David Beckham could not have picked a better spot himself for this free kick: slightly on the left flank, about 27 yards out — deep enough to make the ball dip and dive, but not too far back to disrupt his uncanny accuracy. From that splotch of grass, Beckham worked his wizardry, slicing a beautiful shot to send England into the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Beckham, 31, performed the feat in the 60th minute Sunday, with England wilting in the heat and struggling to put away upstart Ecuador, and the English persevered for a 1-0 victory.
This had been a pedestrian World Cup for the English captain and international heartthrob, who had had almost no impact on the first three games save for a free kick that resulted in a Paraguay own goal. But his ability in precisely these situations have made Beckham one of the world’s most recognizable athletes, and he rose to the occasion on this steamy late afternoon.
“To be honest, I haven’t scored for a while, and I haven’t had many free kicks go in,” said Beckham, adding that teammate Wayne Rooney sent him a text message before the game, saying how “terrible” his last two games had been and predicting a free-kick goal Sunday. “So it was great to put this one in. I’ve been struggling, even in training.”
On the goal, Beckham embraced the ball with the instep of his right foot, sending it on an arc that no keeper in the world could have stopped. The ball rose quickly as it jutted right before curling back left with the hard spin and rotation of a major-league curveball.
Goalkeeper Christian Mora, with the red, yellow and blue of Ecuador painted below his eyes, dove hard to his right, but the ball glanced off the inside of the post and in. Beckham, whose inclusion in the starting lineup was called into question by many in the English media and public, had been vindicated, and his wife, Victoria (known as Posh Spice in her brief incarnation as a pop star), leaped from her seat.
“It was a very precise shot, almost impossible to stop,” Ecuador coach Luis Suarez said through an interpreter. “What you have to do in that situation is truly congratulate Beckham. We know he does excellent free kicks, and on this occasion he was perfect.”
Such strokes of brilliance inspired the 2003 movie “Bend It Like Beckham,” and it served to alleviate at least some of the intense pressure on the English squad. Again, England was hard-pressed for goals, allowing an inferior opponent to stay in the game. It was no vintage England outing, but Beckham had his best game by far, aiding the defense as well.
“I thought he was a different class today,” England defender John Terry said. “A great performance.”
“I have stopped saying anything to the critics when it’s about David Beckham,” said coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, whose undying loyalty to his captain is a hot topic back home. “I mean, he’s maybe the best player in set pieces in the world, and he’s still criticized.”
Beckham was feeling sick before the game and vomited on the field in the second half. He finally left in the 85th minute to an extended ovation from the English fans.
“We haven’t played to our full potential, but we’ll take that game,” Beckham said.
