David Beckham could always deliver the sublime, courtesy of those signature free kicks.
Now Beckham is officially supplying the surreal, courtesy of perhaps the most celebrated night of soccer ever seen in USA.
Now Beckham is officially supplying the surreal, courtesy of perhaps the most celebrated night of soccer ever seen in USA.
What a mad scene at the Home Depot Center, all at once an exercise in patience (due to that uncooperative left ankle) and a three-ring circus of traps, passes and paparazzi. Major League Soccer officially began cashing in on the nationally televised Beckham ballyhoo Saturday. Even if his 12 minutes on the field were mostly uneventful, the night was certainly unforgettable.
Beckham's long-awaited Galaxy debut in the 1-0 loss to Chelsea was not so much a soccer match but a unique amalgamation: one part Hollywood movie premier, one part media overkill and one part actual soccer, all stirred into a cult of personality porridge and topped by a dash of utter bedlam.
Oh, and let's not forget about the near calamity! The anonymous Steve Sidwell, of all people, almost exposed the folly of it all. The absolute worst-case scenario nearly unfolded 40 yards from Chelsea's goal when Sidwell's hard challenge sent Becks tumbling. Briefly, the overflow crowd was breathless and Galaxy officials were surely regretting their decision the hobbled Englishman. They had bowed to (admittedly tremendous) pressure from sponsors, fans and TV to expose a vulnerable athlete, one who obviously would have remained on the shelf in every other circumstance.
But they knew Beckham alone made this midsummer friendly a red-carpet-worthy event. The pretty and important visitors included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Katie Holmes, Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Garnett and Jennifer Love Hewitt; they attracted ample paparazzi.
Beckham's long-awaited Galaxy debut in the 1-0 loss to Chelsea was not so much a soccer match but a unique amalgamation: one part Hollywood movie premier, one part media overkill and one part actual soccer, all stirred into a cult of personality porridge and topped by a dash of utter bedlam.
Oh, and let's not forget about the near calamity! The anonymous Steve Sidwell, of all people, almost exposed the folly of it all. The absolute worst-case scenario nearly unfolded 40 yards from Chelsea's goal when Sidwell's hard challenge sent Becks tumbling. Briefly, the overflow crowd was breathless and Galaxy officials were surely regretting their decision the hobbled Englishman. They had bowed to (admittedly tremendous) pressure from sponsors, fans and TV to expose a vulnerable athlete, one who obviously would have remained on the shelf in every other circumstance.
But they knew Beckham alone made this midsummer friendly a red-carpet-worthy event. The pretty and important visitors included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Katie Holmes, Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Garnett and Jennifer Love Hewitt; they attracted ample paparazzi.
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