When the LA Galaxy came to Columbus to face the Crew last night, one player stood a bit taller than the rest… at least to this photographer. David Beckham finally made his long-awaited Columbus debut in front of a sold-out crowd at Crew Stadium.

As soon as Beckham announced joining the MLS, I marked the date on my calendar that the Galaxy would be traveling to Columbus. There was a lot of hoopla around the league, and tickets to all the Galaxy games quickly sold out. It was mid-summer when he finally made his MLS debut, and shortly after when he suffered a season ending injury. My hopes were a bit dashed to see one of the truly iconic sports figures of all time.

My family spent a semester in Oxford when I was in high school, and I studied in London for a semester of college. Add a spring break trip and a month-long jaunt in London, and my time in England quickly adds up. For many soccer fans in the US, Beckham is a known star, but in England, regardless of your football knowledge, Beckham is a household name. From daily sportscasts and gossip shows to sidewalk billboards, simply put, his face is everywhere.

With the Crew doing so well this year, I figured Beckham’s first appearance in Columbus would be a big deal. The game sold out, and the Crew ran a “black out the Galaxy” promotion. Numerous fans hung over the railing snapping photos and shouting for autographs as he took the field for warm-ups. There were a considerable amount of No. 23 jerseys in the crowd, and flash bulbs erupted each time he ran down the sideline.

I have to give the Crew faithful a ton of credit though. They didn’t let Beckham steal the show. It was business as usual from the Crew supporters’ section in the northeast corner of the stadium, jumping, chanting and waving Crew flags throughout the entire game. “Go home Beckham” cheers rained down from the bleachers drowning out the gasps from the Beckham-watchers each time he touched the ball.

In the end, Alejandro Moreno’s goal late in the first half ended up being the difference in the game. Everyone in attendance, save for maybe the Galaxy team itself, went home happy. The Crew supporters got their win, and the Beckham watchers, myself included, got their first-hand glimpse of the man himself, albeit a year later than expected.

My assignment for the night, which I came up with on my own, was to show the frenzy Beckham can cause. We don’t normally cover Columbus’ professional sports teams, Buckeye football included, so the sports action part of the game was inconsequential. Fortunately, I got my shot early in the evening when Beckham took the field for the first time. He had a slight smile on his face, and the fans behind him went wild. That left me free the rest of the night just to sit back and watch him work.

Seeing Beckham play for the Galaxy gave me a similar feeling to when I watched Michael Jordan play for the Wizards late in his career. Both were a few steps slower than in their prime, but their remarkable athleticism caused me to hold my breath each time they got the ball. Beckham took a few corner kicks directly in front of me that sailed off his foot with a touch unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. For this photographer, it was definitely a memorable experience.