CARSON, Calif.  David Beckham curled a beautiful 50-yard pass to Landon Donovan, beginning a sequence that ended with Donovan’s penalty-kick goal in the 73rd minute and a 1-0 playoff victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Back spasms forced Beckham out of the match Sunday against archrival Chivas USA, but he continued to exert his influence. When five minutes of extra time were added, he protested so fiercely to an assistant referee that Coach Bruce Arena had to intercede. And when a scuffle broke out at the final whistle, Beckham rushed into the scrum, shoving a Chivas player before calming down as a peacemaker.

In these moments, Beckham clearly showed his passion for the Galaxy, and fans rewarded him with a standing ovation. It was a stark contrast to midsummer, when he returned from a loan to A.C. Milan and found his previous effort and leadership harshly criticized by Donovan and jeered by Galaxy supporters. Essentially, they accused Beckham of giving up on a struggling team last season.

His Major League Soccer tenure, now in its third season, has not provided the transformational moment that league officials had hoped for. And Beckham remains a part-timer with the Galaxy. After the playoffs, he will return to A.C. Milan of Italy’s Serie A, believing that his play for Milan, one of the world’s top club teams in one of the world’s best leagues, will earn him a spot on England’s roster for the 2010 World Cup.