David Beckham made his Major League Soccer debut, making Quavas Kirk the footnote of MLS lore in the 72nd minute. Yet despite Beckham's appearance, the Los Angeles Galaxy were no match for D.C. United, mounting very little attack in a 1-0 loss before an expectant sell-out crowd Thursday night at RFK Stadium.
Luciano Emilio scored the game's lone goal from a long-range effort in the 27th minute. It was his 13th goal on the season, tops in Major League Soccer.
Beckham, stationed primarily in the center of the field after he came on, had very little impact. His entrance was perhaps a surprise, as rain poured down at RFK Stadium for much of the second half and the Galaxy played the final 23 minutes of the match shorthanded after Kyle Martino was ejected for a lunging tackle on United midfielder Fred.
The England international did, however, get to display one of his trademark free kicks from the left sideline in the 85th minute, finding Carlos Pavon whose header went harmlessly wide. Overall, he made two challenges on the ball, sent one other cross from the flank and made two passes, one of which sent Landon Donovan in behind the United defense to the edge of the area where he was clipped by goalkeeper Troy Perkins and went down, although nothing was called by referee Jair Marrufo.
Pavon, another second-half substitute, did have the Galaxy's best opportunity a few minutes earlier, but his powerful header sailed just wide past a beaten Perkins.
Donovan was tied up all night by a pressuring United defense that refused to give the only attacking threat any space. He, along with wide midfielders Kirk and Martino, pushed higher into the attack as the game progressed with marginal success.
There only other legitimate opportunity for LA came in the 57th minute when Donovan seemed to be taken down from behind by the right arm of Devon McTavish in the penalty area but Marrufo didn't listen to penalty claims on that either.
The Galaxy rarely tested Perkins while goalkeeper Joe Cannon singlehandedly kept the Galaxy in the match, making one stellar save after another throughout the night.
Not to outshine Beckham's first appearance, Cannon brilliantly denied United's Jaime Moreno when alone from 16 yards in front of the net in the 80th minute with a diving reflex save, that would have given the Bolivian his 109th career goal, breaking the MLS record he holds jointly with Jason Kreis.
Moreno nearly put one away earlier but his right-footed shot from the top of the penalty area skidded just wide of a diving Cannon. Emilio continued the onslaught in the 64th minute, collecting a short ball from Moreno at the top of the box, but his shot bent just wide of the right post.
Cannon was busy early and often as the Galaxy absorbed United's pressure from the opening whistle. Galaxy defender Chris Klein ran over Cannon after being bumped into him by United's Guy-Roland Kpene as both were chasing a looping ball from Fred into the penalty area. Klein moved to right back for Troy Roberts, who was out with an ankle injury, as Kirk came into the lineup.
In the fourth minute, Ben Olsen collected a bouncing ball on the right side of the penalty area but his right-footed half volley sailed well over the top. The Galaxy withstood another United attack four minutes later, as Cannon lunged to poke the ball away from a charging Josh Gros after a nice ball through from Olsen.
United played without attacking midfielder Christian Gomez, still nursing a quadriceps injury suffered in training before United's match with New England last Sunday. He was replaced by Fred, who sparked United early with several crafty balls aimed at Emilio.
The Galaxy's first legitimate foray at goal came in the 18th minute after Donovan's corner kick was cleared away. Martino, who was Galaxy coach Frank Yallop's other change in the lineup, coming in for Peter Vagenas, sent in a cross from the left flank was snatched out of the air by Perkins. Then two minutes later, Donovan snaked through the United defense from the right flank but his low shot could not get through the traffic in front of Perkins.
The game's only goal came in the 27th minute as Emilio's drive got through Cannon despite him getting both hands on it. Marc Burch rolled a nifty ball through to Emilio cutting from the left flank and United's top sniper blasted a right-footed shot from outside the area through the hands of a fully extended Cannon into the upper right corner of the net.
United continued to pressure heavily late into the half. Kpene's right-footed shot with Abel Xavier drapped all over him just outside the six-yard box went wide of the far post. A minute later, Fred walked down the left touchline but his low cross was smartly knocked away by a lunging Cannon for a corner.
Before the kick could be taken however, a subtle roar from the sellout crowd took over the stadium as Beckham did some light running just to the left of the Galaxy bench.
Xavier's frustration poured out when his two-footed tackle from behind crumbled Kpene to the turf inside the center circle, earning him a yellow card.
After that, United nearly doubled their lead just before the break when Burch skipped past Xavier - who held up on the tackle after receiving the caution. Burch looped the ball over the LA defender to himself and lashed a left-footed blast from close range to the left of the goal, but it whistled into the outside netting.
Chris Snear is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
