FROM THE HIGH-PITCHED shrieks, someone standing outside the Home Depot Centre would have guessed that it was a boy-band convention. But instead of Robbie Williams rejoining Take That, the squeals were for David Beckham limbering up, David Beckham taking off his tracksuit top and for David Beckham passing the ball ten yards. They never miss a marketing trick so how about Los Angeles Galaxy ear muffs for when the new boy really does something spectacular?

The next five years of Beckham’s life began with a 12-minute cameo at the end of the Galaxy’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea. Dozens of foreign journalists had come to witness his debut. They will now depart, leaving the big question hanging — how long will the shrieking last?

The craziness of Beckham’s first week over, the real work begins for the Galaxy, for Major League Soccer (MLS) and for the sport as a whole in the United States this morning. They are not expecting to compete with baseball or basketball for popularity, but they believe that soccer can become part of the mainstream. And if it does, the moment when an East End lad trotted out on to the pitch in Los Angeles on Saturday night will be a significant milestone.

His global fame may be a triumph of marketing and good looks as much as talent but the frenzy that Beckham attracts never ceases to amaze. A hall full of Japanese teachers and children burst into tears when he made a school visit during the 2002 World Cup finals. No one fainted at the Home Depot Centre but his presence was enough to draw Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California. Was he just there to be seen on Beckham’s big night or, to paraphrase the Terminator, will he be back?

Schwarzenegger saw a decent game. Embarrassed by recent performances, the Galaxy had taken the “pub team” insult to heart and they unexpectedly made a contest of it. Chelsea might have scored three or four on top of John Terry’s strike but the Galaxy had their chances.

Beckham managed to play despite the injured ankle, which could now rule him out for a week or two. His 12 minutes were notable only for a scything tackle from Steve Sidwell that almost brought tears to the eyes of the marketing men. He survived and there were a couple of long passes that, in the words of José Mourinho, allowed the American public “to see that his right foot has eyes”.

“While they do not have huge talents, they have Beckham, Landon Donovan and Abel Xavier and, after that, a good group of committed and enthusiastic boys,” Mourinho said. “Now with David in the team they may have found the inspiration to improve.

“He can make soccer better and help Americans fall more in love with the game, which is what everybody is waiting for.” He cannot do it on his own. There are rumours that Juan Sebastián Verón may be the next high-profile thirtysomething to come to the MLS and Don Garber, the commissioner, talked on Saturday night of more headline-making arrivals.

“Our league is only 12 years old,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of growing to do. We just need more players like David but we’re going to be patient so we don’t go out of business.” It was only last year that the league starting receiving any broadcast revenue. An estimated £7 million a year might not sound much but, for the previous decade, the MLS had to buy airtime.

To make the domestic league popular from that low starting point is hugely ambitious but, as the ubiquitous adidas advertisements bearing Beckham’s face tell us, impossible is nothing. And you have to admire his willingness to take on the challenge.

Never before had there been so much fuss over a cameo role in a friendly but fuss is what the Galaxy crave. Beckham is a master of creating drama and Saturday’s theatrical touches included disappearing to the dressing-room — for ankle strapping and a toilet stop — shortly before his arrival as a substitute. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a more extraordinary year in my life than this one,” Beckham said, “and this last week has been truly one of the most remarkable.

“The attention has been immense, not on just the Galaxy and LA as a city, but on me and my family. It’s been incredible and 99.9 per cent of it has been positive. I hope it continues. It’s about getting the fans here for every game and it’s a long-term process.” Sustaining attention in the short-term should not be difficult. There is a new weekly television show charting Beckham’s American experience and it will be accompanied by a tour of the US. There is a punishing schedule around Dallas, Toronto, New York and Washington, but regular attendances will quadruple when Beckham comes in town.

“We get the game, we love the game and one day we’ll be able to compete against the best,” Garber said. “Not today but who knows what the future holds.” Beckham knows that for him, the MLS and the Galaxy, the success of his move cannot be judged by the madness of one week but by how many of Saturday’s 27,000 crowd are still coming back in two or three years.

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