been by far and away the most active team in the summer market so far, signing a host of huge names.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka lead the list of new Galacticos, but the arrival of Karim Benzema also brings new striking options to the Santiago Bernabeu.

It’s been mooted that Alvaro Arbeloa will arrive in Spain within days to rejoin his boyhood side frm Liverpool, while it is not impossible that Xabi Alonso will also follow from Anfield.

4-4-2 - Juan Lirman, Goal.com Spain - It may look unusual at first, but remember that new coach Manuel Pellegrini is a huge advocate of the 4-4-2 system. Needless to say this is ultra-offensive, with no fewer than three of the midfielders almost being considered forwards! This gives the opposing defence a lot of work to do, but it can be hit quite easily on the counter, and thus is best deployed against very cautious sides.

4-2-3-1 - Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com International - Xabi Alonso and Lassana Diarra are capable of offering a strong defensive midfield line but also one full of invention, the Spaniard in particular being more than able to pick out a killer pass. Meanwhile the attacking ‘three’ would no doubt feature in many peoples’ fantasy league teams prior to this season, and with new signing Karim Benzema set to compete with Gonzalo Higuain for the place up front, this line-up is dangerous. With Sergio Ramos very likely to come forward in support of ‘CRx‘, though, once again we must ask if it’s not slightly too cavalier…

The French coach was strongly linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this summer as part of president Florentino Perez’s plans to overhaul the club.

However Wenger, who took over in North London in 1996, stressed his commitment to Arsenal, where he has built a youthful and developing side.

Wenger respects Real’s agenda to create a ’spectacle of football’ but warned that too many additions during the transfer window could have an adverse effect.

He said in the Daily Mirror: “What Real want to do is produce what I would call a spectacle of football, a spectacular team.

“But I believe that when it comes to creating a team and a squad there is another dimension that exists, and that is my way of thinking.

“I want to have success by building a team with a style, with a know-how, with a culture of play specific to the club and its fans and with young people.

“That is what I have chosen in my career and want to ensure I continue here at Arsenal.

“I am in a construction project with a young team, but my intention is to take that project to the ultimate end. For me, pleasure comes from watching those players showing the football I like to see played.

“The sums we are talking about with Real can appear shocking.

“But they are the fruit of a calculation carried out by the investors in the club.

“I believe it is necessary to disregard moral judgement and to simply ask whether the operation will be profitable. In my opinion, to recruit more than three players in a transfer window, as Real plan, is taking a technical risk.

“You are entering a zone of uncertainty and if that kicks back at you, it can hurt.”

Mark Hughes has confirmed that Manchester City are still in the hunt to sign Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o and Argentina hit-man Carlos Tevez.

The Eastlands club made a £25m offer for Eto’o earlier this week, along with a four-year contract reportedly worth £250k-per-week, but the 28-year-old’s agent said he would prefer to stay at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona have since offered the Cameroon international a new contract, but Hughes has not given up hope of getting his man.

“We have made an offer but there appears to be a situation between the player and his club that we cannot be part of,” Hughes said.

“We just have to sit back and see what develops. Patience is a word that has been mentioned and we may need some of it.”

Hughes also confirmed City are interested in signing Tevez, who has left rivals Manchester United, amid reports the Citizens are in talks with the 25-year-old.

“I am a huge admirer of Carlos,” he said. “Everyone is aware of his situation and we are interested, as we are in all top quality players.

“We will have to see what happens but these are very early days.”

Hughes was speaking at the unveiling of Roque Santa Cruz, who finally completed his move from Blackburn Rovers last week.

Santa Cruz already knows he has competition for places from Craig Bellamy and Robinho even without the likes of Eto’o and Tevez joining City as well.

But such strength in depth is one of the reasons Hughes believes the Blues are capable of fulfilling the extreme expectation they will face, unlike last term when the Welshman always knew they would fall well short.

“If we can get the players we are hoping for we will have more tools at our disposal to do the job,” he said.

“We are trying to address that situation and we feel we are getting closer.

“Leading into the new season we are in better shape to be better prepared than we were last year, when expectations were the same as they will be this time.

“Last year we couldn’t fulfil them. This time I think we will.”

Santa Cruz is of the same opinion, even though the £18m Paraguayan accepts it may take time.

“The aim is the top four and that is certainly the mentality among the players,” he said.

“It might not happen overnight but we will move in the right way.”

• Meanwhile, Manchester City have confirmed four senior players have left the club.

Danny Mills, Darius Vassell, Dietmar Hamann and Michael Ball were not offered new contracts by manager Mark Hughes and are now free to take up other offers.

ZURICH (AP)—Brazil ended Spain’s one-year reign as the world’s top soccer team and the United States moved up two spots to No. 12, the highest ranking for the Americans in three years.

The FIFA rankings released Wednesday reflected last month’s Confederations Cup, where Brazil rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the United States 3-2 in Sunday’s final. The United States hasn’t been ranked this highly since it was fifth in June 2006, before its first-round elimination at the World Cup in Germany. The Americans, who hit their high of fourth in April 2006, dropped as low as 31st (November 2006-January 2007 and August 2008).

Brazil rose four spots to gain the top spot for the first time since it held it for two months in July-August 2007 after winning the Copa America. Brazil had been No. 1 for 55 months before it was overtaken by world champion Italy in February 2007.

Spain, upset by the U.S. 2-0 in the Confederations Cup semifinals last week, slipped to second. Spain had held the top spot since last July, a month after winning the European Championship for its first major title in 44 years.

Netherlands fell one spot to third, Italy stayed fourth and Germany slipped two places to fifth. Russia, England, Argentina, France and Croatia rounded out the top 10, and Greece was just ahead of the United States in 11th.

North Korea jumped 23 spots to No. 83 after it qualified for its first World Cup since 1966.

LONDON (AP)—Cristiano Ronaldo’s world-record transfer to Real Madrid from Manchester United has been completed.

A fee of $131 million for the player was agreed to between the clubs last month and United reported on its Web site on Wednesday that the fee has been paid.

United manager Alex Ferguson paid tribute to the Portugal winger.

“Cristiano has been a marvelous player for Manchester United. His six years at Old Trafford have seen him develop into the best footballer in the world,” Ferguson said. “His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over.”

“Everyone here wishes him well in his future career,” Ferguson said.

LYON, France (AP)—French forward Karim Benzema is following Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka to Real Madrid.

Lyon agreed Wednesday to sell the 21-year-old to the Spanish team, which was competing with Manchester United to obtain Benzema. The French club said on its Web site that Madrid will pay a minimum fee of 35 million euros ($57.4 million), rising to up to 41 million euros ($67 million) with performance bonuses.

Under new team president Florentino Perez, Real Madrid bought 2007 FIFA player of the year Kaka from AC Milan last month in a deal said to be worth 65 million euros ($92 million) and spent a record 80 million pounds ($131 million) to purchase 2008 FIFA player of the year Ronaldo from Manchester United.

“The player wishes to take the opportunity offered to him by Real Madrid to become one of the key players in an ambitious new policy involving several of the world’s biggest players,” Lyon said.

Benzema has 12 goals in 19 Champions League games and six goals in 24 appearances with France’s national team.