BECKHAM AND GALAXY TO PLAY IN BRISBANE
Friday, May 02, 2008
Beckham and his LA Galaxy side will play Queensland Roar at Suncorp Stadium in November as part of the cashed-up American Major Soccer League club's end-of-season tour.
A similar match in Sydney last year between the Galaxy and Sydney FC attracted a crowd of more than 80,000.
Beckham kept up his end of the bargain by netting a spectacular free-kick from 25m out in his side's 5-3 loss.
Roar chief executive Lawrence Oudendyk and Football Federation Australia commercial operations head John O'Sullivan last night refused to confirm Beckham's second coming, but it is understood the fixture has been locked in.
The Galaxy will also play a match in New Zealand, but not against Wellington Phoenix, as was the case last year.
Beckham, who turns 33 today, is in his second season with the Galaxy, having joined the club from Spanish giant Real Madrid midway through LA's dismal 2007 campaign.
He started his career at Manchester United where he won several Premiership titles and a Champions League title in the 1990s.
Beckham is reportedly earning a staggering $172,000 a day at Galaxy.
His five-year deal has the capacity to earn him $153 million with the addition of endorsements.
Coached by former Dutch star Ruud Gullit, the Galaxy began its 2008 season on a positive note, with a 5-2 midweek win over Chivas USA lifting the LA outfit to second in the MLS Western Conference standings.
The Galaxy side includes Portuguese defender Abel Xavier and American forward Landon Donovan, who scored a hat-trick against Chivas.
