Jurgen Klinsmann Talks DaMarcus Beasley's Future, Gold Cup Loss to Jamaica
United States men's national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann indicated DaMarcus Beasley's career as a U.S. international may come to an end after the team's 2015 Gold Cup third-place match against Panama on Saturday, speaking to the press after the Stars and Stripes' disappointing loss at the hands of Jamaica.
As shared by Goal USA's Thomas Floyd, he left the door open for a potential return:
The full-back told reporters he still wants to be a part of the team, although it's unclear whether that would be as a player or in some other capacity, per the squad's official Twitter account:
The 33-year-old defender announced his retirement from international football in 2014 before returning to the side for the Gold Cup, at the request of Klinsmann, per MLSSoccer.com's Darrell Lovell.
Favourites to win this year's Gold Cup, the Stars and Stripes needed some veteran leadership in defence, and Beasley fit the bill. After some initial struggles and a big 6-0 win over Cuba, the USA appeared to be on pace to meet Mexico in the final, before Jamaica crushed the American dreams by beating the hosts 2-1.
Klinsmann refused to elaborate on the disappointing loss, choosing to focus instead on the upcoming match against Panama:
He told reporters he understands how badly everyone wanted to win the Gold Cup, but the German doesn't believe the loss has to be such a bad thing for his side, per Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com:
Klinsmann has faced a ton of criticism in the wake of the loss, with some, like the Washington Post's Des Bieler, even suggesting his position as head coach of the team should be in question.
But the former Germany international told reporters he doesn't mind the criticism at all, and he even suggested it might be a sign the sport is continuing to grow in the United States, per Tannenwald.
Meanwhile, Beasley refused to give a definitive answer when asked whether Saturday's match against Panama would indeed by his final game for the national team, per ESPN's Doug McIntyre:
The Houston Dynamo wide man likely expected his team to qualify for the final of the tournament, which would have been the perfect occasion to say goodbye to the national team after more than a decade of loyal service.
Instead, he may have to settle for a third-place play-off match, and with the USA hosting next year's Copa America, he may be tempted to postpone his retirement for one last hurrah.
