“I’m coming there not to be a superstar. I’m coming there to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things. With me, it’s about football. I’m coming there to make a difference. I’m coming there to play football.”
“I’m not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be difficult to achieve. Baseball, basketball, American football, they’ve been around. But I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I could make a difference.” -David Beckham on LA Galaxy move (2007)
David Beckham’s LA Galaxy career began on the July 11, 2007, when his contract took effect. He was then unveiled as a Galaxy player on July 13 at the Home Depot Center to much fanfare and world media interest in front of more than 5,000 gathered fans and some 700 accredited media members. Beckham chose to wear the number 23 shirt, and it was revealed that Galaxy shirt sales had already reached a record figure of over 250,000 prior to its formal introduction. On July 21, despite still nursing an ankle injury, he picked up from Real Madrid and made his LA Galaxy debut, coming on for Alan Gordon in the 78th minute of a 0-1 friendly loss to Chelsea as part of the World Series of Soccer.
Two weeks after making his debut against Chelsea, he made his official league debut as a substitute on 9th August away at DC United in front of a sell-out crowd of 46,686, which is nearly three times the average attendance at DC United’s RFK Stadium. He came on as a substitute in the 71th minute, replacing Quavas Kirk. It was a game in which LA Galaxy were to lose 1-0.
Beckham showed his natural talent at MLS. He was providing his top quality crosses and free kicks to help provide goals for his teammates. On May 15, 2012, Beckham scored his first goal of the season for Galaxy from a 30-yard free-kick in a 4-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City. Also on July 9 of that year, he scored directly from a corner in a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire, repeating a feat he also achieved whilst on loan at Preston North End.
Having completed his fifth season on a high, and managing the 2nd most assists in the league that season, he joined an elite group of winning players to win three league titles in three different countries. This happened when LA Galaxy won their 3rd MLS Cup, beating Houston Dynamo 1-0 thanks to a goal from captain Landon Donovan. The season after, he announced he would be leaving LA Galaxy, and then signed for Paris Saint-Germain in January 2013 after yet another MLS Cup triumph.
Written by OneFutbol