Flash it like Beckham

After seeing Beckham from the third row behind the LA Galaxy's benches on Saturday night, I have decided he photographs very well. I wasn't overly impressed by the soccer star/model. Additionally, for the first thirty minutes of the game or so, I thought he was a pansy who didn't try very hard (especially in the midfield).

Then he got the ball close to the goal.

I now realized why he gets paid so much--that man can shoot. My mouth dropped open on both of his goals... as he bent the shots around walls of people on a perfectly-placed (with a whole lot of speed) shot into the upper left corner of the goal. Wow.

However, as I was surrounded by Loyalists (season ticket holders for the ReAl Salt Lake team), I still enjoyed (and joined in) with the fans screaming a combination of the following:

"Beckham, take off your shirt!" (many times throughout the game).

"Princess Beckham, you suck!" or, "Good work, star!" (when he would lose the ball and/or make a bad pass).

"Beckham, the Lakers suck!" (because, apparently, he and Posh frequent games).

My personal favorite which came after Beckham was hotly disputing a call with one of the unpopular refs of the match: "Beckham, why are you yelling at him? HE'S ON YOUR TEAM!!"

At halftime, one fan on the front row dared to yell "Beckham, you suck!" as he was leaving the field. Another fan from row 4 (who was decked out in ReAl gear and a mainstay of the section with his frequent heckling of opposing players) responded, "Wait now... don't say that. We know that's NOT true. The Lakers? Now they suck. That ref? He also sucks. But c'mon... you can't say Beckham sucks." Clearly, ReAl fans only yell true, fair insults at the opposing team.

However, we apparently crossed a line while Beckham was alone and close to our sideline during the second half, while most of the action was occuring on the opposite side of the field. A number of fans yelled, "Beckham, where's your wife?!?!" after which he proceeded to lift up the right leg of his shorts to an unmentionable height, then pick his bum. As my section broke out in laughter, we attributed that action to another reason why Beckham is so highly paid. Not only is he a soccer player and a model... he's an entertainer too.

Oh, and for the record, after the match ended, Beckham did take off his jersey and give it to a fan who was screaming of her undying love for him for the length of the match. I guess he was listening (and amenable to) our heckling. Good to know.