yertle-the-turtle
ONE love, blood, life
Becks nets first goal for Real Madrid
If David Beckham's new Real Madrid team-mates had any lingering doubts as to the credibility of his over-hyped ?25million move to the Spanish champions earlier this summer then they would have been eased today in Tokyo.
In a team of superstars, Beckham's arrival left many in Madrid questioning the fuss surrounding the England skipper as the spotlight had never focused so sharply on an individual player.
Beckham's 72-minute debut on Sunday in a 4-0 victory over the Chinese Dragons was nothing more than tidy and efficient as Real comfortably kicked off their money-spinning Far East tour.
Yet against FC Tokyo, in front of a rain-drenched, full-house 48,000 crowd at the National Stadium, Beckham stepped up to the plate and delivered as only he knows how.
Just seven minutes before half-time, Beckham showed his Real team-mates what he is made of by scoring Real's opener in a 3-0 victory with a trademark free-kick.
Beckham's sweet right-foot curler from the left-hand edge of the area was bent beautifully beyond a three-man wall and goalkeeper Yoichi Doi, and so heralded his arrival in the Real team.
It at least overshadowed his opening noteworthy moment when he picked up the only booking of the game in the 10th minute for a clipped challenge on Masashi Miyazawa.
Following that, though, the 27-year-old was a pivotal figure in a number of Real's key attacking moments, particularly after the Spanish champions had started lethargically and under pressure against their J-League opponents.
An earlier Beckham free-kick in the 17th minute from 25 yards lacked the customary curl as it went through the wall, albeit the deflection forcing Doi into a smart save low to his right.
Beckham then turned provider from the right wing, initially on the half-hour mark as a piercing low ball looked to pick out Javier Garcia Portillo towards the far post, only to be thwarted by the faintest of touches by Doi.
Another free-kick from wide on the right then followed in the 35th minute, this time finding Solari for a header which was cleared by a combination of Doi and Teruyaki Moniwa.
After Beckham then struck, Real flowed in the closing stages of the first half and were rewarded with their second goal just before the interval with Solari slotting home after Doi could only parry a Portillo drive.
Surprisingly, Real failed to add to their tally until the closing moments, with another Far East hero in Ronaldo adding to his icon-like status with a stunning right-foot finish to complete an easy win.
Beckham, looking more assured as the game wore on from his central midfield role, could have added to his own personal tally as a surging run into the area raised the crowd's expectancy, only for an attempted chip with his `weaker' left foot lacking the height to trouble Doi.
In the end, in completing the 90 minutes and with the first goal under his belt, Beckham will at least have gained respect from any sceptical team-mates.
If David Beckham's new Real Madrid team-mates had any lingering doubts as to the credibility of his over-hyped ?25million move to the Spanish champions earlier this summer then they would have been eased today in Tokyo.
In a team of superstars, Beckham's arrival left many in Madrid questioning the fuss surrounding the England skipper as the spotlight had never focused so sharply on an individual player.
Beckham's 72-minute debut on Sunday in a 4-0 victory over the Chinese Dragons was nothing more than tidy and efficient as Real comfortably kicked off their money-spinning Far East tour.
Yet against FC Tokyo, in front of a rain-drenched, full-house 48,000 crowd at the National Stadium, Beckham stepped up to the plate and delivered as only he knows how.
Just seven minutes before half-time, Beckham showed his Real team-mates what he is made of by scoring Real's opener in a 3-0 victory with a trademark free-kick.
Beckham's sweet right-foot curler from the left-hand edge of the area was bent beautifully beyond a three-man wall and goalkeeper Yoichi Doi, and so heralded his arrival in the Real team.
It at least overshadowed his opening noteworthy moment when he picked up the only booking of the game in the 10th minute for a clipped challenge on Masashi Miyazawa.
Following that, though, the 27-year-old was a pivotal figure in a number of Real's key attacking moments, particularly after the Spanish champions had started lethargically and under pressure against their J-League opponents.
An earlier Beckham free-kick in the 17th minute from 25 yards lacked the customary curl as it went through the wall, albeit the deflection forcing Doi into a smart save low to his right.
Beckham then turned provider from the right wing, initially on the half-hour mark as a piercing low ball looked to pick out Javier Garcia Portillo towards the far post, only to be thwarted by the faintest of touches by Doi.
Another free-kick from wide on the right then followed in the 35th minute, this time finding Solari for a header which was cleared by a combination of Doi and Teruyaki Moniwa.
After Beckham then struck, Real flowed in the closing stages of the first half and were rewarded with their second goal just before the interval with Solari slotting home after Doi could only parry a Portillo drive.
Surprisingly, Real failed to add to their tally until the closing moments, with another Far East hero in Ronaldo adding to his icon-like status with a stunning right-foot finish to complete an easy win.
Beckham, looking more assured as the game wore on from his central midfield role, could have added to his own personal tally as a surging run into the area raised the crowd's expectancy, only for an attempted chip with his `weaker' left foot lacking the height to trouble Doi.
In the end, in completing the 90 minutes and with the first goal under his belt, Beckham will at least have gained respect from any sceptical team-mates.
how about Chelsea?
