With David Beckham's unveiling at the Los Angeles Galaxy just two days away, the fevered efforts to impress his image upon a sceptical Californian public are at last succeeding. Although the San Francisco Chronicle still reserved doubt - "Who is this guy?" - the anticipation among the Galaxy's Hispanic support base could hardly be greater.
As Chelsea arrived on the West Coast Tuesday for their first pre-season training session, new signing Florent Malouda could have been forgiven for feeling bemused that the club's visit has been so eclipsed by the Beckham juggernaut. Major League Soccer's marketing of their greatest talent has entered its most aggressive phase, with images of the England star appearing in almost every major newspaper and expectations rivalling those of the Apple iPhone, America's latest must-have accessory. But it is in Latino communities encircling the Galaxy's base at the Home Depot Center, in the southern suburb of Carson, that the impact of Beckham's arrival this week can be best gauged.
Here, an enthusiasm for football is well-established and there is a perception that the cachet Beckham brings can create an opening for more players from Central and South America to transfer to MLS. Alexi Lalas, the Galaxy's president, explained: "Beckham, unlike any other player, transcends all boundaries. I would argue that whether you are a housewife from Orange County or a person of Mexican heritage living in Los Angeles, you know who Beckham is.
If we were to go out and get an internationally renowned South American star, I would argue that although the Mexican may know who he is, the housewife in Orange County wouldn't. And that is the difference." Beckham is expanding the sport's demographic, and already American network television is being forced to catch up.
ESPN, one of the country's largest sports networks, Tuesday released a 30-second promotional package to preview his Galaxy debut against Chelsea on July 21. Against a reworked version of the Beatles' Hello Goodbye, the footage seeks to send the strongest signal yet that Real Madrid's loss is America's gain. The coverage will assume a different dimension next Monday, when the country is treated to the premiere of Victoria Beckham's reality show, documenting her move to California.
If nothing else, the programme promises to distill the essence of the couple's celebrity - an ever more prominent theme, judging by the Los Angeles Times' earnest analysis of Beckham's journey from Leytonstone to Hollywood. Beckham's wife is believed to be designing their $US22 million Beverly Hills mansion - dubbed 'Beckingham Palace West' - on the same Moroccan lines found at their Madrid home, so that her husband does not suffer too jarring a transition. Previously enthusiastic about his American experiment, Beckham did indicate that he felt some regret over his departure from the Spanish champions.
"I felt capable of staying for longer at Real Madrid," he told the Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias. "I think I could have still played for three more seasons at the highest level but as the club told me in January that they did not want to renew my contract, I took this decision." This echoed admissions by Madrid coach Fabio Capello and president Ramon Calderon that Beckham's impressive form in the second half of last season proved they had been too precipitous.
Recalling the moment the club chose not to renew his contract, Beckham said: "That day my heart ached, but the decision was already taken. I am going to continue to support Real Madrid and follow them next season." With David Beckham's unveiling at the Los Angeles Galaxy just two days away, the fevered efforts to impress his image upon a sceptical Californian public are at last succeeding.
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