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LAGOS, NIGERIA - Writing about David Beckham in his first appearance in Madrid's football turgy, I had concluded with the conviction that they was plenty still unseen from him, as his careerİfor his new club was just beginning to sprout in radiant hues. There was every tolerable reason to lay my thoughts in this direction, in view of the proven mettle of scoring form dead balls as a tag of footballing identity by Beckham.
Steve Ogah Devoted followers of the star's football comet had welcomed the friendly game against the Chinese with an ebullient hope to witness the first goal of David in the colors of Real Madrid. For these people, the opposition from the Asian team was not rock solid enough to deter magical ball spins off the lethal foot of one of the most feared masters of the art of free kicks.
The rays of the sun of David's bends had penetrated many strata. We without much ado, recollect France 1998, where -- when confronted with the Colombian wall of defense --- David Beckham recorded his name in the manifest of World Cup dead ball converters. The manner that kick was authored leaves one thinking the Colombian wall of defense a wall of helplessness; and the goalkeeper; a forgone, beaten last man of defense.
Beckham had also penetrated defenses in the highly competitive premier league and in the equally feisty champion league games. A most recent decimal is the battle of old Trafford when he came off the bench to render Iker Casillas of - incidentally - his present club , a cursing, defeated goal keeper; throwing hands at a dazed defensive rampart.
Bearing in mind this recalled pictures, and other equally notable moments in the ever enlarging image of this super star of inspiring proportion; to have expected at least a goal against China was not entirely a vain soccer wish.
After all, goals to a large extent define and decide matches. And a game without a goal or substituting display of pristine skills like those of Austin Jay Jay, of Bolton Wanderers, or Zideane, of Real Madrid, is akin to spraying perfume without the accompanying sweet and captivating smell swirling far and wide.
But the teeming fans of Beckham had to wait, albeit not too long for his first goal for Real Madrid. It only came against FC Tokyo of Japan in their recently concluded Asian adventure. This goal I have tagged his "first White goal". The match against the J-league side been the second for Madrid and Beckham, recorded a twin first for the football icon.
Seeking for cheap officiating sympathy from the center referee, David decided on a professional foul which only got him booked in the fourth minute of the wet encounter. This was significant to statisticians, as it meant his first booking in the colors of the Spanish and Europe club football giant. He was not to be inhibited by this as he went ahead to display flashes of his brilliance as the game progressed.
Daring and promising as he was on the day, he never really had his seal on the game until a couple of minutes to the fortieth minute of action. These minutes came to be the defining moments of another first for David Beckham; for Santiago Solari was reprehensibly impeded close to the dreaded dead balls spots. Who else to stand for a strike? Your guess is as good as mine!
David Beckham took a pose.
I visualized the goal keeper's soul fidgeting as the crowd sat in a suppressed yet almost palpable expectancy.
From twenty five meters away from the target, the ball was sent on a lethal journey with a determined bend into the far corner of the goalkeeper's left end.
And rapture was born! Cameras went blink! Blink!
The over fifty four thousand fans at the stadium were united in their judgment that a trademark goal not recorded at the previous game at the Beijing Workers' Stadium had been offered them to treasure.
And at last, Beckham had proved he had not left his boots behind in the dressing cubicles of old Trafford.
He was visibly excited, as that success represented his first goal for his new club, and was later to state that he felt rejuvenated; although, he had only scored in a friendly for his new employers.
That goal instantly acquired a couple of meanings. But first, the process leading up to the goal was essentially Beckham, and the execution was no less true to type. With his first goal David Beckham established that he had been no opportunist at old Trafford, but rather that his prized asset could be replicated anywhere in the world. Not even the stars in his new team would stop him from taking the potentially decisive kicks.
It also goes without saying that it meant a serious warning to Real Madrid opponents that in the regular seasons they would have to re-strategize to be able to cope with Real Madrid's new strength .
Hopefully, more great white goals will be seen as David Beckham seeks to settle down fully in Spain. The future, no doubt, looks sparkling for a player who never hesitates. And for me , he who hesitates, never takes whatever the future holds.
© 2003, GENERATOR 21.
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