Los Angeles (AP) — David Beckham received a cool reception from
disgruntled Galaxy fans in his return to Los Angeles as his Major
League Soccer club played to a 2-2 draw with his recent Italian club AC
Milan.
The English star, who missed the first half of the MLS
season while on loan to AC Milan, was booed during introductions and
again on his first several touches of the ball.
Leaving the pitch
at halftime he approached a section of stands where anti-Beckham
banners were displayed and appeared to shout something.
A fan jumped down and was restrained by security personnel and escorted off the pitch.
"One
of the guys was saying things that wasn't very nice. It was stepping
over the line," Beckham said. "I said, 'You need to calm down and come
shake my hand,' and he jumped over."
But Beckham insisted the fan reaction didn't bother him.
"It doesn't affect me," he said. "You can't be liked by everyone."
AC
Milan manager Leonardo indicated he thought the fans were unfair, and
if some Galaxy supporters don't want Beckham, he said he'd be glad to
have him back at AC Milan.
"Sometimes the supporters don't understand the situation," Leonardo said.
"We
would be happy if he came back because he did really well. He's
incredible," he added. "The precision he has is something very, very
special. He never missed the ball.
"He controlled the ball. The way the Galaxy plays is very, very important. They see that every ball begins with him."
Indeed amid the jeers, Beckham played a role in both Galaxy goals.
After
Thiago Silva gave Milan a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, the Galaxy
equalized in the 30th through Alan Gordon, set up by Landon Donovan
after a cross from Beckham.
Milan went ahead again in the 61st, when Filippo Inzaghi timed a run perfectly into the area to score.
The Galaxy responded again, earning a corner kick in the 65th minute.
Beckham,
who stayed in the match amid a string of Galaxy halftime substitutions,
walked deliberately over to take the corner kick, near the fan section
that had given him the most grief.
His sent a precise kick into
the area and Bryan Jordan headed it in to knot the score at 2-2, after
which Beckham turned and faced his critics.
Beckham left the game in the 75th minute, waving to a group of supportive fans en route to the bench.
"The cheers in the end drowned out the boos, which was nice," Beckham said.
After
spending an impressive second half of last season with AC Milan,
Beckham returned to the Galaxy in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the New
York Red Bulls, his first match since the end of the Serie A campaign.
Not
only was Beckham's delayed return to the MLS seen by many as a slap in
the face to US football, but a squabble with Galaxy teammate Landon
Donovan further sullied his return.
Donovan sparked the dispute
with disparaging remarks published in a new book "The Beckham
Experiment." But he was full of praise for Beckham on Sunday.
"He
was integral in both goals," Donovan said. "There's not another player
on a team in this league that can make those plays. It was an exciting
game."
The friendly against AC Milan was Beckham's first match in
Los Angeles since his return, and coincided with a swirl of speculation
on his future plans in England.
According to the Mail on Sunday,
Chelsea and Tottenham are ready to bring the 34-year-old former England
captain home, although Beckham said in midweek he was eyeing an
eventual return to Italy. That would apparently suit Leonardo.
"If
it's possible, I think it could be a very good thing for us," Leonardo
said of the chance that Beckham could land back at AC Milan. "He knows
everyone. Everyone loves him in our club."