David Beckham's bid to redefine football's place in the US sports landscape begins in earnest on Friday, when the Los Angeles Galaxy introduce their sleek European import.
The former England captain and his pop-star wife Victoria arrive amid a swirl of publicity befitting their new Hollywood home.
But it will likely be Beckham's abilities on the pitch that determine whether his tenure here will ultimately be judged an experiment or an era in Major League Soccer's development.
In America Beckham will face a twin challenge - infusing oft-overlooked football with enough glamour to attract new fans, while playing at a level high enough to satisfy serious sports spectators.
Some 14.5 million Americans play football, but its popularity pales in comparison to the top three sports: American football, basketball and baseball.
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