Beckham makes debut

CARSON, Calif. – David Beckham began his daunting challenge to convert America into a soccer-mad nation with an uneventful 12-minute debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.

Beckham got into the exhibition against Chelsea in the 78th minute, jogging onto the field amid huge cheers and a sea of camera flashes from the sold-out crowd of 27,000.

“The atmosphere is incredible,” he said after Chelsea’s 1-0 victory.

The 32-year-old midfielder spent most of the game on the bench because of a nagging left ankle injury.

There were cheers each time Beckham touched the ball, the highlight being a corner kick he took in stoppage time. After taking about 10 minutes to get loose on the sideline, he entered as a substitute for Alan Gordon, who slapped hands with the English superstar before Beckham took the field for the first time.

“I’m not fit. I haven’t trained since I got here,” he said. “But it’s nice to be out there.”

Chelsea captain John Terry scored in the 49th minute on a 19-yard shot that ricocheted off the right post and left post before caroming into the net.