For example, the third-ever largest crowd to see a Real Salt Lake soccer match in Rice Eccles Stadium - 25,500 on Saturday - was special for RSL. It is old hat for the Galaxy.

"It's very good for us," said Los Angeles coach Ruud Gullit following an entertaining 2-2 tie. "When [teams] play against us . . . it helps us to be on top of every game. There are no easy games for us because everyone wants to beat us."

For RSL (1-3-2) coach Jason Kreis, Saturday was another case of settling for yet another tie after his team dominated the early match.

I thought it was a fantastic crowd, and I thought we disappointed that crowd," he said.

"I thought we should have, could have done better in that match to thank them for coming."

Certainly, RSL fans experienced rapture within the first 20 minutes when the Galaxy (2-2-2) allowed two early goals. However, Los Angeles slowly worked its way back as it became accustomed to the artificial turf.

Then two bolts of lightning by Beckham undid 34 minutes of hard-played, attacking soccer and goals by RSL's Fabian Espindola and Kenny Deuchar.

A patented Beckham free kick from 29 yards out in the 40th minute left RSL goalie Nick Rimando grasping nothing but air and tied the game at 2-2.

Beckham's first goal four minutes earlier during a Los Angeles attack may have been better. It came during play a few yards closer than the second. It was just as well placed in the left corner of the goal and an example of what happens when a world-class threat is given too much space to settle the ball and shoot.

The goal came when RSL defender Tony Beltran, in his first start, failed to clear the ball. Kreis praised Beltran's total effort, except this one instance.

"The play is a non-issue if the defender clears that play out," Kreis said. "He chose to pass something out of there instead of clearing the ball out. It happened to go to David Beckham, who put it away pretty nicely."

For Beckham, both goals were the result of extra practice.

"If you want to get better at something or you want to make something that wasn't right the week before right the week after, work on it," he said. "I did that this week.

"I think it makes a difference when fans turn up to see the team play. I noticed that last year when the team went to Australia and 85,000 fans came to watch the game. It gives the players a lift. To have the amount of people here tonight and at most of our games helps the team up their game a bit and everyone wants that."

Not everybody.

"There were a lot of plus points in the performance," Deuchar said. "But we've got to kill teams off when we get two goals in front. . . . We've got to be more ruthless. We've got to go for the jugular and finish them off."

martyr@sltrib.com

Highlights

* Goals by Fabian Espindola and Kenny Deuchar give RSL a 2-0 lead during the first 20 minutes.

* David Beckham bends two goals from beyond 25 yards within four minutes late in the first half to tie the score.