A ruler for the Galaxy

Not even Jurgen Klinsmann can solve all of the Los Angeles Galaxy's problems. But the addition of Klinsmann to Major League Soccer would be a step in the right direction for a league that needs high-level coaches as well as players.

The Galaxy (3-10-5, 14 points) spent the early part of the season waiting for David Beckham, but have not won a league game since he arrived. The ownership, Anschutz Entertainment Group, apparently losing faith in coach Frank Yallop, has not denied rumors about contacting Klinsmann, who has worked for the Galaxy as an adviser and resides near Newport Beach, Calif.

Klinsmann, who would be a good choice to be involved with any MLS team, could relate to the Beckham celebrity phenomenon and is equipped to absorb the attention and pressure. Klinsmann is also very good at making his employment terms clear.

It is also doubtful he would allow Beckham to do as much globe-trotting as he has. If Klinsmann were coaching the Galaxy, he would not have allowed Beckham to play 90 minutes for England against Germany at Wembley Stadium last Wednesday, then another 90 for the Galaxy against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center the next night.

The Galaxy and MLS should be protecting their investment in Beckham instead of exposing him to burnout commitments. The Galaxy should also give up hope of making the MLS playoffs and start planning for next season.

The team has qualified for tonight's final of the SuperLiga against Pachuca at the Home Depot Center, but even the $1 million prize for winning would not compensate for mismanaging Beckham and failing to maintain the standards of a Galaxy team that won the MLS Cup and US Open Cup two years ago.

The US women's national team has departed for Shanghai to prepare for the fifth Women's World Cup Sept. 10-30 in China. If all goes as expected, the United States will meet defending champion Germany in the final.

There is still a huge gap between the powers and the secondary levels in the women's game, illustrated by US wins over Finland (4-0), New Zealand (6-1), and Japan (4-1) in its last three warmup matches. The US team outshot Finland, 38-2, and New Zealand, 33-2.

The United States opens play against North Korea in Chengdu Sept. 11. If the US team can hold off a challenge from Sweden, it will advance to a Sept. 22 quarterfinal as the winner of Group B, and probably face England. The competitive level jumps up several notches in the semifinals, the opposition likely to be Brazil, Canada, China, or Norway.

France coach Raymond Domenech has been suspended one match for "bringing the game into disrepute" after accusing Portuguese referee Lucilio Baptista of fixing the result of a 2000 Olympic qualifier. Domenech, commenting in an Aug. 9 issue of Le Parisien, also praised Italian defender Marco Materazzi for provoking a head butt from Zinedine Zidane, who was red-carded in the World Cup final last year in Berlin. Domenech referred to a 1999 game in which Italy took a 2-1 win over France in Taranto, Italy, Baptista expelling a French player (in the 10th minute) and Domenech. The ruling means Domenech will miss the Italy-France game Sept. 8 in Milan, a European Championship qualifier. The French, with 18 points, lead Italy by 2 points after seven games of group play. Materazzi (knee) will also be out after being injured in Italy's 3-1 loss to Hungary in Budapest last week . . . New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi converted a penalty kick as Villareal took a 3-0 victory at Valencia on Spain's La Liga opening day. Villareal paid a $9 million transfers fee to Manchester United for Rossi, a record for a US-born player.

Benfica, which has added 12 players since selling Simao Sabrosa to Atletico Madrid for $27 million recently, sold midfielder Manuel Fernandes to Valencia for $24.5 million. Fernandes was set to go to Everton for about half that price, Valencia increasing the offer at the last minute. Half of the Fernandes transfer fee will go to Benfica and the rest to Global Soccer Agency, an investment group that shares Fernandes's rights. Spanish laws, which allow sports clubs to contract players at a low tax rate, were a factor in the move. Fernandes signed a six-year contract worth $2.73 million annually, with 25 percent of his salary taxed, according to the Portuguese sports daily O Jogo.

Former Serbian national team defender Dusan Petkovic hopes to sign with the Revolution by Monday, according to agent Sam Stapleton. Petkovic is to train with the team tomorrow, Friday, and Sunday to ascertain his conditioning. "Dule is in great shape physically," said Stapleton, who plans to return from Belgrade to finalize the deal . . . Dorchester's Sheanon Williams played the full game at right back for the third successive time as the United States defeated Belgium, 2-0, in its final group play game of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in South Korea Sunday. The United States, which lost its first two matches, meets Germany in the round of 16 in Cheonan tomorrow. The Germans defeated Trinidad and Tobago, 5-0, to win Group F with a 2-0-1 record. Dorchester's Aaron Maund started three times for Trinidad and Tobago, which went winless and was outscored, 14-1.

Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at f_dellapa@globe.com