Beckham settles in for second MLS season

Updated: March 26, 2008, 3:41 AM EST 16 comments

Now it's time to see how good Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy can be.

They surely didn't find out last season, when Beckham arrived amid massive hype in mid-July. He was already hobbled by a sore ankle, then injured his knee and played in just five MLS games. He had no goals and two assists.

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"It was difficult last season because I came halfway through and wasn't fit," he said. "Touch wood, the ankle's good, the knee's good. I'm definitely prepared physically and mentally, and definitely ready for the upcoming season."

MLS opens its 13th season Saturday, with a new expansion team in San Jose and more international players, especially from Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.

In 2009, Seattle will join the league and Philadelphia will start in 2010.

Beckham was to make his 100th international appearance for England in Wednesday's exhibition game against France in Paris. Then the 32-year-old midfielder is to rejoin the Galaxy in time for its opener Saturday at Colorado.

"There's nobody who sees a long ball better than him," Galaxy midfielder Peter Vagenas said. "He's definitely someone who can open up games with one pass, which is pretty amazing."

Beckham was healthy throughout the preseason, appearing in all six of the Galaxy's exhibition games, with a goal and three assists.

"When David came here, he didn't know what to expect with the league, his team, his teammates, the fields, the travel," Vagenas said.

"Now that he's gotten it under his belt, you're going to see the real athlete come through. Last year, it was tough because he came in late and there were a lot of adjustments. This year, hopefully, he hits the floor running."

The most grueling travel is over. The Galaxy and Beckham played exhibition games in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and three Asian cities in an effort to stamp itself as MLS' highest-profile team.

"We spent a lot of time together," he said. "There seems to be a lot more togetherness in the squad this year. We're all getting a lot more confident now."

Beckham is joined by another European star on the Galaxy. Ruud Gullit took over as coach from Frank Yallop, who returned to San Jose for a second stint in charge. Gullit was a star striker on the Dutch team that won the 1988 European Championship.

"We're slowly coming together," Gullit said. "The season will be a (work in) progress. We're improving in all areas of the field, but we're still trying to find our right shape."

Gullit expects the veterans - Beckham, Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz (acquired from Dallas) - to tutor the youngsters.

"This is one of the first clubs I've been with where I am sort of more of a mentor," Beckham said. "When we've got 19-, 20-year-old kids coming into MLS for the first time and they need questions answered, it's nice to be able to answer them. You want the eagerness, you want the ability that they have to want to learn. They'll get better along the way."

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Beckham, Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco and New York's Juan Pablo Angel arrived last season as a result of the designated player rule - which allows teams to acquire a player outside the approximate $2.2 million salary cap - and MLS continues taking steps to improve its overall level of play.

"In 2007, the standard of play in the league took a huge leap forward," deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis said. "It wasn't about David Beckham, although David clearly was a huge story for us and has been a terrific ambassador for our league. It was about the players that accompanied him."

Skilled South Americans are the hottest acquisitions this season, with Eastern Conference power D.C. United landing five players, including designated player Marcelo Gallardo of Argentina, Peruvian goalkeeper Jose Carvallo and Colombian defender Gonzalo Martinez.

Kansas City added Claudio Lopez, who played in two World Cups for Argentina, to fill the gap created when Eddie Johnson left for Fulham of the English Premier League.

Gazidis said MLS surveys show fans want more international players.

"When we make a statement like signing David Beckham, that sends a message that reverberates around the world: There's no player that's out of reach," he said.