AP Photo

The most surprising thing about the remarkable revival of David Beckham’s American adventure is that it is seen as a surprise at all.

The England midfielder heads into his first Major League Soccer playoff series on Sunday having restored both his reputation and the prospects of the Los Angeles Galaxy with his off-field actions and on-field performances.

Beckham’s time in California didn’t take long to turn sour after his arrival in July 2007, and the union between himself and the Galaxy appeared set to end acrimoniously as the critics lined up to write off his move to the United States as a...