English superstar David Beckham, brought to the Los Angeles Galaxy to
preach the gospel of football to US sports fans, may have to overcome a
language barrier to get the message across.
Beckham, who acquired a smattering of Spanish in four years with
Real Madrid, told some 5,000 fans at the Galaxy's Home Depot Center that
he was looking forward to the challenge of making the game "as big here as
it is everywhere around the world."
"The first thing in my life is always my family," he said, adding: "The
second most important thing has always been foot... soccer.
"Sorry, I'll get used to that, I promise," he added.
For most US sports fans, of course, "football" means the gridiron game
of the National Football League and college teams.
Beckham's slip-up came
despite his careful preparations.
The former England skipper said last month that he was trying to school
himself to say "soccer" rather than football in deference to his new fans.
"Since I signed with the Galaxy, I'm trying to get myself to say soccer
because I've always said football," he said in June, after filming a
commercial with New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.
"It would seem like (soccer) would be the sport you actually call
football because you're kicking it with your foot," Bush said. "We call
(American football) football, but we actually throw it a lot more than we
kick it."
