It came down to the kids.
Several hundred people jammed Gotham Hall to honor someone -- Pele -- who helped build soccer in this country and someone else -- Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo owner Philip Anschutz -- who has helped maintain it during some of the league's lean years and help grow it.
They did it for the children of Harlem, more specifically, the children of Harlem Youth Soccer at a special $1,250-a-seat fundraising charity event in midtown Manhattan. The club hopes to raise $300,000 from the dinner and money to build a $1 million field.
"It's a very worthy cause," said Chicago Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez, the MLS 2007 humanitarian of the year. "F.C. Harlem has been benefited from a cause. It's a special night to get everybody together, to get everybody excited about an upcoming season that I think will be a remarkable one in Major League Soccer. Just looking around this place just reminds me as an MLS original how far we've come."
Los Angeles Galaxy captain and midfielder David Beckham said he became energized about Harlem's potential when he was the centerpiece of a clinic for Harlem players a day before his team took on the New York Red Bulls last August.
"To have the children down there and to see their smiles, that's why we have an event like this," he said.
"For me to spend the afternoon I did in Harlem, it was one of the most amazing experiences I've had."
Not surprisingly, the star attractions were Beckham and Pele.
After accepting his lifetime award from Streets to Fields, Pele spoke about his days with the Cosmos, from 1975-1977.
He remembered he was told: "You have to make soccer in the United States the best in the world."
He remembered his first game as a Cosmos -- against the Dallas Tornado at the infamous Downing Stadium when the North American Soccer League team literally became the first team to go green. Prior to the match Pele looked at the field and told the powers that be: "Half the field was grass, half was dirt. The game was going to be shown (on TV) throughout the world."
Pele was told: "Don't worry. We're going to paint the field."
Pele ended his acceptance speech with a familiar line that he used at the end of his speech at his farewell game in 1977.
"Love! Love! Love!" he said.
Beckham, who has been through and seen a lot in his 32 years, had an if-they-could-see-me-now moment before he presented "the biggest and best player in the world" the lifetime achievement award.
"To be presenting this ... award, I'm sure if my parents could see me now, they would be very proud," he told the audience.
Afterwards, Beckham spoke to the media.
England coach Fabio Capello is set to name his team for the March 26 international friendly against France. There has been speculation that Beckham will be named to the team. Beckham, who is stuck on 99 international appearances, is dying to crack the century mark.
Asked if he had any notice of good news from across the Atlantic, Beckham replied, "I've worked hard this preseason. I've worked hard with the team, with the Galaxy to get myself fit. That's all I can do personally. We'll have to wait and see."
For Beckham, the offseason was a short one. He couldn't wait to start playing again, even after such a tumultuous one as 2007.
"When you go through certain injuries that keep you out for a while, you feel as if you need to get away from the game for a while," he said. "But literally after a week I wanted to get back into it. So it was nice to spend time with the family and the kids and to have a vacation. But you know, I was ready to start working straight away and get myself fit and make sure I was ready for the start of this season.
"Hopefully this season is a lot different than last season. Even though we had a good run of games -- the last seven or eight games of the season -- we still had a disappointing season. That's got to be changed because we're a team that people that people look up to and we're a team that many players want to play for. We've got to perform and if we don't perform no one gets noticed."
One MLS leader, New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft, presented Anschutz with the leadership award. Kraft remembered how his team battled his rival's club in four MLS Cups.
When the Galaxy defeated the Revolution in 2002 and then in 2005 for the league championship, Kraft said he was happy for Anschutz.
When the Dynamo survived New England in 2006, Kraft said, "I wish I could say I was happy for Phil."
And before the Dynamo again dashed the Revolution's hopes last November, Kraft said he had a chat with Anschutz.
"You now, Phil, sometimes its good to do what's good for the league and let another team win," Kraft said. "He smiled at me and then went out to win 2-1."
Unfortunately, the star-studded gala was missing a few other bright lights, for various reasons.
The dinner's co-chairs, former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, were unable to attend. So was the recipient of the community service award, New York's new governor, David A. Patterson, who was thrust into office in the wake of the Eliot Spitzer scandal.
"It's critical for the kids of the inner city to really reach out," Bush said in a taped message. "It will change lives."
"Harlem is a wonderful diverse community," Clinton said in a taped message as well. Clinton has offices in Harlem.
Clinton said that participating in sports would help children "reach the ultimate goal -- to become leaders off the field."
Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He can be reached at SoccerWriter516@aol.com. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
