From Deseret News archives:
Real Salt Lake: Beckham puts on clinic for crowd
With Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy scheduled to make their only appearance in Utah to face Real Salt Lake, 25,500 fans turned out to watch perhaps the world's most popular player. With many in the crowd wearing the Galaxy's No. 23 jersey, his fans wanted to see him play the sport that has made him a cultural icon.
But that isn't anything new.
"I realized that it would almost always be that way when we were in Australia and 85,000 fans were turning out," Beckham said of playing in front of large crowds. "It it better that way. When there are fans out to see the game it gives the players a lift. No one wants to go out and play in a nearly empty or half empty stadium."
Besides thrilling his followers with merely his appearance, Beckham also turned in a masterful performance on the pitch. He scored both of the Galaxy's two goals in a 2-2 draw, and he did so in the fashion that made him famous.
The English national team member has been scoring brilliant goals off of his right foot for over a decade. So astounding have been the results from his boot that there was even a movie titled after his swerving services and shots. The soccer fans in attendance got a look first hand at why.
After Real took a two-goal lead in the opening 18 minutes, Beckham answered with the first of his two goals in the 36th minute. He collected a poorly played ball from the RSL defense about 26 yards from the net on the right side. With plenty of space, he fired a shot that tucked perfectly to the upper-left corner of the net.
"I'm better when I get a chance to control the ball than if I just try to hit it first time," said Beckham. "I got the ball and saw the chance. There was nothing really in the box, so I decided to have a go."
Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit, who knows a thing or two about quality scores, having played for the Netherlands national team in World Cups, said it was a world-class strike.
"That first goal was the best one," said Gullit. "He passed the ball right into the corner. It showed you the quality of a player like David."
Beckham's second strike came four minutes later on a free kick from 29 yards straight away. He bent like only he could over the wall and into the net.
"I'm like a little kid every time a free kick is given on the edge of the box. The excitement comes in to myself," said Beckham. "Most of the time I can score them, but recently I've had a couple that I hit the wall with. Tonight, I was happy with the free kick and also happy with the first goal. Like I said, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Tonight they did."
While Real coach Jason Kreis said that he was sure that his team, "disappointed that crowd," there were many that left the stadium with exactly what they wanted.
"Man, that was a good game," said RSL fan Dustin Morris. "If we had to blow a two-goal lead, we might as well have blown it like that."
E-mail: mblack@desnews.com
