Beckham Fever Hits Wellington

David Beckham‘s Australasian tour with the LA Galaxy was a resounding success for NZ soccer. A record crowd of 31,853 turned up to see the Galaxy play newly minted NZ side the Wellington Phoenix at the city’s Westpac Stadium. The Galaxy won the match 4-1, with Beckham scoring one of the goals from the penalty spot. The English star was taken with Wellington, despite his brief stay. “Even flying in on the first day was incredible – to see the sights, to see the country, was incredible,” he said. “I wish I could’ve seen more of it, but maybe I can come back with the kids one day.” Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan had high praise for the Wellington crowd: “The crowd was probably better here [than Sydney], as far as being loud, cheering and being supportive. Sydney was a bit tamer. I liked it better here.”