A VERY STARRY NIGHT BECKHAM MAKES FIRST GALAXY START, HAS GOAL, ASSIST IN SUPERLIGA WIN GALAXY 2, D.C. UNITED 0.(Sports)

Byline: BILLY WITZ

Staff Writer

After a month of questions about his injured left ankle, about whether those who'd paid dearly to see him had been duped, and whether he'd make a difference to his team - let alone soccer in America - David Beckham did his best to dispel them the one way he knows how.

With one swift kick.

In his first extensive action since arriving from England more than a month ago, Beckham scored on one of his patented swerving free kicks, then sprang Landon Donovan for another goal as the Galaxy beat D.C. United 2-0 in a SuperLiga semifinal Wednesday night before 17,233 at Home Depot Center.

The victory sends the Galaxy - which has won as many games in this tournament (three) as it has during the Major League Soccer season - into the SuperLiga championship against Mexican League champion Pachuca on Aug. 29 at Home Depot Center. It will be a rematch of the tournament's opener, which the Galaxy won 2-1 on July 24.

In that game, Beckham watched from a suite. This time, he should be on the field.

It sure made a difference Wednesday.

After D.C. United's Devon McTavish was whistled for handling a ball about 10 yards outside his penalty area, the crowd rose as Beckham trotted up to the spot, placed the ball down and retreated to the left of it.

Through his previous two appearances, Beckham had taken several corner kicks and delivered a few dangerous balls from the flanks, but this was the first time he'd been set up in one of his trademark spots 7/8 straight out, about 27 yards from the net.

As Beckham ran up and struck the ball, D.C. United goalkeeper Troy Perkins - set up on the left side of the goal with his wall defending the right - took two hard steps to his left, then watched as the ball went the opposite direction, landing in the side netting.

As it did, Perkins stood with his hands on his hips.

Beckham, meanwhile, shouted as he ran toward the sideline, giving a fist pump before he was mobbed by his teammates.

Beckham, who said after his first practice with the team Tuesday that he expected to play a half, spent most of the past month on the sidelines with a badly sprained left ankle. He'd played only 16 minutes in an exhibition against Chelsea, and 21 minutes last week at D.C. United, both 1-0 losses.

He stayed until the 63rd minute, when he was replaced by Peter Vagenas to a loud ovation.

The Galaxy were short-handed, missing three starters who had accumulated two yellow cards in the tournament - forward Alan Gordan, midfielder Kelly Gray and defender Ante Jazic.

Whether it was the presence of Beckham, their first game in Los Angeles in more than two weeks or the tournament stakes, the Galaxy played its most cohesive game since the win over Pachuca.

Diminutive Mike Randolph, getting his second start at left back, was aggressive with his challenges and his pushes forward, and Donovan - several times dashing back to disrupt D.C. United attacks - was just as good defensively as he was offensively.

Donovan, who relinquished the captain's armband, made several dangerous runs through the defense and was the only Galaxy player - Beckham included - who seemed capable or inclined to take on a defender.

Donovan's work was rewarded in the 58th minute, when Beckham received the ball near midfield on a counterattack and sent a through ball that escaped Joshua Gros and reached Donovan, who gathered it and took two touches before sending it past Perkins, who had come out to challenge him.

Beckham set the tone with his aggressiveness. In the 13th minute of what had been a lazily paced game, Beckham took the ball away from D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff with a physical challenge, and five minutes later drew a yellow card with a reckless tackle of D.C. United captain Jaime Moreno. The tackle, late and from behind, might have drawn a red card - but not if referee Alex Prus ever intended to work another MLS game.

When D.C. United's Ben Olson repaid the favor a few minutes later with a sliding, albeit less reckless, tackle Beckham popped up with a smile on his face.

The reinvigorated Galaxy also got continued fine play from goalkeeper Joe Cannon, who has been easily its best and most consistent player the past month.

After Moreno nearly caught him off his line early on with a shot from just inside midfield - a retreating Cannon had to tip the ball over the ball - Cannon dove to knock a blast from Gros wide.

In the second half, Cannon stopped Luciano Emilio - who leads MLS with 13 goals - three times inside the penalty area, including a spectacular diving deflection of a shot that appeared headed for the far upper corner.

billy.witz@dailynews.com

(818) 713-3621

GALAXY

SATURDAY

Galaxy at New York, 4:30 p.m., Red Bull Park. TV: Fox Soccer Channel.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

The Galaxy's David Beckham, right, bends the ball as he scores on a free kick against D.C. United on Wednesday.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

A VERY STARRY NIGHT BECKHAM MAKES FIRST GALAXY START, HAS GOAL, ASSIST IN SUPERLIGA WIN GALAXY 2, D.C. UNITED 0.(Sports)

Byline: BILLY WITZ

Staff Writer

After a month of questions about his injured left ankle, about whether those who'd paid dearly to see him had been duped, and whether he'd make a difference to his team - let alone soccer in America - David Beckham did his best to dispel them the one way he knows how.

With one swift kick.

In his first extensive action since arriving from England more than a month ago, Beckham scored on one of his patented swerving free kicks, then sprang Landon Donovan for another goal as the Galaxy beat D.C. United 2-0 in a SuperLiga semifinal Wednesday night before 17,233 at Home Depot Center.

The victory sends the Galaxy - which has won as many games in this tournament (three) as it has during the Major League Soccer season - into the SuperLiga championship against Mexican League champion Pachuca on Aug. 29 at Home Depot Center. It will be a rematch of the tournament's opener, which the Galaxy won 2-1 on July 24.

In that game, Beckham watched from a suite. This time, he should be on the field.

It sure made a difference Wednesday.

After D.C. United's Devon McTavish was whistled for handling a ball about 10 yards outside his penalty area, the crowd rose as Beckham trotted up to the spot, placed the ball down and retreated to the left of it.

Through his previous two appearances, Beckham had taken several corner kicks and delivered a few dangerous balls from the flanks, but this was the first time he'd been set up in one of his trademark spots 7/8 straight out, about 27 yards from the net.

As Beckham ran up and struck the ball, D.C. United goalkeeper Troy Perkins - set up on the left side of the goal with his wall defending the right - took two hard steps to his left, then watched as the ball went the opposite direction, landing in the side netting.

As it did, Perkins stood with his hands on his hips.

Beckham, meanwhile, shouted as he ran toward the sideline, giving a fist pump before he was mobbed by his teammates.

Beckham, who said after his first practice with the team Tuesday that he expected to play a half, spent most of the past month on the sidelines with a badly sprained left ankle. He'd played only 16 minutes in an exhibition against Chelsea, and 21 minutes last week at D.C. United, both 1-0 losses.

He stayed until the 63rd minute, when he was replaced by Peter Vagenas to a loud ovation.

The Galaxy were short-handed, missing three starters who had accumulated two yellow cards in the tournament - forward Alan Gordan, midfielder Kelly Gray and defender Ante Jazic.

Whether it was the presence of Beckham, their first game in Los Angeles in more than two weeks or the tournament stakes, the Galaxy played its most cohesive game since the win over Pachuca.

Diminutive Mike Randolph, getting his second start at left back, was aggressive with his challenges and his pushes forward, and Donovan - several times dashing back to disrupt D.C. United attacks - was just as good defensively as he was offensively.

Donovan, who relinquished the captain's armband, made several dangerous runs through the defense and was the only Galaxy player - Beckham included - who seemed capable or inclined to take on a defender.

Donovan's work was rewarded in the 58th minute, when Beckham received the ball near midfield on a counterattack and sent a through ball that escaped Joshua Gros and reached Donovan, who gathered it and took two touches before sending it past Perkins, who had come out to challenge him.

Beckham set the tone with his aggressiveness. In the 13th minute of what had been a lazily paced game, Beckham took the ball away from D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff with a physical challenge, and five minutes later drew a yellow card with a reckless tackle of D.C. United captain Jaime Moreno. The tackle, late and from behind, might have drawn a red card - but not if referee Alex Prus ever intended to work another MLS game.

When D.C. United's Ben Olson repaid the favor a few minutes later with a sliding, albeit less reckless, tackle Beckham popped up with a smile on his face.

The reinvigorated Galaxy also got continued fine play from goalkeeper Joe Cannon, who has been easily its best and most consistent player the past month.

After Moreno nearly caught him off his line early on with a shot from just inside midfield - a retreating Cannon had to tip the ball over the ball - Cannon dove to knock a blast from Gros wide.

In the second half, Cannon stopped Luciano Emilio - who leads MLS with 13 goals - three times inside the penalty area, including a spectacular diving deflection of a shot that appeared headed for the far upper corner.

billy.witz@dailynews.com

(818) 713-3621

GALAXY

SATURDAY

Galaxy at New York, 4:30 p.m., Red Bull Park. TV: Fox Soccer Channel.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

The Galaxy's David Beckham, right, bends the ball as he scores on a free kick against D.C. United on Wednesday.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press