This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Like the rest of Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake plans to cash in on David Beckham.

One of the biggest stars in international soccer, Beckham makes his only appearance of the upcoming season in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

To maximize the financial benefit of Beckham's visit, Real Salt Lake has tied ticket sales to its game against Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy with two others.

The motivation is obvious: to get fans who desperately want to see Beckham into the stands at least a couple of more times during the season.

"Most teams are doing to the same thing - leveraging their games against the Galaxy," said Real Salt Lake spokesman Trey Fitz-Gerald.

Real Salt Lake's special ticket package is called "Build It With Beckham," according to Fitz-Gerald.

For between $60 and $80, fans buy tickets to three RSL games - one against the Galaxy and two against other opponents.

Currently, RSL is offering four games as secondary options on the Beckham package, with fans being allowed to pick their two favorites.

The other games include:

* The season opener against FC Dallas on April 7;

* The game against FC Dallas on June 14 that will be televised by ESPN;

* The game against DC United on June 23 that features RSL star Freddy Adu against his former team;

* The annual fireworks game on July 4 against Toronto FC.

So far, Fitz-Gerald said, the response to the Beckham ticket package has been "phenomenal."

He said the Beckham package will be "tweaked" as the season progresses. As some of the optional games pass, others will take their place.

There will be two other ways for local fans to make certain they see Beckham.

They can buy season tickets, or they can purchase an RSL"flex-pass," which gives fans the option to buy 10 tickets for use at their discretion.

Obviously, Beckham's decision to play in the United States has been a boon for MLS and its franchises.

In the first few days after the announcement in January, the Galaxy sold 5,000 season tickets. Toronto, an expansion franchise, sold 2,600.

Commissioner Dan Garber told the Associated Press that Beckham's signing "has generated more interest in Major League Soccer than any other event in league history."

This season, 16 of the Galaxy's last 17 games will be televised nationally.

For the first time, Fitz-Gerald said, network stations like ESPN, the Fox Soccer Channel and Univision are paying rights fees to carry MLS games.

Blame it on Beckham.

"He is one of the highest profile athletes in the world," said Fitz-Gerald, who added that with Beckham's help "soccer has come a long way in this country. It is no longer a second-tier product."

The Galaxy's only problem after signing Beckham?

He remains under contract to Real Madrid through its 2007 season, meaning he won't play in the United States until July or August.

That put pressure on the schedule-makers at MLS, because every team wanted late-season home games with the Galaxy.

"Like everybody, we wanted a visit by the Galaxy late in the year," general manager Steve Pastorino said. "We have a Wednesday, but we're thrilled with our date. We made it very clear we wanted him late in the season, but we really weren't in a position to be too picky about [the] day of the week."

Last summer, Beckham came to Salt Lake for Real Madrid's exhibition game against RSL.

"We look at it as a coming-home party for Beckham," Pastorino said, "because he was here last year and we went went through the first round of Beckham-mania. Fortunately, he was great. . . . That's only going to pick up as we get closer."

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Tribune reporter Michael C. Lewis contributed to this story.