David Beckham plays 16 minutes for L.A. Galaxy

After the rumors that David Beckham will not take part in the Galaxy - Chelsea game, the European soccer star punched in 16 minutes on the clock.

David Beckham plays 16 minutes for L.A. Galaxy Initially David Beckham was scheduled to only watch the friendly between L.A. Galaxy and the visiting Chelsea FC, due to his ankle injury, which he received while playing against Estonia for the 2008 Qualifiers. But the crowd roared in approval, when David Beckham entered the field in the 78th minute of the match.

The game between Galaxy and Chelsea FC was won by the English club 1-0, goal scored by the captain John Terry in the 49th, which was disappointing to some American fans, but at the end they got what they came for - to see David Beckham play for L.A. Galaxy.

The ankle injury prevented Beckham from unleashing 100% of his potential, the highlight of his game being a corner kick in stoppage time, which Landon Donovan gave away to Beckham. Chelsea players were careful with the $250-million-worth player, Steve Sidwell making the only tackle, which Beckham graciously avoided.

"The atmosphere is incredible. It made me feel a little bit embarrassed at times. I'm not fit. I haven't trained since I got here, but it's nice to be out there," Beckham commented after the game. Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho justified Beckham's cautious play - "The objective was just for him to be on the pitch and give the people the dessert they were looking for."

Published on 07/22/2007