Beckham146;s charms thunder Down Under

The Galaxy scored two more goals in the second half, but lost 5-3 to Sydney. Beckham, trailed by paparazzi and constantly under the media gaze at a series of celebrity and sponsor events since arriving on Sunday, fulfilled his playing obligations in Sydney.

8220;It was an entertaining match for the 80,000 fans. That8217;s what they wanted, to see some goals , a bit of an exhibition8212;they got that.8221;

His first game in Australia could have been over after 27 minutes with the Galaxy behind 2-0, when Beckham lost his footing and was knocked over in a collision with Sydney midfielder Brendon Santalab.

Santalab slipped as he covered Beckham, knocking over the midfielder and creating a hush over Sydney8217;s Olympic stadium. Beckham was clutching his left ankle, but got up and continued.

The Galaxy reportedly sold 20,000 jerseys in Australia. Sydney, who attract an average of 15,200, sold a record number of seats for a club soccer match ever in Australia.