MLS's Posh Pickup

As England's captain, David Beckham led his country to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last summer. (Adrian Dennis - AFP/Getty Images)

At the moment, MLS does not seem to be headed down the same path. The well-financed Galaxy and New York Red Bulls are the only teams expected to use the Designated Player Rule. New York has been linked with Brazil's Ronaldo, Portugal's Luis Figo and U.S. World Cup captain Claudio Reyna, who plays in England.

D.C. United is not planning to use the new rule to obtain a high-profile player, team President Kevin Payne said.

"Does it make it theoretically easier if we identify the right opportunity? Sure," Payne said. "But that's not something we're prioritizing right now. . . . [Signing such a player] is still a challenge because of the imposition on the cap. That player is capped at such a high number."

U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said he does not foresee NASL-style bidding wars, because "lessons learned from that episode preclude that possibility."

On the field, the Galaxy is getting a player whose best days are generally considered to be behind him. After serving as captain for England in last summer's World Cup, he was dropped from the national team by new coach Steve McClaren. Since the Spanish club season began in August, Beckham has started just five games for Real Madrid.

But Beckham is still considered one of the world's top free-kick specialists, and at 31 he should have an impact in a league like MLS.

"I don't think it's a problem unless he doesn't perform," said Nick Rimando, the former D.C. United goalkeeper who was traded along with Freddy Adu to Real Salt Lake last month. "Some guys come from Europe and treat it like a vacation. If he does what he did in Europe over the years, it will be fine."

Beckham is expected to make a greater impact off the field, of course.

Although Beckham will play for the Galaxy, every MLS team hopes to benefit financially through ticket sales when Los Angeles comes to town. When Adu was a celebrated 14-year-old rookie in 2004, United's average road attendance was 23,686, more than 6,000 fans ahead of the second-best figure that season. With Beckham, the Galaxy figures to equal or exceed that surge in attendance.

With the exception of the first two weeks of the season in April, the league is still formulating the 2007 schedule. The Galaxy, which plays in the Western Conference, will make only one visit to each of the seven Eastern Conference cities and, with Beckham unavailable until June at the earliest, MLS is trying to find a way to schedule every Los Angeles eastern trip after his arrival.

Payne said he has had discussions with the league and ESPN, which recently purchased the rights to MLS games, about scheduling a United-Galaxy game at RFK Stadium late in the summer. Last season, Los Angeles played in Washington on Aug. 26.

Beckham's appeal likely will extend beyond MLS stadiums. With his stylish look, a famous wife (former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham) and a team based close to Hollywood, Beckham news may not be restricted to the sports pages.

"He has a face, he has a presence and he can still play," Rimando said. "It's good for the league, it's good for the Galaxy and it's good for the women."

Staff writer Dan Steinberg contributed to this report.