It is little surprise then, that not only is he finally
succeeding in winning over even the more sceptical supporters of
the Los Angeles Galaxy, but that he also now stands on the brink of
another milestone.
Having clinched the Western Conference of Major League Soccer
with a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes, the Galaxy are in the
play-offs and potentially now only four games away from winning the
overall MLS title.
Following his past successes with Manchester United and Real
Madrid, Beckham could become the first English footballer to win
titles in three different countries.
He will also have another crack at being part of a Serie
A-winning team next year after it was confirmed that he will return
to AC Milan in January on loan for the second half of the Italian
league season.
“It’s 100 per cent certain — the only thing that is missing is
the signatures but the agreement is complete,” said Milan
vice-president Adriano Galliani.
Milan are already seven points adrift of Jose Mourinho’s Inter
in Serie A, although they should be involved in the knockout phase
of the Champions League following their surprise 3-2 win over Real
Madrid last Wednesday.
Beckham’s planned move back to Milan follows England manager
Fabio Capello’s insistence that his players must be performing at
the highest level to be considered for his squad next summer.
Although he faces considerable competition on the right of
midfield from Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips,
Beckham’s passing ability and experience means that he still offers
a unique option that could be equally useful both in chasing
matches and consolidating a lead.
His recent form has also been encouraging, particularly after
his return to the Galaxy was met with considerable hostility from
sections of the crowd and one particularly ugly exchange with
fans.
However, as was the case after the 1998 World Cup, as well as
when he was dropped by Capello at Madrid and by Steve McClaren for
England, Beckham appears to be turning opinion by performing with
quiet efficiency on the pitch.
On Saturday, he received a standing ovation when he was
substituted with four minutes of the match remaining.
The Galaxy now go into the first leg of the play-offs against
Chivas USA buoyed by a first Western Conference title for seven
years. After two hugely disappointing seasons, it is the first
really tangible on-field success since his move to America in July
2007.
“It was important we won the game, to be top in our division,”
said Beckham. “We’ve played better in games and we’ve passed the
ball better, but we won. It’s nice to be on top but we don’t stop
here. There is still a lot of work to be done.”
