Beckham returns in Galaxy draw

David Beckham played his first competitive football in seven weeks on Thursday as the Los Angeles Galaxy drew 1-1 with New York to keep their play-off push alive.

The England midfielder came off the bench eight minutes after the hour mark to make his first appearance for the Galaxy since injuring his knee in the SuperLiga final at the end of August.

He played several trademark long balls as Los Angeles sought a winner, but they were forced to settle for a point, ending their five-game winning streak but extending their unbeaten run to seven.

The 32-year-old had returned to full practice this week but is still a long way from being 100%, having hurt his ankle slightly in training on Wednesday.

However, having come through this game, he is all but certain to be available again on Sunday when Los Angeles finish their regular season with a make-or-break game away to Chicago - their rivals for the remaining play-off berth.