East Rutherford, N.J. – David Beckham made his first Major League Soccer start, Giants Stadium filled back up for soccer and the Galaxy and Red Bulls filled the net at a near-record pace.
Bringing back memories of the days Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia brought excitement to soccer in the United States more than 25 years ago, Beckham drew 66,237 and helped set up three goals as Los Angeles lost a wild one, 5-4 to New York on Saturday night.
Giants Stadium is nearly empty for most Red Bulls games – the team’s average of 11,573 for its first 10 home matches was next to last in the league. The crowd that came out to see Beckham was the largest in franchise history and the largest there for a U.S. league game since the Cosmos drew 70,312 against Fort Lauderdale on June 22, 1980.
“It makes you feel great. It makes you feel honored,” Beckham said. “And hopefully, it continues, because this is what this league needs, this is what this sport needs in America.”
Beckham played his first full game since joining the Galaxy last month and did it on artificial turf, no less. An injured left ankle had caused the 32-year-old midfielder to miss five games and come in as a late sub in two others. He made his first start Wednesday, playing 63 minutes in a SuperLiga match.
He limped at the end and his ankle was swollen, but he hopes to make his 97th appearance for England in an exhibition against Germany at Wembley on Wednesday night, then play eight time zones away Thursday night in MLS’s version of a soccer “derby” – Los Angeles vs. Chivas USA in Carson, Calif.
“My ankle took quite a bit of pounding, of course. It’s a surface that I’m obviously not used to playing on,” he said.
It was the 10th time in MLS history teams combined for nine or more goals and just two shy of the record set when Los Angeles beat Columbus 7-4 on May 6, 1998.
“It was very different,” Beckham said. “I haven’t been involved in a game like that since I was 9 or 10 years old, where there were so many goals.”
UNITED 2, CREW 0 at Columbus, Ohio: Luciano Emilio scored his MLS-leading 14th goal as United remained tied with New York for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus (6-7-8) is fighting to qualify for the MLS playoffs following an early-season slump.
Both goals came in the second half of a tightly contested match played in front of a crowd of 21,639.
Fred’s third goal of the season came right after United sent a shot off the goal post that Columbus couldn’t clear in the 52nd minute.
CHIVAS USA 2, TORONTO FC 0 at Toronto: Maykel Galindo and Sacha Kljestan scored to help Chivas USA extend Toronto FC’s winless streak to seven games.
Toronto (5-11-5) hasn’t scored a goal in 552 minutes. The team didn’t get its first shot on goal until the 37th minute.
Chivas USA captain Jesse Marsch hit Galindo with a 40-yard pass, and the striker raced toward the goal before scoring his team-leading eighth goal.
FIRE 2, REAL SALT LAKE 0 at Salt Lake City: Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored his first league goal in the 43rd minute and Matt Pickens made four saves to earn his third straight shutout, and seventh of the season.
