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Beckham, Galaxy arrive to take on Rapids
This is the fifth, and likely final, season of David Beckham with the LA Galaxy, and as the MLS leaders arrive in Colorado to take on the Rapids, this Saturday night may be the final chance for the midfielder to flash his famous right-footed free kicks at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
If he produces something positive for the Galaxy in the thin air at Commerce City, it will be a sea change for the superstar who has been either absent or a nonentity in Colorado since joining the league in 2007.
Sure, there was the fun of rumored sightings of Beckham and his family back in August 2007, but he only played six MLS games that season and was nowhere near the pitch when Colorado won at home 3-0.
In 2008, it was even worse for the Galaxy. Beckham was part of a side that went down 4-0 in the season opener at DSG Park. During the season when Beckham appeared in 25 games, the most so far in his MLS stint, he spent 90 minutes on the field and his only entry on the scoring sheet was the one foul he committed.
In 2009, Beckham was on one of his Serie A dalliances with AC Milan when the Rapids and LA tied 1-1 at Dick’s. In 2010, he was out injured (see: Dalliance, Serie A, above) when the Rapids went down 1-0 at home.
So, for what is likely to be only his second and last appearance as a player, Beckham in Colorado has drawn fans to the seats (18,086 in ’07, 18,713 in ’08) but shown little on the pitch. While his 14 games this season indicate he is giving his all for LA — one goal, six assists and six yellow cards — the midfielder the Rapids most fear — Landon Donovan — will be off on his duties with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Rapids Woes: I wasn’t kidding about Donovan. He had the assist on the goal that beat Colorado at home in 2010. He scored the goal in the 2009 tie. And that makes him the most effective attacker for the Galaxy at DSG in the past five seasons.
Otherwise, Los Angeles has suffered in Colorado. The Galaxy suffered shutout losses in six consecutive games between 2005 and the tie in 2009.
Returning Home: Defender Todd Dunivant, 30, returns to his homeland for the match. The LA Galaxy leftback is a native of Wheat Ridge.
Last One Out: This game marks the final game of the 10-match suspension of Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan. Mullan was suspended for a reckless tackle that broke the leg of Seattle’s Steve Zakuani.
Return Imminent: Omar Cummings may finally see the field after suffering an ankle injury against Houston on May 4. Cummings has been training with the team and is listed as probable.
Seeing Yellow: Accumulation of yellow cards means that Conor Casey, Drew Moor, Pablo Mastroeni and Tyrone Marshall are two cards away from having to sit a game.
Jeff Larentowicz races upfield with the ball as LA's Chris Birchall gives chase during the 2010 meeting between the Galaxy and the Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com.)
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