 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | DaMarcus Lamont Beasley | ||
| Date of birth | May 24, 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Puebla | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–1999 | IMG Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 0 | (0) |
| 1999 | → MLS Pro-40 (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2000–2004 | Chicago Fire | 98 | (14) |
| 2000 | → MLS Pro-40 (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | PSV Eindhoven | 56 | (10) |
| 2006–2007 | → Manchester City (loan) | 18 | (3) |
| 2007–2010 | Rangers | 29 | (4) |
| 2010–2011 | Hannover 96 | 4 | (0) |
| 2011– | Puebla | 76 | (11) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1999 | United States U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 2001 | United States U20 | 4 | (2) |
| 2001– | United States | 114 | (17) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 20, 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of November 24, 2013 | |||
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley (born May 24, 1982) is an American[1] soccer player who plays forPuebla of the Liga MX. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield but has also been used as a forward and fullback.
Beasley was one of the most prominent players in Major League Soccer as a star with Chicago Fireand the U.S. national team before being purchased by Dutch club PSV Eindhoven during the 2004 season. He has scored more goals in Europe's highest club competition, the UEFA Champions League, than any other American player.
Club career
Early career
Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Beasley joined IMG Academy, the United States Soccer Federation's Residency program in Bradenton, Florida. Before moving to Florida, Beasley played at South Side High School for two years. Beasley starred in the 1999 Under-17 World Cup in New Zealand, winning the Silver Ball as the tournament's second best player, behind teammate Landon Donovan.
Chicago Fire
Beasley signed with MLS on March 16, 1999, and was allocated to the Los Angeles Galaxy. However, he was traded to the Chicago Fire before making any appearances. He would excel with Chicago, scoring 14 goals and recording 20 assists over 4.5 seasons while being named to the league Best XI in 2003. His stay with the Fire ended on July 19, 2004, when Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven agreed on a transfer fee with MLS worth $2.5 million. He signed a four-year contract.[2]
PSV
PSV manager Guus Hiddink brought Beasley in as the successor to Arjen Robben (who went toChelsea), and because of that, Beasley was granted the number 11 jersey. In his first season in theEredivisie, Beasley played 29 games, scored 6 goals in 34 domestic games of the Dutch season and helped PSV win their 18th league title. On May 28, 2005, PSV advanced to the final of the Dutch Amstel Cup by beating Feyenoord in a penalty shootout after Beasley's goal in the final minute of regulation tied the match.
In addition to making an impact on the domestic level, Beasley became the first American to play in the semifinal stages of the UEFA Champions Leagueagainst Milan.[3] In the first leg, PSV lost 2–0 at the San Siro. In the second leg, PSV won 3–1 at Philips Stadion, but they were eliminated based on theaway goals rule. Despite the loss, Beasley was an important player, leading his team with 4 goals in 12 Champions League games.
DaMarcus was fined €1,500 ($1,852) for driving under the influence of alcohol as a result of an incident on January 16, 2006. His Dutch driving privileges were suspended for the next three months, followed by a three month probationary period.[4]
Manchester City
After a disappointing season for Beasley in which PSV won their 19th championship, on August 31, 2006, he joined English side Manchester City on a season-long loan.[5] His first few weeks at the Manchester team however were troubled by injury limiting his ability to play. On December 30, Beasley netted his first goal for Manchester City, a game winner in the 83rd minute against West Ham United. He went on to score three times more before returning to PSV after making 22 appearances in total.[6]
Rangers
Rangers signed Beasley for £700,000 in June 2007.[7] He became the second American to play for the Rangers' first team, after Claudio Reyna. On August 4, 2007, Beasley made his Rangers debut, playing a full 90 minutes in a 3–0 win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[8] Beasley scored his first goal for the club against FK Zeta in a Champions League qualifier on August 7, 2007,[9] becoming the first American to score for two clubs in the competition. During the match, Beasley was subjected to racial taunting by Zeta fans, along with fellow black team-mate, Jean-Claude Darcheville.[10] He urged UEFA and FIFA to do something about the chants, which prompted an investigation intended to crack down on the crowds at soccer matches.[11] Beasley scored his first Scottish Premier League goal in Rangers' 2–1 win over Kilmarnock on August 25, 2007.
On October 2, 2007, Beasley was influential in Rangers 3–0 win against Lyon in the Champions League group stage. He was involved in all three Rangers goals in a victory for the Scottish side. His inswinging corner was headed by Lee McCulloch to give Rangers a 1–0 advantage. Beasley's wide pass to Alan Hutton allowed him to spring free and set upDaniel Cousin for the second. Finally, Beasley took a 50 meter aerial pass from Cousin while on the run, controlled, and finished. Beasley was named Man of the Match.[12]
During a UEFA Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart, Beasley was hurt in a collision with goalkeeperRaphael Schäfer. This left him unable to complete the match and he was substituted. The true extent of the injury meant that he was expected to miss the rest of the SPL season.[13] However, Beasley was named in the Rangers squad for the match against Dundee United on May 10.[14] Beasley made his return on May 19 against St. Mirren. His first start for Rangers after his injury came in the Scottish Cup final against Queen of the South, he notched a goal and an assist in the 3–2 victory.
On August 23, 2008, in a Scottish Premier League game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie Stadium, Beasley looked to have scored his first goal of the campaign, however the goal was wrongly ruled out for offside.[15] Beasley helped Rangers win the SPL title for 2008–09 being awarded a championship medal after appearing in 10 league games during the season.
During the 2009–10 season, Beasley saw little playing time with Rangers. He stated in December 2009 that he would seek a move away from the club during the upcoming January transfer window in order to secure a place in the United States squad for the 2010 World Cup. Shortly after this declaration, Beasley was given a run of games in the Rangers team during the month of December. He had some impressive performances, scoring in games against Dundee United and Motherwell. After the Motherwell game Beasley expressed his desire to stay with Rangers and help them retain the Scottish Premier League title. Although Rangers won the title, Beasley was not entitled to a championship medal, having played in only 8 games, less than the 25% required.[16]
Hannover
On August 30, 2010, Beasley signed a two-year contract with Hannover.[17] He made his debut on September 18, 2010, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute in a 2–0 away loss to VFL Wolfsburg.
Puebla
On June 22, 2011, Beasley joined Mexican Primera División side Club de Fútbol Puebla.[18] Beasley scored his first goal for Puebla in his unofficial debut against Monterrey in the Copa Tijuana.[19]
International career
Beasley has also excelled for the United States national team, getting his first cap January 27, 2001, against China. He played for the Under-20 team at the 2001 World Youth Championship in Argentina. Beasley then earned a place with the U.S. squad that finished in the quarterfinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he played in all three group stage matches. He was a key part of the United States national team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2013. For the 2013 Gold Cup, Beasley was the team's captain.
Beasley, along with fellow young midfielder Landon Donovan, was criticized by fans and U.S. coach Bruce Arena for poor play during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He set up the USA's only goal (scored by Clint Dempsey) against Ghana and had a potential game-winning goal disallowed against Italy when Brian McBride was adjudged to be screening Gianluigi Buffon in an offside position.
In a 2010 World Cup qualification fourth-round game against Trinidad and Tobago, Beasley went the full ninety minutes at left back. Beasley remarked that this was the first time in his career he had played an entire game at the position.[20]
As Beasley struggled with injuries and playing time at Rangers, he saw his national team form drop considerably. During the second game of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup against Brazil, Beasley lost the ball on a short corner kick, creating a Brazil counter-attack that resulted in a goal. He was substituted shortly after and did not make an appearance for the rest of the tournament.
Beasley was named by USA coach Bob Bradley to the United States' 23-man roster for the 2010 World Cup but made only one substitute appearance in a group stage match against Algeria. After making four substitute appearances in the next two and a half years, Beasley was called for up 2014 World Cupqualifiers in March 2013. He started at leftback and received strong reviews in a victories over Costa Rica, Jamaica, Panama, and a draw against Mexico. [21]In July 2013, United States National Team manager Jürgen Klinsmann named Beasley captain for the 2013 Gold Cup, where he started at left back for five of the six games the USMNT played. The United States won the tournament
