Beckham Turns back Clock - MSL
Almost 12 years since he blasted himself into the spotlight of world football with a long-range goal against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, David Beckham showed that his long-range radar is still working this weekend with a goal from even further out for LA Galaxy against Kansas City Wizards. With opposition keeper Kevin Hartman having gone up for a corner and the goal gaping, it wasn't quite so impressive as his strike against the Dons, but Becks still had to hit the target from around 70 yards, and it has given him a real boost in a big week.
He's back in England now, in training for England's friendly against the USA at Wembley, a fixture that has plenty of significance for him, not least because he will be presented with a commemorative golden cap before the game by Sir Bobby Charlton to celebrate Goldenballs having won his 100th England cap against France earlier this year. Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan will be winning his own 100th cap for the USA, so they'll both have plenty to celebrate, whatever happens in the game.
Both of them got on the scoresheet against the Wizards at the weekend in a 3-1 win for the ever-improving Galaxy, with Donovan earning and converting a second half penalty to level the scores after the visitors had taken the lead in the first half. Edson Buddle made it 2-1 soon after, and Beckham took advantage of Hartman's late charge up field for a corner to seal the victory and get himself a standing ovation from the crowd at the Home Depot Center with his fourth goal of the season.
"If he had missed that, his reputation would have been done," Gullit joked afterwards, but he had not been so happy with the first half performance: "There was a lot of irritation on the field, especially for the start because you see things slipping out of your hands," said Gullit. "The first two minutes was ridiculous. We were giving the ball away. We looked nervous, and they were growing into the game."
Afterwards, Galaxy defender Chris Klein admitted: "I probably can't repeat what he said in the locker room, but you single some people out. We all looked around the locker room and looked at ourselves. We all played a much better second half individually." He also paid tribute to Beckham's goal: "He does it 10, 15 times a day in training anyway, so no one's really surprised, but it was still a brilliant goal. I asked him if he realized that the goal was unattended, and he said he did, he just needed to take an extra touch to prepare the shot."
LA Galaxy's reward for that improved performance and another good result is that they are now top of the Western Conference and have made a much better start to the 2008 season than they did a year ago, when the upheaval of Beckham's impending arrival overwhelmed them. Their next game is tonight in the US Open Cup against Colorado Rapids, but they will of course be without their two star players.
US coach Bob Bradley has paid tribute to the two stars ahead of their battle: "David Beckham can still play a great ball," Bradley said. "He can deliver short passes and long passes and obviously free-kicks so he is still a very dangerous guy. Landon is a smart player, one of our most important. Because he plays in Major League Soccer people don't see him that often so this is a good opportunity for him to show them what he can do."
Still waiting to show people what he can do though is David Bentley, and his England chances have been hit again by the return of Beckham to the scene, though he made a joke of it yesterday: "I think I may have scored from 70 yards when I was about 11," he said. "No, I haven't seen his one, but I've been winding up David all morning. Open goal, wasn't it? I have a good relationship with him. I try to learn from him, watch the way he goes about his business because he is a team-mate in my position. To take over from someone like that I have to work hard. Nobody's going to give the place to me."
