Style Over Substance

David Beckham lurches from one crisis to another, and is being ridiculed by British newspapers as an “attention-seeking drama queen.” Michael Owen has a squeaky clean image and has been a far more prolific goal scorer than Beckham.

So the country that invented soccer should have no problem deciding who’s the best choice to captain England’s national team. Right?

Sorry Michael, the coach is sticking with bad boy Becks.

With allegations about his private life splashed across the tabloids and concerns about his on-field behavior, Beckham is a magnet for negative headlines. He was deluged by even more this week after a World Cup qualifying game he missed, with some tabloids calling for him to be stripped of the captaincy.

Owen, the tabloids say, is a far more worthy candidate.

While Beckham and his pop star wife lap up every photo opportunity and make millions from commercial deals, Owen tends to keep his private life private and makes news by scoring goals -- a lot more frequently than his Real Madrid teammate.

Beckham has 15 goals in 75 appearances for the national team. Owen has scored 28 in 65 games, including three against Germany in a 5-1 World Cup qualifying win in 2001 and a memorable solo strike against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup when he was 18.

Owen has been troubled by a recent lack of form and has been accused of diving to try to get a penalty. But you’ll never see him chase furiously after an opponent to haul him down, as Beckham did last weekend against Wales. Or verbally abuse the referee. Or be the target of lurid “kiss-and-tell” tabloid stories.

Leave that to Beckham.

So why is England sticking with the troubled, volatile husband of one of the Spice Girls, instead of giving the captain’s armband to the well-mannered, clean-cut striker who has never served a suspension?

Because England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson wants it that way.

With Beckham serving a controversial suspension Wednesday, Eriksson named Owen captain. He responded by heading in the only goal in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Azerbaijan. It was only Owen’s second goal in a year for England but, with Beckham sidelined, the timing was perfect.

Owen has filled in for the absent Beckham seven times. England has won four of those games, and tied three. Yet Beckham looks certain to be captain again, once the rib he broke against Wales last Saturday has healed.

Knowing the injury would keep him out of Wednesday’s game, he deliberately fouled a Welsh opponent to draw a yellow card and an automatic suspension. Getting the suspension out of the way, he said, was clever.

Far from it. His comments sparked a storm of criticism, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter and others criticizing him for violating the spirit of fair play. Beckham issued a formal apology, and Eriksson appeared to forgive him.

“Did I ever doubt that Beckham should carry on as England captain in the future? No way. I have never doubted that,” Eriksson said after his team’s win in Azerbaijan.

But much of the British media has such doubts. The Daily Mirror said Owen “put pride back into the captain’s armband.” Other papers ridiculed Beckham as an “attention-seeking drama queen.”

Owen has diplomatic skills, too.

Appearing at a news conference before the Azerbaijan game, he was invited repeatedly to comment on Beckham’s ploy to miss the match.

“I just feel that I’m in a position where whatever I say will be wrong,” he said. “I think you’ll forgive me for dodging it. I’ve not dodged many (questions) before but I’d rather dodge this one.

“I’m his mate so I want to stick up for him but, obviously if I go one way or the other I’ll get as much criticism as him. I think all the team will stick by him no matter what happens.”