DaMarcus Beasley Call-Up Brings Much-Needed Experience to USMNT Defense

United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made three changes to his squad for the knockout stages of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, in accordance with tournament rules. The additions of Joe Corona and Alan Gordon have the potential to help the midfield and forward line, respectively, but the call-up of DaMarcus Beasley is the one to note.

At 33 years old, Beasley is an accomplished international with more than 120 senior caps. A veteran of four World Cups, the left-back will bring an abundance of experience and maturity to the U.S. squad, which is exactly what the back line needs following a shaky group stage.

"Having DaMarcus come into the team is huge, because of his character, his giving nature, the spirit he brings, but also the high quality he brings," Klinsmann said, per Goal.com. "He brings a lot of experience into this group, and he’s hungry. He’s still as hungry as day one in his career."

Klinsmann added: "That (hunger) speaks for us having him back in the group and now it gives us a couple of different options on how to put pieces together."

Bob Levey/Associated Press

One option would be slotting Beasley in at his preferred left-back position, which would move Fabian Johnson across the formation to right-back. Doing so would allow Klinsmann to drop Timmy Chandler, whom opposing attackers have beaten repeatedly.

Bob Levey/Associated Press

Alternately, Klinsmann could use Beasley in tandem with Johnson, moving Johnson to left midfield. Whatever option he chooses, it seems unlikely that the German coach would have brought such an experienced player out of international retirement just to sit him on the bench.

On the contrary, Beasley's presence on the pitch should help steady some of the U.S. team's younger defenders, like center-backs Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks (the latter is suspended for the quarterfinals). Two years ago, Beasley captained the U.S. to the Gold Cup title with a 100-percent record.

As B/R's Joe Tansey noted before Klinsmann called Beasley up:

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Klinsmann can look no further than Beasley's most recent club match to see what he can offer to the Yanks. Beasley was a constant force on the left flank for Houston against San Jose on Friday night and left few spaces open when the Earthquakes attempted to counter. 

Beasley is a known quantity, and that may be exactly what Klinsmann needs to solidify his squad and repeat as Gold Cup champion. He would also bring a calming influence to the entire USMNT team, which isn't visible in the current defensive setup. The Yanks do have Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman in leadership roles in front of the back four, but no true leader has developed between the central midfielders and Brad Guzan in goal.

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Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Leadership, calming influence, known quantity—they maybe not the flashiest adjectives for describing a player, but they're certainly positive qualities for a veteran international footballer. And with the knockout stage starting up, those are precisely the traits Klinsmann will need in his squad.

In knockout football, any individual mistake can turn into a deadly blow that eliminates a team. Too many such errors occurred in the U.S. ranks during the group stage, so it's no surprise to see Klinsmann turning to a steady old pro like Beasley for what he hopes is a second consecutive championship run.

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