CARSON -- As David Beckham placed the ball on the turf, surveyed the D.C.United wall and goalkeeper Troy Perkins, and lined up his first free kick in eight weeks, Galaxy defender Abel Xavier thought back to a conversation he'd had with teammate Peter Vagenas before Wednesday night's SuperLiga semifinal.
"I said to him, `You will see - without training, the first free kick he will put in the corner,"' Xavier said. "I was behind (Beckham) and when I see him bend the ball, I almost have my hands in the air because I know that it was a goal already."
And so, a moment later, it was. Perkins went right, the ball dove left and every Galaxy player on the field - including goalkeeper Joe Cannon some 70 yards away - made an exuberant dash to mob their newest teammate.
This, more than the red-carpet rollout, the glossy magazine covers, the nationally televised cameos and the royal waves from the sidelines, was Beckham's welcome to America.
"You couldn't have written a better script for Hollywood," said Vagenas, shaking his head.
The highlight-reel moment, which kick-started the Galaxy on its way to a 2-0 victory, should be enough to remind SportsCenter viewers and the New York media - whom Beckham will meet today in advance of Saturday night's game against the Red Bulls - what the fuss was about.
Still, the Galaxy's giddiness Wednesday night was not just about style, but substance.
What Beckham showed in 63 minutes of work was a series of traits - aggressiveness, patience, vision and leadership - that served as a reassuring reminder that he is not merely a $6.5 million- per-year set-piece specialist.
The Galaxy sees in him a lifeline to the playoffs - a task that won't be easy for a team that has won three MLS games in four months, is 12 points out of the last playoff berth, and may be without Beckham for a third of its 15 remaining MLS games due to national-team commitments.
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"I said to him, `You will see - without training, the first free kick he will put in the corner,"' Xavier said. "I was behind (Beckham) and when I see him bend the ball, I almost have my hands in the air because I know that it was a goal already."
And so, a moment later, it was. Perkins went right, the ball dove left and every Galaxy player on the field - including goalkeeper Joe Cannon some 70 yards away - made an exuberant dash to mob their newest teammate.
This, more than the red-carpet rollout, the glossy magazine covers, the nationally televised cameos and the royal waves from the sidelines, was Beckham's welcome to America.
"You couldn't have written a better script for Hollywood," said Vagenas, shaking his head.
The highlight-reel moment, which kick-started the Galaxy on its way to a 2-0 victory, should be enough to remind SportsCenter viewers and the New York media - whom Beckham will meet today in advance of Saturday night's game against the Red Bulls - what the fuss was about.
Still, the Galaxy's giddiness Wednesday night was not just about style, but substance.
What Beckham showed in 63 minutes of work was a series of traits - aggressiveness, patience, vision and leadership - that served as a reassuring reminder that he is not merely a $6.5 million- per-year set-piece specialist.
The Galaxy sees in him a lifeline to the playoffs - a task that won't be easy for a team that has won three MLS games in four months, is 12 points out of the last playoff berth, and may be without Beckham for a third of its 15 remaining MLS games due to national-team commitments.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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