Beckham ready to turn other cheek to abusive fans

After two clashes with abusive football fans just days apart, David Beckham has said he's ready to turn the other cheek and walk away if it happens again.

"He insulted my wife," Beckham said of a spectator at a recent MLS game in Kansas City. "If you insult my family members I am going to stick up for my wife and family.

"But if it happens again I wouldn't even look at him. It is not worth the time and energy."

Beckham was speaking following the Galaxy's 2-1 friendly defeat to Barcelona in front of a crowd of 93,137 at the Rose Bowl stadium. It was the largest crowd to watch a football match in America in 15 years since the United States hosted the World Cup.

The booing of Beckham by Los Angeles Galaxy fans continued at Saturday's match as large sections of the sold-out crowd jeered him from the start.

They continued in the second half despite his strong performance and Beckham having scored Galaxy's goal with a trademark free-kick.

Beckham has incurred the wrath of Galaxy fans who feel he is overpaid and don't like his trips to Europe to play for other teams.

Beckham downplayed the booing on Saturday, saying just a small percentage of the fans at the Rose Bowl were making most of the noise.

"Quite a few are still reacting the way they react. But out of 93,000 people you have 95 or 97 per cent who are incredible. Then you have the odd minority but that is life."

Still it was enough to cause MLS commissioner Don Garber to feel the need to speak out in his defence.

"It has got to be an emotional time for David," said Garber, who fined Beckham 1,000 dollars for the first incident with fans. "The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.

"I don't support the way they (Galaxy fans) have treated him. We need to start to put all this behind us."

Forward Jeffren Suarez scored the winner in the 67th minute for Barcelona who dominated for most of the game but had trouble converting their chances.

Midfielder Pedro Rodriguez scored in the 11th minute, picking up a Lionel Messi rebound to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead.

Messi did the lion's share of the work on the play, racing clear and getting two shots on target before Rodriguez tucked in the rebound with Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts out of position.

Beckham's goal from a free-kick just before half-time got the Galaxy back on level terms at 1-1.

"I hit the sweet spot. When you know it is going in, it's a good feeling," Beckham said.

The jeers continued in the second half but by then the pro-Beckham side at the Rose Bowl had started to make their voices heard. Beckham was substituted in the 87th minute to mixture of boos and cheers.

Despite the run-ins with American fans and the difficulty of travelling back and forth between continents, Beckham said he would return to the Galaxy for another season.

"I am contracted to the Galaxy and the MLS and I will be here next year," he said.

This is not the first time Beckham had drawn the wrath of football fans. After England's 1998 World Cup second round defeat to Argentina, he was slammed by the media and the fans after being red-carded for kicking Diego Simeone.

"Back in 1998 it was 100 times worse and it affected me 100 times worse.

"This is nothing," Beckham said.