David Beckham's first game at L.A. Galaxy vs. Chelsea - 7.22.2007.1

So we finally got to see Mr. David Beckham play. Sort of. After a lot of hype, the likes of which virtually no performance could have lived up to, the actual exhibition game with Chelsea was a let down.


Given that this was an exhibition, so neither team was pushing hard. Still The L.A. Galaxy looked bad. Chelsea was being quite nice during the first half. Not too physical and playing rather loose. The Galaxy had a decent chance to score a couple of times especially the header attempt in the 38th minute. Yet there was nothing impressive overall. And Mr. Beckham just sat on the bench, watching.

The first half was so uneventful that there were 3 interviews with celebrities in attendance at the game. Ms. Jennifer Love Hewitt was just filler, and had nothing really to say other than she was there to see Mr. Beckham and had never been to a game before. Governor Schwarzenegger on the other hand gave a nice plug to the sport, recounting his childhood playing the game (no mention of what position), and the fact that the entire world plays this sport intently, and his children are involved as well. But perhaps the biggest boost for future Galaxy fans is Mr. Drew Carey. Mr. Carey is a major fan, and was paying more attention to the game than the interview. He was also sitting back with the rest of the fans, not in a special box like the other interviewees. As he spoke you got his passion for the game.

Throughout the one thing was very clear. ESPN still does not know how to present a soccer (futbol) match. The American announcers were flat and about as invigorating as tap water. References to other sports just don’t work in trying to describe the game. Basketball terminology has about as much relevance as wet noodles on a pizza.

With the second half we got a bit more excitement. The quick goal by Chelsea told you that the pace was going to be decidedly different. In discussing the second half with a couple of people at a local bar I mentioned my thoughts about the probable score. 3-1 win for Chelsea. The start seemed right in line with that thought. Especially when one of the driving forces on the Galaxy, Mr. Cobi Jones came out in the 56th minute. Once he was off the field, the Galaxy just got sloppy and sluggish. It was a real surprise that Chelsea didn’t score more, not that they didn’t get chances.

A great example of the sloppy play was when Pavon collided with another Galaxy player. Pavon was challenging his own teammate, for no reason. All he needed to do was wait for the ball. It looked like high school players on the pitch.

Up until Mr. Beckham entered the game, after a 7 minute warm-up (which ESPN just had to watch instead of the play on the field) and a jog around the stadium, the Galaxy looked bad. And it was interesting that of the many, many shots of number 23 on the bench none showed him speaking to a single teammate. Even when Cobi Jones came out of the game and sat right next to number 23, not a word was said. Not even a glance at his teammate. Seemed quite rude. Perhaps this means there is a little tension in the air. Maybe it’s because the Galaxy season was altered for their new star player, or that so much attention was being placed just on him and not the team. Who knows, but I’m sure if it doesn’t change the story will be out fast. At the latest, any bad blood may be revealed after Kobe retires at the end of this season.

But Mr. Beckham finally got into the game with about 13 minutes to play. Considering that the score was still 1-0 it might have been enough to tie the game, if he was up to speed and match ready. But we all know his left ankle was not tip-top. And he played with minor interest.

Yet the Galaxy responded quickly once he was on the field. They got aggressive and started to do something. Xavier, who seemed to be involved in several critical plays, lit up. The game got a bit more lively and the crescendo was about the 91st minute when Beckham decided to actually play the ball and got a tough tackle, Chelsea reminding him who was in charge of this game.

So overall how do I rate Mr. Beckham’s first U.S. appearance? Lackluster at best. He’s a far better player than what we’ve seen. Injury aside, he could have done more. He should have been in the game far sooner. The 18 minutes he played were mostly ineffective, but the fire he gave the team was needed back in the 58th minute.

Will the Galaxy be a better team with Mr. Beckham? Almost definitely. Will soccer in America get a boost, absolutely. The Galaxy stadium was sold-out. ESPN made a point of broadcasting a Saturday night exhibition game. The attention is noticed. Now we just need performance.