As he himself has admitted, David Beckham doesn't usually conjure up thoughts of the all-time great playmakers in the world game. But in Los Angeles, Beckham will be stepping into the center of the Galaxy midfield to direct both the offensive traffic and the team's fortunes the rest of the season.
Known for his ability to send inch -perfect crosses into the penalty area, Beckham made his name playing on the right wing for both England and Manchester United. Beckham however is quick to remind people that he played mostly in the middle in his first season with Real Madrid.
Los Angeles got their first taste of what Beckham can do in the center of the park and fans, players and coaches alike have to be excited by what they saw. Beckham was clearly the best player on the field Wednesday night against D.C. United. It was his influence on every facet of the game, not just his brilliant free kick goal, which led his side to a 2-0 win in the SuperLiga semifinals.
"I think just having him in the team now people can ask him questions and solve some problems on the field. He knows the game inside out," said Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop. "He's sorting things out for us, especially in the middle of the field."
Beckham's soccer IQ came to the forefront in Wednesday's game. The little things are oftentimes subtle enough not to be noticed, but have a tremendous impact on the way a team plays.
"You can tell right away that he's a really quick thinker with the ball. When the ball arrives to him he knows what he's going to do with it. He doesn't lose the ball very often," said Yallop. "He has a good football brain and a great range of passing. That's the thing that we feel is really going to help us."
It's not just his passing ability either. Beckham didn't hesitate to track back and defend against United, and has long been hailed for his work ethic in games. It was a hard tackle from behind on United's Jaime Moreno on Wednesday that not only earned Beckham a yellow card, but also jumpstarted a Galaxy side that had been outplayed up until that point.
It's that kind of tenacity that had Landon Donovan and the rest of the Galaxy excited for the rest of the season, and has them believing they can turn things around in time to make a playoff push.
"He likes to compete and he likes to win," said Donovan. "If that's him at who knows what percent of his full self, I can't wait until he's full fit and his ankle his fully healthy."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
