DaMarcus Beasley Minnesota United vs. Houston Dynamo by Andy Witchger – Wikimedia Commons

10 Things You Might Not Know About Damarcus Beasley


 

DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is a retired professional footballer from the United States of America. He played primarily as a left winger but could and was utilized often as a left-wingback.

Beasley retired at the end of the 2019 MLS season. This signaled the end of an industrious career on both club and the national side. Anyone who followed the USMNT during his playing days will tell you Beasley running down and marauding on the left wing was a sight to behold.

Damarcus’ club career is an interesting one too. He played for teams on various continents including Europe and both North and South America. So, here are some facts about Damarcus Beasley that you might not be aware of.

1. Made His Debut for The USMNT against China in 2001

Beasley was a regular feature for the USA’s under-20 teams. He featured at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina.

After the tournament, he got his first call-up for the USMNT. He made his debut on January 27th, 2001 against China. At the time Beasley was 18 years old and this game marked the beginning of a very industrious career on the international stage.

2. Won 4 CONCACAF Gold Cup

DaMarcus Beasley (USA) by Steindy – Wikimedia Commons

Damarcus had a very industrious career for the USA’s men’s national team. In a career that lasted from 2001 to 2017, he played in several competitions.

However, he found profound success in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The competition is held every 2 years and is participated by football teams governed by CONCACAF. This includes teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Beasley played in every tournament of the cup from 2002 to 2017 winning it 4 times. That is in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2013. He also won it in 2017 although he did not play.

3. Part of The USMNT Squad That Reached The 2002 WC Quarterfinals

Having made his USMNT debut in 2001, Beasley was selected for the 2002 World Cup held jointly by both Japan and South Korea.

He took the world by storm at the tournament alongside another young future USMNT star by the name of Landon Donovan. You might have heard of him; he was a decent player, to say the least.

He played in all 3 group-stage games at the tournament but was dropped for the rest of the knockout games against Mexico and Germany as they reached the quarterfinals. This is USMNT’s best World Cup finish since 1930 and to date.

4. He Won the Golden Boot at the 2005 Gold Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is probably the competition where Beasley found happiness more often than not. One of his best showings in front of a goal at a major tournament came at the competition.

This was in the 2005 installment of the tournament where he was the top scorer. He scored 3 goals at the tournament including 2 in the quarterfinal. During the 2005 tournament, four other players scored three goals, but Beasley’s two goals in the knockout phase helped him win the Golden Boot.

To win the second of Beasley’s four Gold Cups, the USMNT defeated Panama in the championship game on penalties at Giants Stadium.

5. He Played At 4 World Cup Tournaments

The USMNT squad in the 2013 friendly against Austria. DaMarcus is in the front row, second from left by Steindy – Wikimedia Commons

Beasley’s career was one of the best of his generation. His international career was impressive, to say the least. In his time as a USMNT player, he managed to play at 4 different World Cup tournaments.

He was the first American men’s player to appear at 4 World Cups. Beasley was also the first American player to take part in 5 WC qualification cycles. This includes the qualifiers for the 2018 installment of the tournament which he did not play as he had retired by then.

6. Replaced Arjen Robben at PSV Eindhoven

In 1999, Beasley signed for LA Galaxy but was traded to the Chicago fire before making an appearance. He excelled at Chicago scoring 14 goals and assisting 20 in 98 games.

This form almost earned him a move to Southampton FC in England but the move was blocked by the MLS which he did not like. In July 2004 however, Dutch club PSV Eindhoven signed him for $2.5 million on a 4-year contract. He was signed as a replacement for Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben who had just signed for Chelsea.

7. Played for Many European Clubs Including Manchester City

After signing for PSV in 2004, Dutch football proved unkind to him and he had a disappointing season individually. PSV did however win the championship that year.

In August 2006, Beasley signed with Premier League side Manchester City on a season loan. He returned to PSV at the end of the season before signing for Rangers (Scotland), and Hannover 96(Germany).

8. He Played For 2 Clubs in the MLS

Clint Dempsey (front) and DaMarcus Beasley (behind) in the MLS by Victor Araiza – Wikimedia Commons

Beasley may have found success outside the USA but it was in his home country that his career started and ultimately ended. He was signed by LA Galaxy but never made an appearance for them. The first club he played for was Chicago Fire from 2000 to 2004.

Toward the end of his career, he returned to the USA in 2014 and signed for Houston Dynamo. He played for Dynamo from 2014 to 2019. At this point in his career, he was being utilized mostly as a Left back which explains why he only scored 3 goals in 124 appearances.

9. Retired from International Football in 2014 But Came Back

Beasley for USMNT against Belgium’s Lukaku by Erik Drost – Wikimedia Commons

In December 2014, Beasley announced that he would be retiring from international football immediately. However, in 2015 he returned to the team at the request of the then-USMNT manager Jürgen Klinsmann.

His return was for him to feature at the 2015 Gold Cup. He only made 1 appearance at the tournament. It came in extra time against Panama in the 3rd place playoff and he missed the final penalty. He remained part of the squad until 2017 when he officially retired. His club career ended in 2019 at the end of the 2019 MLS campaign.

10. His Brother Was a Member of the USA’s National Futsal Team

Damarcus Beasley has an older brother by the name of Jamar Beasley. Like his younger brother, Jamar was also a footballer but his career path was different from Damarcus’.

He played for the United States under-20 futsal team, Cedar Rapids Rampage, the MLS, and the US under-20 team.