Editing David Beckham (section)

====2007: First season in MLS====
{{quote box|quote="I'm coming there not to be a superstar. I'm coming there to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things. With me, it's about football. I'm coming there to make a difference. I'm coming there to play football&nbsp;... I'm not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be difficult to achieve. Baseball, basketball, American football, they've been around. But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could make a difference."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=soccer&id=2728604 |title=Beckham set to invade America |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=12 January 2007 |access-date=16 January 2007 |archive-date=11 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511124308/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=soccer&id=2728604 |url-status=live }}</ref>|source=Beckham on going to America|width=25%|align=right}}

Beckham's involvement with [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) began while he was still a Real Madrid player when it was confirmed on 11 January 2007 that he would be leaving Madrid in six months to join MLS side [[LA Galaxy]]. The speculation about his new contract in Madrid was thus put to an end and the following day Beckham's official press conference was held in conjunction with the [[2007 MLS SuperDraft]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Halpin |first=Jason |title=Events surround MLS SuperDraft |url=http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070110&content_id=81545&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp|publisher=MLSnet.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527211351/http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070110&content_id=81545&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp |archive-date=27 May 2008 |date=1 October 2007}}</ref>

The announcement made global headlines and elevated the league's profile. Though many worldwide media outlets reported the deal to be worth {{USD|250&nbsp;million}},<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/soccer/01/11/beckham.mls/ |title=Beckham will play for MLS' L.A. Galaxy in $250M deal |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=11 January 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725000850/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/soccer/01/11/beckham.mls/ |archivedate=25 July 2013 }}</ref> the astronomical figure was soon revealed to be a PR stunt engineered by Beckham's media handlers (British representative agency [[19 Entertainment]]).<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.43</ref> To maximise the media effect, in the press release they decided to list the potential sum that Beckham could make over the five-year period from all his revenue sources, which in addition to his Galaxy pay, also include his personal endorsements. Beckham's actual deal with the Galaxy was a five-year contract worth {{USD|32.5&nbsp;million}} in total or {{USD|6.5&nbsp;million}} per year.<ref name="galaxy-millions">{{Cite news |title=Beckham rejected Milan and Inter to take Galaxy millions |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/beckham-rejected-milan-and-inter-to-take-galaxy-millions-431736.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205163746/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/beckham-rejected-milan-and-inter-to-take-galaxy-millions-431736.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 December 2008 |work=The Independent |date=12 January 2007 |access-date=9 September 2008 |location=London |first=Sam |last=Wallace }}</ref><ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.42</ref>

The high-profile acquisition paid immediate financial dividends for Galaxy long before Beckham joined the team. On the strength of the signing and the media frenzy it created, the club was able to pull off a new five-year shirt sponsorship deal with the [[Herbalife]] nutrition company worth {{USD|20&nbsp;million}}. The gate revenue peaked as well with 11,000 new season tickets holders and sold-out luxury suites (each one of the 42 inside the team's home stadium, the [[Dignity Health Sports Park|Home Depot Center]]).<ref name="The Beckham Experiment p.44">''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.44</ref> LA Galaxy owners [[Anschutz Entertainment Group]] (AEG) also reported an immediate spike in business. Involved on many business fronts worldwide, AEG was already leveraging its Beckham association in places such as [[Shanghai]] and [[Beijing]], where the company had been working aggressively for years to receive clearance to build arenas and stadiums. The company's CEO [[Tim Leiweke]] put it as follows: "Suddenly, we're known as the company that owns the team that David Beckham is going to play for, so our world changed".<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.45</ref>

In the months following the announcement, the additional terms of Beckham's contract became public knowledge. One unique contract provision was giving him the option of buying an [[Expansion of Major League Soccer|MLS expansion]] franchise in any market except New York City at the fixed price of {{USD|25&nbsp;million}} whenever he stopped playing in the league<ref name="Kennedy">{{cite news|url=http://www.socceramerica.com/article/51723/beckham-is-mls-expansion-story-du-jour.html|title=Beckham is MLS expansion story du jour|first=Paul|last=Kennedy|date=20 May 2013|work=Soccer Business Insider|access-date=21 May 2013|archive-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629142415/https://www.socceramerica.com/article/51723/beckham-is-mls-expansion-story-du-jour.html|url-status=live}}</ref> – an allowance that the league's owners had never given to a player before. Another provision was the opt-out clause after the 2009 season, meaning that should he decide so, Beckham was free to leave the club after completing year three of his five-year contract.<ref name="The Beckham Experiment p.44"/> The league had a [[salary cap]] in place, requiring the creation of the [[Designated Player Rule]] for Beckham to bypass the cap; the rule was later nicknamed in his honor. In April 2007, he and wife Victoria bought a {{USD|18.2&nbsp;million}} home on San Ysidro Drive in [[Beverly Hills]].<ref name="The Beckham Experiment p.66">''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.66</ref>

[[File:David Beckham Nov 11 2007.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Beckham (with a blue captain's armband) became LA Galaxy captain immediately upon joining the team.]]
Beckham's contract with LA Galaxy took effect on 11 July, and on 13 July, he was officially unveiled as a Galaxy player at the Home Depot Center, to much fanfare and world media interest, in front of more than 5,000 gathered fans and some 700 accredited media members.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.16</ref> Beckham chose to wear number 23. It was announced that Galaxy jersey sales had already reached a record figure of over 250,000 prior to this formal introduction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nysun.com/national/soccer-player-beckham-sparks-13m-in-sales/52872/|title=Soccer Player Beckham Sparks $13M in Sales for Galaxy|newspaper=New York Sun|access-date=17 August 2019|date=20 April 2007|archive-date=17 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817162232/https://www.nysun.com/national/soccer-player-beckham-sparks-13m-in-sales/52872/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In parallel, Beckham's handlers at 19 Entertainment succeeded in putting together an unprecedented US media rollout designed to expand his carefully crafted personal brand in America. He made the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'', a few weeks earlier [[Adidas]] launched the extensive 13-part ad campaign "Fútbol meets Football" starring Beckham and [[National Football League|NFL]] running back [[Reggie Bush]], and ''W'' magazine published a racy photo spread featuring David and wife Victoria photographed by [[Steven Klein (photographer)|Steven Klein]]. Meanwhile, [[ESPN]] sports network was running a promotional campaign and agreed to air the ''David Beckham: New Beginnings'' documentary produced by 19 Entertainment before the friendly match versus [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], which was expected to be Beckham's American debut. In addition to popularising soccer, Beckham's arrival was used as platform for entertainment industry endeavours. Since both Beckham's and his wife's often overlapping careers were handled by 19 Entertainment, which is owned by [[Simon Fuller]], who in turn has a business relationship with the [[Creative Artists Agency]] (CAA), one of Hollywood's most powerful talent agencies, it was important for CAA that the Beckhams made as big an impact as possible upon their arrival in the US. On 16 July, CAA had hosted a welcoming bash for David at its new eight-storey, {{USD|400&nbsp;million}} headquarters in [[Century City]], with CAA employees reportedly instructed beforehand to line the staircase and clap for Beckham upon his arrival.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.67</ref> That night Victoria's reality show prime-time special ''[[Victoria Beckham: Coming to America]]'' aired on NBC, drawing negative reviews in the press and poor viewership ratings.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, pp.69–70</ref>

[[File:David Beckham Nov 11 2007 Direction.jpg|thumb|upright|Beckham during an LA Galaxy game in 2007]]
On Saturday afternoon, 21 July, despite still nursing the injured left ankle that he picked up a month earlier during the final match of La Liga's season, Beckham made his Galaxy debut, coming on for [[Alan Gordon (soccer)|Alan Gordon]] in the 78th minute of a 0–1 friendly loss to Chelsea as part of the [[World Series of Soccer (MLS)|World Series of Soccer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2007_07_jul/20070705_DavidBeckham.htm|title=David Beckham's First Match in Major League Soccer Live on ESPN Saturday, 21&nbsp;July|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=5 July 2007|access-date=14 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224213616/http://espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2007_07_jul/20070705_DavidBeckham.htm|archive-date=24 December 2008}}</ref> With a capacity crowd, along with a long Hollywood celebrity list featuring Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, [[Eva Longoria]], [[Governor of California]] [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] and [[Drew Carey]] among others, present at the Home Depot Center, the match was broadcast live on ESPN's main network. However, the proceedings on the field of play took a back seat to the Beckham spectacle, and despite the presence of worldwide football stars such as [[Andriy Shevchenko]], [[Didier Drogba]], [[Michael Ballack]] and [[Frank Lampard]], the US television cameras were firmly focused on Beckham, who spent most of the match on the bench. The match's added time featured a scare for already injured Beckham when he got tackled by [[Steve Sidwell]], whose cleats struck Beckham's right foot, sending him airborne before he crumpled hard to the ground. Though the existing injury was not aggravated too much, Beckham's recovery process was set back by about a week. ESPN's presentation of Beckham's debut earned a 1.0 TV rating, meaning it was seen in an average of 947,000 television homes in the US – a disappointing figure given the national media buzz and two weeks of constant promotion by ESPN.<ref name="The Beckham Experiment p.66"/> As far as sporting events that were televised that weekend in the United States, Beckham's much publicised debut drew fewer TV viewers than the [[2007 Open Championship|British Open]] golf tournament, a regular-season [[Major League Baseball]] game, and even the [[2007 IndyCar Series season|Indy Racing League]]'s [[2007 Honda 200|Honda 200]] motor race.<ref name="The Beckham Experiment p.66"/>

The day after the made-for-TV debut was reserved for the welcoming party for the Beckhams at LA's [[Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles|Museum of Contemporary Art]], formally billed as being hosted by Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, [[Will Smith]] and [[Jada Pinkett Smith]], though in actuality a CAA-organized event. Attended by many Hollywood [[A-list]]ers, the lavish event was well-covered in the US celebrity tabloid media, including daily entertainment TV magazines such as ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'' and ''[[Access Hollywood]]''.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, Pp.68–70</ref>

Beckham missed the next four LA Galaxy matches – three in the [[North American SuperLiga]] and an MLS game away at [[Toronto FC]] - though he still made the trip with his teammates, sitting on the bench in street clothes. It was in Toronto on 5 August that the team got its first taste of what life would be like on the road with Beckham on the roster. Due to security concerns, it was the first time the team flew on a charter for a road match, rather than flying commercial; MLS normally forbids charter flights for away matches, claiming they provide competitive advantage, but in this case they made an exception due to the frenzy created around Beckham and resulting security issues. Instead of the usual MLS-mandated modest hotels, LA Galaxy stayed at the five-star [[King Edward Hotel (Toronto)|Le Méridien King Edward]] in [[downtown Toronto]] (an expense paid for by the local [[Toronto]] promoter), while the glitz and glamour continued with the velvet rope, red carpet party at the Ultra Supper Club with Beckham as the centerpiece guest.<ref>''The Beckham Experiment'', Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, Pp.85–87</ref>

[[File:Beckham LA Galaxy cropped.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Beckham playing for LA Galaxy in 2008]]
Two weeks after his twelve-minute appearance against Chelsea, Beckham made his league debut as a substitute on 9 August away versus [[D.C. United]] in front of the sellout crowd of 46,686 (nearly three times the average D.C. United home crowd) at the [[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|RFK Stadium]], coming on for [[Quavas Kirk]] in the 71st minute.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2007-08-09-beckham-debut_N.htm |title=Beckham makes MLS debut but Galaxy stumbles in D.C. |work=USA Today |access-date=15 August 2007 |first=Beau |last=Dure |date=12 August 2007 |archive-date=20 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120210622/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2007-08-09-beckham-debut_N.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Coming into the nationally televised match on ESPN, played under a heavy downpour with his team down a man and down a goal, Beckham left a mark during the remaining 20-plus minutes. He hit a long free kick that [[Carlos Pavón]] failed to finish on for the equaliser, and then in the final minutes Beckham served a weighted through ball into [[Landon Donovan]]'s path that United's keeper [[Troy Perkins]] managed to break up in the last moment – the Galaxy lost 1–0. The next match on the road trip was at [[New England Revolution]] and Beckham decided to sit it out, fearing further aggravating his ankle injury on the [[Gillette Stadium]]'s artificial surface.

Beckham returned to the pitch the following week, again facing D.C. United, in the [[North American SuperLiga|SuperLiga]] semi-final on 15 August. During this game, he had many firsts with the Galaxy; his first start, first yellow card and first game as team captain.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=453684&root=mls&cc=5901|title=Beckham takes captain's armband to great effect|website=ESPN Soccernet|date=16 August 2007|access-date=17 August 2007|archive-date=10 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510203732/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=453684&root=mls&cc=5901|url-status=dead}}</ref> He scored his first goal for the team, from a free kick, and also made his first assist, for Landon Donovan in the second half. These goals gave the team a 2–0 victory, and a place in the [[2007 North American SuperLiga|North American SuperLiga]] final versus [[C.F. Pachuca|Pachuca]] on 29 August.

During the SuperLiga final against Pachuca, Beckham injured his right knee, with an [[Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]] scan revealing that he had sprained his [[medial collateral ligament]] and would be out for six weeks. He returned to play in the final home match of the season. The Galaxy were eliminated from playoff contention on 21 October, in the final MLS match of the season, a 1–0 loss to the [[Chicago Fire Soccer Club|Chicago Fire]]. Beckham played as a substitute in the match, bringing his season totals to eight matches played (5 league); one goal scored (0 league); and three assists (2 league).