A busy period here at MLS Talk thanks to the USMNT and CONCACAF Gold Cup hits a new level tonight with the return of the world’s most famous athlete to the New York Metropolitan Area. Tonight and tomorrow we’ll have full coverage on the site including during and immediately after the match. Additionally, tomorrow we will be interviewing Ventura County Fusion Head Coach Graham Smith for the next EPL Talk and MLS Talk podcasts. Smith recently recommended Anton Peterlin, a midfielder for the Fusion to David Moyes at Everton and as our readers are well aware, Peterlin signed with the Liverpool based Premier League club. Also we’ll preview Ventura Country’s Tuesday friendly with newly promoted EPL side Burnley.

Tomorrow, we also aim to have the most complete preview of the Panamanian National Team by a US based source on our site. Panama is a national team I’ve kept a close eye on for the last several years since they have been seen as an emerging CONCACAF power in a traditional Baseball playing nation. The fact that they hired Gary Stempel, an English coach last year has had me even more interested in tracking their development.

MLS is often guilty of over hyping its teams, players and specific matchups. But if anything, this matchup with worldwide media coverage was tastefully undersold by the league. Don Garber and Mak Abbott are the big winners tonight, even bigger winners than the Galaxy, perhaps.

David Beckham is on a team that very well could compete for the MLS Cup title this year with a remarkably assembled cast of players with international experience managed by the best coach in league and USA history. Sure the Red Bulls are a weak outfit, but tonight was notice of intent: my sense that Arena’s hiring would turn the Galaxy around was correct and now Beckham who hates to lose will demonstrate greater interest in perhaps adding to his already full trophy case with something from this part of the world.

If this scenario plays out with LA making the playoffs and advancing let’s say to the Western Conference semifinals, MLS will stay more relevant in the domestic sporting press and international football media coming into a world cup year. Perhaps the final chapter of the Beckham experiment is yet to be written.

Look for a post match report tomorrow from our Daniel Feuerstein who was in the press box.

(all times Eastern)

10PM: Switch over to the USSF Development Academy finals for U17/U18 on ESPN Classic.

9:57 PM: Stoppage time ends, game over.

9:55 PM: Another PK! But this time Ricketts saves it, thwarting any chance of a comeback at the Meadowlands.

9:50 PM: Angel converts a PK. Hopefully the Red Bulls have shown enough in the second half to tempt some of this monster crowd back to Giants Stadium this year.

9:40 PM: LA slowly winding down this game. I’m working on my post match thoughts.

9:30 PM: Chris Birchall who arguably outplayed Beckham in the 2006 World Cup meeting between Trinidad and England comes in for Becks. Both play on the right side of midfield typically.

9:25PM: More good work from Eddie Lewis.

9:15 PM: New York showing some life here.

9:10 PM: Got my press box report from Daniel F. four times as many reporters as usual. In wonder why?

HALFTIME: I WAS JUST ASKED ON TWITTER IF THIS IS THE WORST MLS TEAM EVER. GOOD QUESTION BUT HERE IS MY ANSWER:

No, the NY team in 1999 was so bad and so much worse. Chivas in 2005 also was bad. Tampa in 01. i’d say this is the 4th worst ever

8:50 PM ET: Eddie Lewis still has the best left foot ever for an American born player. He’s used it for crosses and free kicks with the US, and a run of play goal here with the Galaxy.

8:45 PM ET: Petke Power rising again! Mike Petke like he was in the pitiful 1999 Metrostars campaign is the linchpin of a defense that collapses around him. but even at his advanced age the New York native is playing well.

8:40 PM ET: I guess ons econd look that too was a turf goal. But nice for Landon anyhow.

LANDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Skeptics, find me 15 players in Europe who could score that goal and the goal Landon scored in the Confederations Cup. Keep thinking, you won’t find them.

8:35PM: Good midfield play from the Galaxy. Eddie Lewis doing the sort of work on the left side he did for years in a national team shirt.

8:30 PM: Red Bulls showing some quality here sustaining the attack and creating chances.

8:20PM: Daniel F. reporting Beckham booed every time he touches the ball.

8:15 PM: The turf is making this showcase game look, well amateur.

8:10 PM: ESKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TURF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LA 1-0 RBNY…………..TURF 1-0 RBNY

8:05pm: kickoff is upon us. It took :45 seconds for the turf to have an impact

8:00pm: Daily Mail reporter stationed right behind Daniel F. in the press box.

7:55 pm: Attendance projections for tonight? 35,000? 45,000? More?

7:50 pm:  Beckham saying all the right things to FSC. Coming across as professional and caring. His handlers have scripted his interview well.

7:45 PM- Daniel Feuerstein set up at the Meadowlands has sent me a text picture of the Red Bull banner.