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Beckham gets rocky reception in return to LA

David Beckham received a rocky reception from disgruntled Galaxy fans in his return to Los Angeles as his Major League Soccer club played to a 2-2 draw with his recent Italian club AC Milan.

The English star, who missed the first half of the MLS season while on loan to AC Milan, was booed during introductions and again on his first several touches of the ball.

Leaving the pitch at halftime he approached a section of stands where anti-Beckham banners were displayed and appeared to shout something.

A fan jumped down and was restrained by security personnel and escorted off the pitch.

“One of the guys was saying things that wasn’t very nice. It was stepping over the line,” Beckham said. “I said, ‘You need to calm down and come shake my hand,’ and he jumped over.”

But Beckham insisted the fan reaction didn’t bother him.

“It doesn’t affect me,” he said. “You can’t be liked by everyone.”

AC Milan manager Leonardo indicated he thought the fans were unfair, and if some Galaxy supporters don’t want Beckham, he said he’d be glad to have him back at AC Milan.

“Sometimes the supporters don’t understand the situation,” Leonardo said.

“We would be happy if he came back because he did really well. He’s incredible,” he added. “The precision he has is something very, very special. He never missed the ball.

“He controlled the ball. The way the Galaxy plays is very, very important. They see that every ball begins with him.”

Indeed amid the jeers, Beckham played a role in both Galaxy goals.

After Thiago Silva gave Milan a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, the Galaxy equalized in the 30th through Alan Gordon, set up by Landon Donovan after a cross from Beckham.

Milan went ahead again in the 61st, when Filippo Inzaghi timed a run perfectly into the area to score.

The Galaxy responded again, earning a corner kick in the 65th minute.

Beckham, who stayed in the match amid a string of Galaxy halftime substitutions, walked deliberately over to take the corner kick, near the fan section that had given him the most grief.

His sent a precise kick into the area and Bryan Jordan headed it in to knot the score at 2-2, after which Beckham turned and faced his critics.

Beckham left the game in the 75th minute, waving to a group of supportive fans en route to the bench.

“The cheers in the end drowned out the boos, which was nice,” Beckham said.

After spending an impressive second half of last season with AC Milan, Beckham returned to the Galaxy in Thursday’s 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls, his first match since the end of the Serie A campaign.

Not only was Beckham’s delayed return to the MLS seen by many as a slap in the face to US football, but a squabble with Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan further sullied his return.

Donovan sparked the dispute with disparaging remarks published in a new book “The Beckham Experiment.” But he was full of praise for Beckham on Sunday.

“He was integral in both goals,” Donovan said. “There’s not another player on a team in this league that can make those plays. It was an exciting game.”

The friendly against AC Milan was Beckham’s first match in Los Angeles since his return, and coincided with a swirl of speculation on his future plans in England.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Chelsea and Tottenham are ready to bring the 34-year-old former England captain home, although Beckham said in midweek he was eyeing an eventual return to Italy. That would apparently suit Leonardo.

“If it’s possible, I think it could be a very good thing for us,” Leonardo said of the chance that Beckham could land back at AC Milan. “He knows everyone. Everyone loves him in our club.”

LOS ANGELES (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, alan gordon, corner kick, David Beckham, fan reaction, fan section, filippo inzaghi, Galaxy, introductions, jeers, landon donovan, leonardo, Major League Soccer, mls season, one of the guys, saying things, soccer club, thiago silva

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