David Beckham certainly picked the perfect opponent to ease his way back into Major League Soccer on Thursday night. The Red Bulls have specialized in making opposing players look sharp this year. And joining a red-hot Los Angeles team also helped.

Bruce Arena's side was already emerging as a dangerous team for the second half of the season, thanks in large part to the acquisition of Alecko Eskandarian. His early masterpiece in Thursday's 3-1 win for L.A. must be a candidate for goal of the season so far, and Landon Donovan's strike later in the first half wasn't too shabby, either. Poor Eddie Lewis might not even crack the highlights with his goal.

Even Beckham's biggest detractors must concede he does make good teams better, so if the Galaxy can maintain this kind of form, perhaps the next few months won't be so bad after all. Against New York, Beckham showed glimpses of his quality, such as a gorgeous crossfield pass to Lewis early in the game and a nifty back heel to spring Eskandarian. His work rate was excellent, as usual.

But Beckham's exploits on the field can't erase how poorly he continues to handle this whole situation off the field. On his little media tour earlier this week, Beckham supposedly reaffirmed his commitment to the league, even as he spoke about the likelihood of seeking another loan to Europe in order to maintain his place on the England squad.

Although national team boss Fabio Capello seems happy to play the role of the villain in this story, Beckham was fully aware of the MLS calendar when he agreed to come here, and he needs to get his priorities straight. He will be 35 years old next summer, has already taken part in three World Cups, and all indications are that he will be nothing more than a bit-part player in South Africa.

Contrast his attitude with that of another former Premier League star: Freddie Ljungberg's impressive first-half performance for the Sounders, which earned him an all-star nod earlier this week, hasn't gone unnoticed overseas. His agent, Claes Elefalk, revealed to ESPN he has been contacted by several big clubs in Europe about his client's interest in moving back across the pond.

However, Ljungberg turned them all away, claiming he enjoys playing in the United States and wants to finish what he started. Then again, the former Arsenal midfielder has been able to play on a very good team in MLS, a luxury Beckham has never enjoyed, until now.

Searching for Gold

After an unusual, and unnecessary, layoff, the United States will finally return to action in the Gold Cup on Saturday against a dangerous Panama side that gave Mexico all it could handle in the group stage. And since the backups to the backups struggled against Haiti, Bob Bradley shouldn't have too difficult a time choosing a lineup for this game.

The only question mark is at right back, as Bradley must decide whether to give Brad Evans another start, or try a different option. Up front, I expect to see Davy Arnaud and Brian Ching, leaving Kenny Cooper on the bench. And Jimmy Conrad, who looked strong against Haiti, should partner Chad Marshall in the center of defense.

But the trump card of this team is the midfield. With the excellent Stuart Holden likely occupying a more central role alongside Kyle Beckerman, and Robbie Rogers and Santino Quaranta flying down the wings, the U.S. should be capable of creating plenty of chances and brushing aside Panama to set up a semifinal date against Canada or Honduras.

If, as expected, the U.S. reaches the final, Mexico will likely be waiting, setting up one of the more fun matchups between the two countries in recent years. Both sides will be fielding a host of new faces, bringing a different flavor to the rivalry.

Podcast

For those of you wondering, this week's U.S. soccer podcast can be heard here.