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Carson, California. David Beckham curled a beautiful 50-yard pass to Landon Donovan, beginning a sequence that ended with Donovan’s penalty kick in the 73rd minute and a 1-0 playoff victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Back spasms forced Beckham out of the Sunday match against archrival Chivas USA, but he continued to exert his influence.

When five minutes of extra time were added, he protested so fiercely to an assistant referee that coach Bruce Arena had to intercede. And when a scuffle broke out at the final whistle, Beckham rushed into the scrum, shoving a Chivas player before calming down as a peacemaker.

In these moments, Beckham showed his passion for the Galaxy, and fans rewarded him with a standing ovation. It was a stark contrast to midsummer, when he returned from a loan to AC Milan and found his previous effort and leadership harshly criticized by Donovan and jeered by Galaxy supporters. Essentially, they accused Beckham of giving up on a struggling team last season.

His tenure in Major League Soccer, now in its third season, has not provided the transformational moment that league officials had hoped.

Beckham remains a part-timer with the Galaxy. After the playoffs, he will return to Milan, believing his play on one of the world’s top clubs will earn him a spot on England’s roster for the 2010 World Cup.

Still, he plans to return to the Galaxy after the World Cup. At 34, as he has done several times, Beckham has reinvented and reinvigorated himself just as he was being dismissed as an A-list celebrity and B-list talent. If his MLS career is not a complete success, neither is it the failure that is often portrayed.

His play helped the Galaxy reach the playoffs for the first time in four years. Beckham was to play for England against Brazil on Saturday in a friendly in Qatar, but he will miss the game to play for the Galaxy in the West Conference finals on Friday. A victory over Houston would put Beckham and his teammates in the MLS Cup final.

“I think he’s proud to be here now,” Donovan said. “That makes a big difference.”

Perhaps the best evidence of restored tranquility in Beckham’s life is that he and wife Victoria are making tabloid headlines, not in scandal but for the decision of what to name their teacup-size pet pigs. Victoria wants to name them after Elton John and his partner, while David favors Pinky and Perky.

If he does not name them Landon and Donovan, at least the two have mended their differences on the field. On Sunday, Beckham called Donovan “an exceptional player, an exceptional human being as well.” If there is any private tension, it is not evident in public.

“Now I would say they really enjoy each other,” said Arena, who credited Donovan’s professionalism for mending the relationship.

Donovan said it was Beckham’s renewed dedication to his teammates. He described how Beckham had addressed the Galaxy on the eve of Sunday’s match and had recently taken the players out to dinner to celebrate making the playoffs.

“He’s done a lot of things to show that he wants to be here,” Donovan said.

There were other factors in the Galaxy’s resurgence. Donovan has become routinely brilliant. Arena remade a team that was woeful in 2008, drafting smartly and bringing in veterans who were more skilled and less deferential to Beckham.

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts allowed a stingy 1.03 goals per match. Gregg Berhalter anchored a defense, along with rookie of the year candidate Omar Gonzalez, that surrendered 31 goals this season, compared to a league-high 62 in 2008.

“I’ve got players around me who are not afraid to show their ability instead of just trying to give me the ball or give Landon the ball,” Beckham said.

Arena also has played Beckham in central midfield, instead of on the right. He is more involved and dangerous as a playmaker, more energized, more willing to throw himself into tackles and to challenge to win balls.

Beckham is no longer being portrayed, in the words of MLS Commissioner Don Garber, as a “one-man stimulus package.”

The Galaxy’s home attendance dropped more than 20 percent in 2009, given Beckham’s long stint in Milan and questions about his commitment. Yet, Garber said, in some ways he has exceeded original expectations.

Having Beckham part-time is better than not having him at all, Garber said. Galaxy fans have come to the same grudging acceptance.

“All we are looking for is someone who is committed to the team,” said Cesar Cruz, 24, a season-ticket holder. “Everyone else is looking for a championship. Now it looks like he’s dedicated to doing it.”


The New York Times