 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kyle Robert Beckerman | ||
| Date of birth | April 23, 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Crofton, Maryland, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Real Salt Lake | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999 | IMG Soccer Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2001 | Miami Fusion | 3 | (1) |
| 2000 | → MLS Pro-40 (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2002–2007 | Colorado Rapids | 145 | (10) |
| 2007– | Real Salt Lake | 173 | (21) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1999 | United States U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 2007– | United States | 33 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of September 16, 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 20, 2013 | |||
Kyle Robert Beckerman (born April 23, 1982 in Crofton, Maryland) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He is aholding midfielder and also serves as team captain for Real Salt Lake.
Career
Youth
Beckerman began his career participating in various youth leagues in the Bowie, Maryland area. He played for the United States in the 1999 Under-17 World Cup in New Zealand. After graduating fromArundel High School,[1] he signed a Nike Project-40 contract with MLS on June 27, 2000. Beckerman however had been involved with the league for the previous few years, having been one of the inaugural students at the United States Soccer Federation's Bradenton Academy, which also featured Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, and Bobby Convey.
Professional
Two days after he signed with the league, the Miami Fusion claimed Beckerman. Beckerman hardly played in his first two years, however, registering only 110 minutes his first year and only 14 his second after breaking his leg playing in the A-League. He went on loan with MLS Project 40 in 2000.[2]
After the Fusion were contracted at the end of the 2001 season, Beckerman was selected 11th overall in the 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft by the Colorado Rapids. In his first year with the Rapids, Beckerman again saw limited time, playing 477 minutes and registering one assist. In his second season, however, he finally broke through, starting 24 games and playing 2124 minutes, registering five assists, as a central midfielder. Beckerman did much the same in 2004, starting consistently but rarely impressing greatly. Beckerman remained a regular starter through the 2005 and 2006 seasons, playing an increasingly important role for the Rapids. He finished the 2006 season with seven goals and four assists, making him one of Colorado's top offensive players that year.
On July 16, 2007, Beckerman was traded to Real Salt Lake for Mehdi Ballouchy.[3] He quickly established himself as a team leader for RSL despite joining the team in mid-season. He took over the captain's armband early in the 2008 season. He started all 38 matches for Salt Lake that year, helping the team reach the Western Conference Final (the club's first-ever playoff appearance). Also in 2008, he was named to the MLS All-Star Inactive List for the second consecutive season.
Beckerman continued as RSL's team captain throughout the 2009 season. During the year, he became the youngest player in MLS history to appear in 200 games. At mid-season, MLS Commissioner Don Garber added Beckerman and teammate Javier Morales to the roster for the 2009 MLS All-Star Game played July 29 at RSL's Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. RSL struggled through an up-and-down regular season, finishing with a losing record (11–12–7) and barely qualifying for postseason play. But with Beckerman leading the way, the team completed a stunning sweep through the playoffs, capped with a shootout victory over Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2009 MLS Cup championship.
International
Beckerman has represented the United States on multiple levels of competition. He made his first international appearance in 1997 as a member of the U-16 National Team (in a match against France). He made 40 appearances for the U-17 National Team, starting 36 times and scoring 15 goals. He started all six games in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand, helping the U.S. to a fourth place finish in the tournament. He also played for the U-23 National Team in the 2004 Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Mexico.
Beckerman's first appearance for the Senior National Team came January 20, 2007 in a friendly match against Denmark. He was named to the U.S. roster for the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela, where he earned two caps: he entered as a reserve againstArgentina, then played the full 90 minutes against Colombia. In July 2009, he was named to the U.S. roster for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He started all six matches for the United States, helping his team to a second-place finish in the tournament. On July 18, 2009 he scored his first international goal in the quarterfinal match against Panama. On August 27, 2009, Beckerman was named to the national team roster for two World Cup qualifier matches: against El Salvador (September 5) andTrinidad & Tobago (September 9). He entered the match against El Salvador as a second half substitute.
In August 2011, Beckerman re-joined Team USA at the invitation of new coach Jürgen Klinsmann. He played all 90 minutes in a friendly match against Mexico (a 1–1 draw) on August 10, and was a halftime substitute in a friendly against Belgium (a 1–0 loss) on September 6. Since that time, Beckerman has been a regular on the national team.
Throughout July of 2013, Beckerman was called up for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup alongside Real Salt Lake teammates Nick Rimando and Tony Beltran. Both Beckerman and Rimando started in 5 out of 6 games while Beltran started in only one match in home stadium Rio Tinto Stadium, where the trio played a full 90 minutes in front of their home crowd. Beckerman made 3 assists throughout the tournament until making to the final. On July 28, 2013, Beckerman played a full 90 minutes with Rimando to help secure the United States' 5th Gold Cup championship against Panama in a 1-0 victory. It was his first Gold Cup title as well as Rimando's and Beltran's.
