At 27 years of age, DaMarcus Beasley should be in his athletic prime. However, the Fort Wayne native, once a "golden child" of U.S. soccer, finds himself at a crossroads. Although he played every minute of the first four matches of World Cup qualifying, Beasley has failed to find a consistent position. Against Honduras, Beasley came on in the 75th minute – first playing striker and then moving to right back when Jonathan Bornstein cramped up.
Coach Bob Bradley has made it clear that Beasley's future with the national team depends on the player's ability to get more consistent playing time with a club team. Since recovering from a knee injury in 2008, Beasley has seen limited action with Rangers of Scotland. "The second half of the season with the (Glasgow, Scotland) Rangers was difficult for him," Bradley said. "When you bring players in for the national team and they haven't been playing (for their club team) you have tough decisions to make." Rumors have circulated about Beasley moving to another European club, anywhere from the Netherlands to Spain, or even back to Major League Soccer. This summer, Beasley needs to raise his level of play not only to impress Bradley, but any future club team as well.
Beasley will fly to Johannesburg, South Africa today with the rest of his teammates to prepare for the Confederations Cup beginning June 15. "I'm going to South Africa," Beasley said. "The Gold Cup is up in the air. The European players obviously want to get a break at some point, but if Bob wants me to play, I'll make myself available."