The former England captain is set to make his debut for PSG after joining as a free agent in late January for five months.

“As big a star as Beckham is off the pitch … realistically he doesn’t put the fear of God into you anymore like he used to when he played in the Premier League,” Barton told a news conference. “No disrespect to him, but if he does manage to play for Paris (he) will probably not be the main concern for us as a defensive unit.”

Barton, who joined Marseille in late August on a one-year loan deal from Queens Park Rangers, said that big-spending PSG had plenty of gifted players and that “it would be naive of us to focus on David Beckham.”

Barton was equally emphatic about matters off the pitch involving his fellow Englishman.

“I don’t envy his position,” he said. “I don’t envy the amount of media intrusion he has in his life on a daily basis.”

Beckham is looking to win the championship with a fourth different club and in a fourth different country, after success at Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The 37-year-old midfielder made his last appearance for the Galaxy on Dec. 1.

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The 34-year-old midfielder has been informed by Chelsea that his contract won’t be extended when it expires at the end of the season.

But having already netted 11 goals for Chelsea this season, Lampard will not be short of offers as he plots his next move.

He has been persistently linked with a move to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Major League Soccer club David Beckham left in December.

“I would rather hope that we will see him still, if not in England, in Europe because of course that will make my task a bit easier,” Hodgson said Wednesday after England’s 2-1 victory over Brazil.

“If he does follow David and goes further afield, that complicate matters … he of course understands that, the further afield you go, the more problematic it does become for the media to follow you, and the national team coach to follow you.”

But Hodgson insists that playing club football outside Europe “doesn’t necessarily mean that your career ends,” with Lampard hoping to reach a century of England appearances after netting his 27th international goal in his 94th match on Wednesday.

“I know he is going to have a lot of offers if Chelsea do decide they are prepared to let him go,” Hodgson said.

He believes Lampard can be the next England player to top 100 and wants him to continue inspiring his country right through to the World Cup in Rio in 2014.

“He was excellent,” Hodgson said of Lampard’s match-winning performance. “I think he can (reach 100).”

Lampard is yet to comment on his future beyond Chelsea, where he has been since 2001, and the London club could still respond to fan anger and reverse the decision not to offer a new contract.

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Goalkeeper Tim Howard was the captain for the match in San Pedro Sula as the Americans opened the final round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Chandler took over on the right from Steve Cherundolo, sidelined by a knee injury.

Chandler, a 22-year-old with an American father and German mother, had been eligible to play for both nations. He made nine previous appearances for the Americans, all in exhibitions, and by appearing in a competitive match for the U.S. he became ineligible to play for any other country under FIFA rules.

Gonzalez, a 6-foot-4 defender for the Los Angeles Galaxy, was the only holdover in the starting lineup from last week’s 0-0 tie against Canada in an exhibition at Houston. That marked his return to the national team following a two-year absence partly caused by a torn left anterior cruciate ligament. He was paired with Cameron in the center of the backline, and Fabian Johnson was on the left.

Danny Williams, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Eddie Johnson were in a four-man midfield, and Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore were at forward.

Honduras’ lineup had Noel Valladares in goal; Arnold Peralta, Victor Bernandez, Maynor Figueroa and Juan Garcia on defense; Oscar Boniek Garcia, Roger Espinoza, Luis Garrido and Mario Martinez in midfield; and Jerry Bengston and Carlo Costly at forward.

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