European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 stars and stripes Mideast edition july 2007 like it or Beckham Worth the trouble by Nancy Armour the associated press its Safe to say no no matter How has Ever gotten a Welcome quite like David hundreds of fans at the and thousands More at the stadium decked out in his bran new of his every smile and wave Dur ing his introduction carried live across the a blizzard of con not just one mayor on but Beckham is Worth every bit of this Ever since he announced in january he was leaving Europe to come to the los Angeles the talk about soccer most famous face and foot tended to fall into one of two categories Hes going to be the Savior of major league or hell make a big splash just As Pele did 30 years but it wont mat Ter because americans dont care about neither is the ant soccer curmudgeons Are Loath to admit but the commentary worlds favorite game has established a solid foothold Here and its Only going to get go to any Park or schoolyard on the and somebody play ing to ratings for last Summers world cup were up even with the team going Home Early and Abc and esp think enough of the game to televise All 31 matches of the 2008 european will adding Beckham to this mix elevate soccer to nil status and its ridiculous to expect that of but with his Good eve changing spice girl wife and offs who double As Hollywood a Becks will make sure fans and fringe alike he gives mls the kind of pop culture cred it was years from getting on its More he and the other big name players who joined mls this season will lift the level of play across the that helps narrow the pc Dallas salvages tie on late goals from Toja the associated press Washington Juan Toja scored twice to help pc Dallas overcome a three goal Sec on half deficit and Salvage a 33 tie against United on Satur Day Dallas 963 had not allowed a goal in its last three matches but overcame a Sloppy defensive Start to improve to 412 in its last seven after falling behind 30 Early in the second car los Ruiz scored in the 51st and Toja followed with goals in the 71st and 81st min Carlos got us and we knew the momentum was going and we could keep it Toja Luciano Emilio scored twice for who squandered a Chance to move into a tie with new England for first place in the Eastern we took our foot off the Gas United coach Tom Soehn United 753 received major contributions from three players who returned to the team follow ing stints with their respective National teams in the copa America tournament in bolivian Jamie Moreno had two assists before leaving in the 54th minute with a right Ham string americans Ben Olsen and Bobby Boswell also had revolution red bulls 0 at East Andy Dor Man scored in the 38th Matt Reis made five saves and new England extended its unbeaten Streak against new York to six who scored last week in a 14 scored his seventh mls Roundup goal by beating red bulls goal keeper Jon Conway with a shot from just inside the penalty Steve Ralston passed to Chalrie Joseph from and Joseph quickly got the Ball to the revolution Are 501 in their last six games against the red new Yorks last Victory Over new England was in sep tember wizards real Salt Lake 0 at Kansas Eddie Johnson returned from International tournaments and scored in his third straight mls game and Kansas City moved into second place in the Eastern his goal in the 19th minute provided the wizards with their first Victory since he was last in the lineup seven games Johnson scored Bac Toback three goal hat tricks in his last two games with the wizards 754 before joining the National team for the Gold cup and copa America chivas Usa Crew 1 at car Columbus Crew mid fielder Eddie Gaven scored an own goal in the 69th minute to lift chivas Francisco Mendoza of chivas knocked a Ball in off of Gaven from 22 Yards in the 69th minute As chivas tightened its grip on third place in the Western Confer chivas improved to 753 and is now seven Points ahead of fourth place fell to 557 and lost for the first time in seven Ante Razov scored his fifth goal of the season in the 20th Nick David Beckham has started a wave of publicity in los still considerable Gap with eur ropes top leagues and makes for stronger american which eventually Means better re sults at the world which eventually generates More inter est in the its a work in Progress to be this makeover of the United states into a full fledged soccer that was Clear with the Tacky displays at fridays news conference and that not a reference to posh and her the Galaxy trotted out mayor Antonio who is currently starring in the cites mls scoreboard Eastern conference new England Kansas City United new York Columbus Toronto pc Chicago w l t is of a 7 3 5 26 26 17 7 5 4 25 27 22 7 5 3 24 26 21 7 6 3 24 25 21 5 5 7 22 21 23 5 7 3 18 18 24 4 8 4 16 13 26 Western conference Houston pc Dallas cd chivas Usa Colorado los Angeles real Salt Lai w l t pts of a 10 5 2 32 25 10 9 6 3 30 24 24 7 5 3 24 20 16 4 8 5 17 14 22 3 5 4 13 17 18 be 1 8 6 9 12 24 note three Points for one Point for thursdays game Houston Chicago 0 saturdays games pc Dallas United tie new England new York 0 Kansas City real Salt Lake 0 cd chivas Usa Columbus 1 sundays game Toronto pc at Houston july 19 mls Al stars celtic pc at Commerce july 22 Houston at new England United at new York Toronto pc at Columbus Colorado at Kansas City saturday pc Dallas United 3 pc Dallas 0 33 2 13 first Emilio 9 free 8th Fred 2 Boswel 45second Emilio 10 pc Ruiz 3 pc Toja 5 pc dal Toja 5 8lst goalie Sec Sala revolution red bulls 0 new England York new York 0 first new Dorman 7 38th second 1 01 0 to goalies new Reis new wizards real Salt Lake 0 real Salt Lake 0 00 Kansas City 1 first Kansas Johnson 19th second half real Salt Rimando Kansas cd chivas Usa Crew 1 Miglioranzi 2 Barros schotto i of 1 12 divas Razov 5 Galin Lumb second cd chivas most popular soap opera after splitting with his wife and announcing his affair with a to he not Surpris Galaxy pm Alexi Lalas  pass on the Opportunity to shill team but that is Why Beckham is his arrival is a shortcut on the Road to i think soccer in America has a lot of just maybe some thing is missing to take it to another he said after his introduction and in hoping in going to be part of the naysayers love to Point to saying even he  con Vert americans when he played for the new York Cosmos in the Heady Days of the North Ameri can soccer but that not a fair compari americans were about As into soccer As they were Cricket when the Nail began in there were some semipro leagues and a few diehard but there was no no real history of the the United states haunt been to the world cup since and an american had As Good a Chance of playing on the Moon As he did in any of Europe top Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Ruyff May have excited but there was nothing to grab onto beyond Pele sort of started on Page soccer historian Colin Jose and now were at Page mls is Only in its 12th but it has already had an where the Best players once Hung up their boots in High school or they can now make a Liv ing playing maybe not the million Beckham is getting but enough to keep them players Are no longer novelties in with three Brian Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey at Fulham alone in the English Premier and while the americans didst exactly do them selves proud at last Summers world there not International lightweights soccer time in America is Beckham arrival brings it that much Nancy Armour is a National sports columnist for the associated write to her at  goalies own goal Hesmer cd chivas 14 Beckham enthusiasm for game still Burns Bright from Back Page although not Quick Over Short he has the stamina to run up and Down the Field for the full 90 minutes without showing signs of that Means Hes Al ways available to receive a pass and make them in or get into a position to try a Long Range despite his Showbiz lifestyle off the he always gives 100 per cent to his team when Hes on it and says he has maintained his enthusiasm for the game through a pro career which now stands at 16 in but i feel As fit As i did when i was 22 and Imas eager As i was when i was Beckham said after being introduced As a Galaxy player in not Here to wind Down my Ive won everything there is to win in i won the Span ish league title and i played for my country for 11 years six of them As theres no doubt that Beck hams ability will make him the biggest name in major league but american soccer fans will quickly learn that Beckham is far from the Complete even though he plays on the right Side of Beckham is not the sort of player who runs at defenders and dribbles past he Doest have the Speed or dribbling ability to do he scored 62 goals in 265 appearances for Manchester United most of them Long Range free kicks and penalties but manager Alex Ferguson was frustrated that Beckham rarely got into positions inside the area where he could up but i feel As fit As i did when i was 22 and Imas eager As i was when i was David Beckham los Angeles Galaxy Beckham also has a he has been sent off twice As an England famously at the 1998 world cup in France when he petulantly kicked out at Argentina Diego Simeone while lying on the England went on to play More than 70 minutes with Only 10 men on the los ing on throughout the Domestic season that Beckham was jeered by rival fans wherever he whenever Beckham is fouled and he feels he has a tendency to sent off four times in four years As a real Madrid he often let his temper take Over and would charge after the opponent who fouled him and wind up in trouble with the tackling is not one of his Strong even though Beck Ham will often track Back to sup port his he often mis times his tackles to give away free kicks and often pick up a Yel Low Beckham first game for the Galaxy will be in a Friendly against English club Chelsea on july while fans will be waiting for the first bending free they  expect too Many dribbles or and maybe they should Brace themselves for the Odd red