Before a sellout crowd at Pizza Hut Park, David Beckham made his first appearance in Frisco as FC Dallas took on an MLS opponent for the first time this preseason, playing to a scoreless draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
When the Galaxy came to Pizza Hut Park last July for a Superliga game, Beckham was out with a sprained ankle. While the goals didn't come as they did on that occasion (a 6-5 Galaxy win), Beckham still didn't disappoint. Every time he stepped up to take either a free kick or a corner for the visitors, he was greeted with rousing applause and a seemingly endless barrage of flashbulbs.
A corner by Beckham in the 19th minute from the left flag almost led to something substantial for the Galaxy. His kick found L.A. midfielder Alvaro Pires inside the FCD box but his header was wide right.
But in the 34th minute, Beckham again nearly made some magic happen. He took a free kick about 30 yards from the Hoops goal and his high, floating ball found Landon Donovan, who was streaking toward the far post.
As Donovan was about to go over the end line, he alertly headed the ball back toward the front of the net, where Abel Xavier was waiting. But Xavier's header went high as it was tipped over the crossbar by FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala, resulting in another corner. The Galaxy was unable to do anything off that corner, which was also taken by Beckham.
For the home side, FCD forward Kenny Cooper proved to be especially active in the first 45 minutes with three shots. His shot in the fifth minute went high and an attempted bicycle kick by the Dallas native went wide left.
However, the best chance for Cooper and for his team for that matter, to find the back of the net in the first half came in the 31st minute. Left wingback David Wagenfuhr dashed up the right flank and sent a great ball toward a sliding Cooper but his effort went high.
With this their next to last preseason match, FCD head coach Steve Morrow rolled out a 3-5-2 formation with three prominent absences. Midfielder Juan Toja, a 2007 MLS All-Star who has been bothered by a knee injury, was unavailable. He suffered a left knee contusion early in the preseason and that ailment continues to linger.
Also absent for the home side was defender Duilio Davino, who had an MRI Friday night which turned up a bruise on a bone in his left knee.
FCD was also without Arturo Alvarez to start the game. The Houston native was suffering from a cold and a tight hamstring on Friday, which kept him from training. He began the evening on the bench but entered the match in the 73rd minute for Pablo Ricchetti.
At the break, L.A. held the edge in shots by a 7-5 margin. Neither team made any changes to begin the second half.
In the 52nd minute, a Beckham free kick was saved by Sala, who captured the ball out of the air to prevent any damage. But the Galaxy's first promising opportunity of the second half might have come in the 60th minute. Donovan found Alan Gordon inside the FCD box. But the L.A. forward took too much time and ended up missing the ball to end the threat.
Beckham was active again in the 65th when he sent a long-range cross in from about 25 yards out. Sala made a play on the ball but the rebound fell to Josh Tudela who was about 16 yards from goal but his shot was right at Sala and he made another stop.
FCD's next chance came in the 67th. Wagenfuhr took a corner from the right flag and found center back Aaron Pitchkolan near the far post. Pitchkolan, who was near the endline, headed the ball toward the far post where Marcelo Saragosa was waiting but the ball went off his knee and wide left.
Alvarez made good things happen almost from the moment he hit the field for the Hoops. In the 73rd minute, great vision by Bobby Rhine to see that Alvarez had some room on the right flank nearly resulted in a goal. Rhine did a quick volley to Alvarez who missed the L.A. goal literally by mere inches, went wide left.
Then, five minutes later, Alvarez made a great run up the left side of the pitch and sent a nice long cross to the far post where Ricardinho was waiting but the young Brazilian was unable to convert.
But neither side was done yet. In the 82nd minute, Donovan delivered yet another pinpoint cross, this time connecting with Bryan Jordan, whose header was saved by Sala. The ball then fell to Gordon who saw his shot deflected by FCD defender Drew Moor. A few seconds later, Gordon was taken down in the box by Sala but the play was whistled dead after the L.A. striker was deemed to be offside.
Donovan nearly stole a late goal in the 85th on a breakaway. Storming up the left flank, the L.A. midfielder saw Sala coming off his line and attempted to lob one over the 'keeper's head. But Sala had other ideas and completely stretched out, getting a hand on Donovan's shot for his final save of the match.
FCD concluded their preseason next Saturday when they play host to South American partner Clube Atletico Paranaense at 7:30 p.m. CT at Pizza Hut Park.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
