GALACTIC SHIFT? BECKHAM'S PERFORMANCE AGAINST D.C. UNITED SPARKS HOPE THAT HE CAN LEAD L.A. TO MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYOFFS.

Byline: BILLY WITZ

Staff Writer

CARSON - As David Beckham placed the ball on the turf, surveyed the D.C.United wall and goalkeeper Troy Perkins, and lined up his first free kick in eight weeks, Galaxy defender Abel Xavier thought back to a conversation he'd had with teammate Peter Vagenas before Wednesday night's SuperLiga semifinal.

"I said to him, 'You will see -- without training, the first free kick he will put in the corner,'" Xavier said. "I was behind (Beckham) and when I see him bend the ball, I almost have my hands in the air because I know that it was a goal already."

And so, a moment later, it was. Perkins went right, the ball dove left and every Galaxy player on the field -- including goalkeeper Joe Cannon some 70 yards away -- made an exuberant dash to mob their newest teammate.

This, more than the red-carpet rollout, the glossy magazine covers, the nationally televised cameos and the royal waves from the sidelines, was Beckham's welcome to America.

"You couldn't have written a better script for Hollywood," said Vagenas, shaking his head.

The highlight-reel moment, which kick-started the Galaxy on its way to a 2-0 victory, should be enough to remind SportsCenter viewers and the New York media -- whom Beckham will meet today in advance of Saturday night's game against the Red Bulls -- what the fuss was about.

Still, the Galaxy's giddiness Wednesday night was not just about style, but substance.

What Beckham showed in 63 minutes of work was a series of traits -- aggressiveness, patience, vision and leadership -- that served as a reassuring reminder that he is not merely a $6.5 million- per-year set-piece specialist.

The Galaxy sees in him a lifeline to the playoffs -- a task that won't be easy for a team that has won three MLS games in four months, is 12 points out of the last playoff berth, and may be without Beckham for a third of its 15 remaining MLS games due to national-team commitments.

"Our league form is obviously not the best at the moment," Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said after Wednesday's game. "But I see a light now that we can grab a hold of."

When the team returned Monday from its nearly two-week trip, team captain Landon Donovan -- himself widely acknowledged as the best American player -- pulled Beckham aside and offered to hand him the captain's armband, despite Beckham having yet to start.

Considering that Beckham has worked to fit in with his teammates -- think the Millionaire Next Door -- while his injured left ankle heals, such a move would have seemed beforehand to bring up more questions about Donovan's capabilities to lead.

Afterward, it seemed to be nothing but savvy.

Beckham migrated to the ball all night, whether it was tracking back behind some defenders to retrieve it, or running down the flank with his arm raised to call for it. He kept up a running dialogue with his center midfield partner, Kevin Harmse, and quickly developed on-field chemistry with Donovan.

"I'm not stupid and I'm not naive," Donovan said. "I know this is someone who's been a captain for England, one of the better teams in the world. For me, it's not as important to wear the armband and be, quote-unquote, the captain.

"I think it made him immediately part of the team in a real sense. He's on the field and part of the team, of course, but I mean really part of the team. I think guys looked at him differently, and I think he could say things to guys differently."

It wasn't always what Beckham said, but what he did. His aggressive challenges, even the late and reckless one on Jaime Moreno -- for which Beckham said he was thankful for a yellow card instead of red -- rubbed off on others.

Donovan was checking back to break up plays, and another smallish player, defender Mike Randolph, showed no sign of jitters in just his third career start, getting up and down the field all night.

"He's a brave player -- you can see it by the attitude in tackles," Xavier said of Beckham. "There is no place to be soft in football. You must be hard and nasty. After (the game) you shake hands and say sorry, but in the game there is no place for softness. I'm very happy we (saw) many challenges, many tackles from players who it's maybe not their own game."

In recent weeks, the Galaxy has mainly kept possession without the inclination -- or weapons -- to attack. On Wednesday it set its formation farther up the field and was the aggressor all night, with Beckham keeping the defense stretched by spraying long balls across the field.

"This is just the beginning," Xavier said. "He's still not match fit. When he's going to be full fit, and he's going to be able to play 90 minutes with the intensity that he showed, it's going to be massive. It's what we need."

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) David Beckham is congratulated by teammates after his goal, perhaps the elixir the Galaxy has been seeking.

Will Lester/Staff Photographer

(2) David Beckham, scoring a goal Wednesday against D.C. United, gave the Galaxy a lift.

Scott Varley/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) David Beckham might have started a new celebration dance - note the tongue - after he scored his first Galaxy goal on Wednesday.

Kevork Djansezian/Associted Press