Beckham takes exception to hard tackle
CARSON, Calif. -- So much for jet lag.
David Beckham, just off a flight from London earlier in the day, got feisty after being tackled from behind by Jesse Marsch of Chivas USA in the Los Angeles Galaxy's 3-0 loss Thursday night.
Beckham played the entire 90 minutes for the third time in six days, and was limping slightly near the end of the game in which he served as captain for the third consecutive match.
Beckham was in the starting lineup about six hours after arriving on a flight from London. He had spent the last four days with the England team, including playing the entire game in a 2-1 loss against Germany at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night.
He failed to connect on a couple of first-half free kicks, and near the end, as 5 a.m. London time approached, a tired Beckham had Carlos Pavon handle a corner kick.
Also returning from Europe were Galaxy forward Landon Donovan and defender Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas USA. They played for the United States in a 1-0 loss to Sweden on Wednesday.
Donovan entered in the 59th minute as a substitute for teammate Cobi Jones. Bornstein didn't play.
Maykel Galindo scored twice in the second half, including his team-leading 10th goal of the season, for Chivas USA (10-6-3), winners of four of its last five.
An announced crowd of 27,000 -- camera flashes popping on Beckham's corner kicks -- saw the Galaxy's $6.5 million dollar man show his temper for the first time.
Marsch came running up behind Beckham and applied a high kick to the Galaxy captain's upper right hip during injury time at the end of the first half of the Major League Soccer game.
Beckham fell forward, got up and ran over to Marsch, shouting in his face. A grim-faced Marsch stood his ground while Beckham was pulled away by teammate Edson Buddle. Beckham continued shouting at Marsch and swung his right arm when the referee tried to grab him and usher him away.
A shoving match ensued between the teams, which Beckham quickly backed out of and circled around. Defender Alex Zotinca of Chivas USA head-butted Galaxy midfielder Kevin Harmse in the scrum, and Harmse threw a punch at Zotinca. Both received red cards.
The entire match was chippy between the Los Angeles rivals who share Home Depot Center's playing field. There were five yellow cards and the two ejections, although none of them went to Beckham.
Francisco Mendoza completed the scoring for Chivas USA in the 88th minute.
The Galaxy (3-9-5) lost its fourth straight MLS match and owns the second-worst record in the league.
ESPN2 showed the game live, but joined it 12 minutes late because of a WNBA playoff game that went to triple overtime.
Beckham takes exception to hard tackle
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