BECKHAM PUTS FACE ON SOCCER.

Byline: LARRY ATKINS

WHILE most Americans only pay attention to soccer every four years during the World Cup -- if at all -- soccer is starting to show a pulse as a spectator sport in the United States. With the upcoming debut of David Beckham, the world's most recognizable athlete, for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Major League Soccer could finally become a major sport in America.

As David Carter, a sports marketing professor at USC, told Scott M. Reid of the Orange County Register in January, "They're not signing him as a soccer player. They are signing him as a domestic ambassador of the sport, to be the face of Major League Soccer and help the league instantaneously rebrand itself as a major player on our sports landscape."

Beckham and his family arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday. He plans to make his debut appearance for the Galaxy on July 21 in an exhibition match against FA Cup holder Chelsea.

As a lifetime soccer fan, I can't wait to see it happen.

Unlike most American adults, I actually played soccer as a kid in the late 1970s, before it was cool. I played varsity soccer for my high school, watched Toby Charles on PBS call the games on Soccer Made in Germany, and went to pro North American Soccer League games.

Like many Americans, I caught World Cup fever when it came to the United States in 1994. I traveled to Boston to see Argentina and the legendary Diego Maradona smear Greece 4-0. I also saw Italy's dramatic come-from-behind win against Nigeria in the second round. There was an electric atmosphere in the stands for both games. Fans with painted faces were waving flags, beating drums, and chanting the now familiar cheer, Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole.

The tournament drew huge crowds, and TV ratings for the U.S.-Brazil game were more than a 10 share -- about three times greater than a Stanley Cup final game.

Soccer received another boost when the U.S. women's team won the World Cup on American soil in 1999 on Brandy Chastain's penalty kick (and her subsequent shirt removal).

Between those high-profile games and the popularity of youth leagues, optimism for Major League Soccer seemed justified.

However, after its initial 1996 season, MLS attendance began to decline, reaching a low of 13,756 fans per game in 2000. In 2001, the league eliminated two franchises in Florida. Kids were still playing soccer in large numbers, but that wasn't translating to success at the box office.

Then, there was a rebound. In the summer of 2002, the U.S. men's national team made the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The MLS Championship game in October 2002 in Massachusetts drew more than 61,000 fans. MLS teams drew an average of slightly more than 15,000 fans per game during the 2005 season.

Last year, Time magazine reported that MLS has attracted almost $1 billion from new teams and owners, public stadium funding, and sponsorship money. It also signed a new deal with ABC and ESPN, which pays the league to televise the games, as opposed to the league's buying time from the networks.

To overcome the sight of empty seats in 70,000-seat football stadiums and to add to crowd intensity, MLS has built eight new soccer-only stadiums of around 20,000 to 25,000 capacity. The league hopes to expand from 13 to 16 teams by 2010.

At age 32, David Beckham may not be at his peak, but as he showed in last year's World Cup, he is far from being washed up, and is still considered one of the top free-kick specialists in the world. The former star of Real Madrid, Manchester United, and English National Soccer team (and husband of former Spice Girl Victoria) is likely to become an American idol.

Granted, the average sports fan won't be calling their local sports talk show to discuss how the L.A. Galaxy will fare against the Columbus Crew. However, odds are he'll be buying a $50 David Beckham Galaxy jersey for his soccer-playing kids.

While media coverage of MLS games currently gets as much space as cricket, lacrosse and bowling, the presence of Beckham is likely to change that significantly.

Soccer haters might want to give our sport the boot to the children's table of pro sports, but the presence of David Beckham should help spice up MLS and lead the sport to a seat with the grown-ups.