Beckham's LA debut in pictures

It is all about one man at the Home Depot Centre on a lovely Los Angeles day as LA Galaxy host Chelsea in a friendly

And there he is - David Beckham, saviour of soccer in the USA

Victoria Beckham returns her husband's wave from up in the posh seats, where it is packed to bursting with famous faces

Instead of the Mexican wave, the LA wave breaks out pre-match. To do this you must wear big sunglasses. Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria's got the right idea on the red carpet

Not everybody has paid to watch Golden Balls strut his stuff

But most have

Even the Simpson family take time out from promoting their new film for a pitch-side seat. Lisa likes the new number 23

The media swoop for pictures of the world's most expensive substitute. Peter Vagenas strikes a relaxed pose but Chris Albright does not seem alright about all the attention

Finally a match breaks out, but Becks throws a longing glance somewhere else while his new buddies focus on the action

Up in the VIP section they are tucking into the champagne

Romeo Beckham is making a move on Suri Cruise, while her mother, actress Katie Holmes, actually watches the soccer

Oh yes, the soccer. Chelsea and England captain John Terry celebrates scoring the only goal of the game on 49 minutes

And finally, after 78 minutes, here comes the main man

The new boy limps through 12 minutes on his dodgy ankle

A collective gasp goes up as Becks goes down in agony after a tackle from Chelsea's own new midfielder Steve Sidwell

But Beckham's OK at the final whistle of his much-anticipated Stateside soccer debut. Thanks for coming everyone