EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - For one night at Giants Stadium, David Beckham’s star power arguably made the New York Red Bulls- Los Angeles Galaxy soccer match the hottest ticket in town.

If Major League Soccer could get a rabid crowd, nine total goals and the largest crowd in the 12-year history of the league to show up for every game at Giants Stadium, then Beckham may be worth his yearly 5.5 million dollar salary. His trademark specialty free kicks set up two early Galaxy goals but in a wild back and forth affair, the Red Bulls received a 88th minute second half goal from their new star, Juan Pablo Angel, who scored his second of the game, to give New York a 5-4 victory last night.

Beckham got 66,287 fans to come out to a stadium which is for the most part, empty during the regular MLS season and quadruple what is the normal Red Bulls attendance. It was a night where even an injured left ankle, which at times gave him trouble and quite a limp as he walked off the field after playing 90 minutes, didn’t prevent the English international star from displaying his best talents on the biggest stage.

Beckham still didn’t like being on the losing end in which the Galaxy scrambled after being down two goals in the second half to knot the game in the 82nd minute before Angel’s last minute heroics sealed Los Angeles’ fate. Angel, along with 17-year-old Jozy Altidore each scored two goals to give the Red Bulls one of their biggest victories of the year to inch three points closer to Eastern Conference leader New England.

“You see the amount of people who turned up and it’s pretty incredible. It’s great for the league and for both teams to play in at an atmosphere like that,” Beckham said. “We’re disappointed because I think we played pretty well in the game and we created enough chances to win the game…We’re disappointed not to come out with at least a point.”

In a game with star power on each team, the England star was the man with the biggest spotlight. With flashbulbs popping on every Beckham touch, the cheers were deafening and his trademark free kicks were on target, which led to two first half Los Angeles goals by Carlos Pavon in the first ten minutes.

Angel, a former star at Aston Villa in the English Premier League, has created an impact in his first year as a Red Bull as his two goals notched his season total to 12. Even he was impressed with Beckham’s accuracy and vision even if he was not 100%.

“Every ball he touches was a piece of magic,” Angel said.

Like the New York sports fans, the Bulls gave Beckham respect but once the Galaxy was up 2-1, the hottest star in MLS received loud boos each time he made a corner or a free kick the rest of the way. Once the Red Bulls got the large crowd on their side, the cheers gave the Red Bulls an emotional lift according to goal scorer Clint Mathis, who played well and set a club record with his 45th of his New York career in stoppage time of the first half to tie the score at two.

“Actually, if you’re at this level and if you don’t enjoy in playing in front of that many people, TV, cameras and everything then why are you playing this sport?,” Mathis, who is in his second tour of duty in New York, said.

“You have to get pumped up for a game like this. I hope eventually every game is like this and I know that I’m not going to get an experience in my lifetime...hopefully a kid like Jozy does. This is what the game is about.”

Altidore is quickly living up to the hype that made him the cover star of the new Ea Sports FIFA ’08 video game with two fantastic individual goals in the 47th and 70th minute to give New York a 4-2 advantage. Los Angeles got a goal back one minute later as Landon Donovan scored to make it 4-3.

Beckham’s corner kick on the 82nd minute bounced off of a Red Bulls defender and to the post. The carom of the ball found its way to former Red Bulls player Edson Budle, who slotted the ball past goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus, making his first start after a five game ankle injury, to make it 4-4.

New York (10-7-3) got the game-winner when goalkeeper Joe Gannon stopped a hard low-lying 30 yard shot from Clint Mathis but could not prevent Angel from kicking back the rebound from a wide angle to make it 5-4 in the waning minutes.

The game showed why both teams are heading in different directions. New York is battling for a division title and the Galaxy are 3-8, riddled with injuries and their porous defense didn’t need defenseman Ante Jazic to leave the game with an injury in the opening minutes that gave Angel and Altidore the opportunity to run rampant all night.

Beckham won’t have much time to rest. Galaxy coach Frank Yallop would rather have his star resting an ankle that Beckham admits has swollen due to the constant pounding of playing two complete matches in four days. He will travel to London today to join his England teammates for a friendly match in Germany on Wednesday night.

Even if Beckham is just a spectator on the bench for that game, his worldwide tour will take him back to Los Angeles, where he hopes to play against nearby rival Chivas USA in an important MLS matchup on Thursday night.

Beckham has handled the pressure before in his Manchester United and Real Madrid days as an integral part of those championship teams but can even the 32 year old star precisely kick the Galaxy into a playoff spot?

Sellout crowds and a large audience watching on television will surely find out with breathless anticipation in the next two months.

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