Booed Beckham No Longer the Biggest Star in Galaxy

Mon., Jul. 20, 2009 7:38 AM PDT by Gina Serpe

Some homecoming that turned out to be.

Underwear model soccer star extraordinaire David Beckham returned to the L.A. Galaxy last night after a five-month, fan-resented loan to A.C. Milan. But great Beckspectations quickly gave way to great confrontations, as no. 23 was jeered for nearly the entire duration of his 75 minutes of game time and was, at one point, even challenged to a fight.

We think we speak for women everywhere when we say, please, not the face.

To make matters more tense, the rival team for the exhibition game was none other than the Italian battalion itself.

In fact, there was so much animosity, you'd think Victoria had made her way onto the field. Luckily, the Posh one knows from haters, and remained firmly ensconced in a skybox alongside her genetic wunderkinds and David's other bit of crumpet, BFF Tom Cruise.

While it was an assist from Beckham that resulted in the L.A. Galaxy's game-tying second goal, the 34-year-old was bombarded during the action with boos, critical heckles and a series of signs bemoaning his return (after missing the first half of the season) and urging him in no uncertain terms to make his way back across the pond—both of which reactions he said were "to be expected."

Among the more prominent banners to make their way into Beckham's eyeline: "Go Home Fraud," complete with his number circled and slashed through; "23: Repent"; "Here Before, Here After, Here Despite 23," which seemed to be a more condensed version of "Hey 23, Here Before You, Here After You, Here Despite You, Make Us Forgive You"; and perhaps the most incendiary, "Is Evil Something U Are…Or Something U Do?"

In his own defense, Beckham claimed after the game that he approached a particularly relentless section of the crowd at one point not in an attempt to open any cans of things that may or may not begin with the word "whoop," but to shake the hand of one of the men whom he claimed had been "shouting some really not-nice things."

Well, that's better than how he handled it the last time.

Still, Becks' negotiation skills are unlikely to be called upon anytime soon. He never did get to shake the man's hand and instead was given a security escort as he left the field at halftime.

At least in the locker room he could find some solace. Oh…or not.

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We know what you're thinking: David Beckham, soccer, blah blah blah. Fine. Here he is in his underwear.