EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – A soccer game was played at played at the Meadowlands on Saturday night, although the venue could have resembled a circus.

The Red Bulls, yet another New York-based team which occupies space off Route 3, provided the ultimate climax to a game that attracted 66,237 fans, as Juan Pablo Angel’s goal in the 88th minute stunned the L.A. Galaxy, 5-4.

But, while the victory –worth a very important three points in the standings- sent the record-setting crowd home with a smile, they was just as grateful to witness David Beckham’s first East Coast appearance.

The British midfielder, whose staggering five-year, $250 million contract [the approximate base salary is $27.5 million] became worldwide headlines in January, did not disappoint.

After Angel blasted a free kick from 25 yards out to open the scoring just three minutes into the match, Beckham –the better half Victoria ‘Posh Spice’ Adams- received his MLS point when Carlos Pavos headed a blast from the left corner past goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus a mere 180 seconds later.

Then, in a flash, the ball was on Beckham’s cleat again and, Pavos –cutting to Waterreus’ right, redirected a 25-yard feed for the go-ahead tally.

"When I can put a ball where a player is,” Beckham said afterward, “then I'll do it. And lucky tonight, Carlos was in the right position twice.”

Aside from the Red Bull –which had surpassed their average attendance by nearly 55,000, and had drawn a season-high 15,546 during a 3-3 tie with the Kansas City Wizards on June 16- the fans were in the best position of all.

Particularly when Beckham inched closer to the stands to prepare for a patented corner kick.

“I haven’t been involved in a game like this since I was nine or 10 years old,” the midfielder recalled. “There were so many goals, and the play changed so much in 90 minutes. It was a great game for the people who turned out. And, it was great for both teams to play in an atmosphere like that.

“But, if you talked to Frank Yallop [the Galaxy coach] and I behind closed doors, we’d tell you that there were a lot of breakdowns throughout the night; it’s all part of the game.

“Scoring goals is an important part of growing the sport in this country.

“We are certainly at fault for poor defending on restarts, but I think the performance by [Jozy] Altidore [who scored twice], Angel and [Clint] Mathis was superb. They did a fantastic job.

“We created enough chances to win the game. But, congratulations to the Red Bull. Both teams made it exciting for the people who paid their money, though we’re disappointed to go home without points.”

Beckham is also going home with some soreness in his already-tender left ankle. He didn’t expect to play the entire game, which amounted to 95 minutes when bonus time was factored in.

“The manager, and the coaching staff were asking me if I wanted to come off. But, I'm quite a stubborn person -on and off the field. When we were winning, I didn’t want to come off; and when we were losing, I didn’t want to come off. My stubbornness took over, and I didn’t want to come off the pitch; it was such a great atmosphere -with so many goals on both ends- that I didn’t want to come off.

“Still, I was surprised to actually play 90 minutes.

“Obviously, my ankle took a pounding. I’m not used to the [Astroturf] surface, but it wasn’t bad. There were a couple instances where I rolled over on my ankle but, at the end of the day, we had to play on it. My ankle is more swollen now than before, but I’m sure it will be fine [later in the week].

The game, though, represented an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Beckham will always cherish it.

“This was a fixture that I was looking forward to when I came over. I was hoping to be healthy enough to play, which was in question the past few weeks. But, I enjoyed playing here –it’s a great city-, so I was really pleased that I could actually play.”

Bruce Arena, the Red Bull coach, wouldn’t have shed any tears had the English star not competed.

“For David Beckham to be playing at 60-70% -if I could put a number on it- as well as Landon Donovan, who in my view continues to be the best American soccer player -they were a handful."

“Beckham delivers a great ball,” the coach offered. “As easy as it might seem from the stands, the skill he has to deliver the right ball, a quality ball, in the right spot on set pieces is outstanding.”

Now, if only the presence of league’s latest import could guarantee a multitude of goals.

“We need to teach this sport a little bit better in America,” said Mathis, who established a team record with his 45th tally late in the first half, “so we can have more games like this. Instead of fans expecting to see a 0-0 or 1-0 game, they would be able to understand the passion.”

Clearly, Beckham does.

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