In what was probably the biggest thing to hit Rome since the white smoke wafted over from Vatican City, David Beckham made his much anticipated Serie A debut with AC Milan Sunday night against AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. (In case you couldn't tell there was a healthy dab of sarcasm in there. Sorry.)Beckham (perhaps you've heard of him) played 89 minutes in the 2-2 draw. On Saturday all reports had Beckham starting the game on the bench. Instead, coach Carlo Ancelotti started the English superstar in the midfield.
The general consensus on Beckham's Italian debut were right in the middle -- where he ended up lining up. The on-loan Los Angeles Galaxy captain played in on the right of a three-man midfield with Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo. Oddly enough the first substitution by Milan wasn't Beckham, but former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho.
As usual, Beckham says all the right things, but it would be interesting to get him to ingest some truth serum. It must be hard for him to be playing against some of the top talent in the world -- for a mere two months. It's a bit of a drop off playing in front of 80,000 in a top European stadium to the hodge podge of MLS buildings. MLS is growing from a competition standpoint, but it's probably decades away -- if ever -- from the pomp and circumstance exhibited at venues around the continent.
These two months ought to be a fun release for Beckham, who for better or worse, remains a hard worker despite the enormous hype. The Galaxy brain-trust will continue to keep its fingers crossed that Beckham returns to Los Angeles refreshed and recharged, not with an injury like when he washed up on American shores in 2007 from Real Madrid.
