Kyle Beckerman provides sturdy midfield foundation for USA in Mexico draw

Posted Friday, August 12, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

PHILADELPHIA - A lot has changed in the 47 days since the United States lost to Mexico in the Gold Cup Final on June 25. Most notably, the new coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, has hair.

He's also got a different view of the players at his disposal.

Kyle Beckerman has hung around the outskirts of the U.S. national team for a few years, earning spot minutes on second-tier squads. But for a friendly rematch of the Gold Cup final, with Maurice Edu injured, Klinsmann turned to Beckerman to act as his point man at the base of midfield.

The Real Salt Lake captain consistently boasts some of the best passing statistics in MLS, and with Klinsmann eager to emphasize quality transitions out of defense, the 29-year-old earned a somewhat surprise start. He didn't disappoint.

“The way Kyle Beckerman played his No.6 role in front of the back four was exceptional,” the German gushed after the match.

Of course, with the relative unfamiliarity of first-team international play, the dreadlocked midfielder started slightly off pace, as did the entire American team. However, it found its footing in the second, surging back to equalize and hold the better of play in the last half hour of the 1-1 draw in Lincoln Financial Field.

“I think it took [Beckerman] a little while to figure the game out,” said teammate Landon Donovan. “But I think all in all he had a really solid performance.

"I think Jurgen's given him a lot of confidence this week. It's nice for a guy who didn't get a sniff last time to now get a chance and do well with his opportunity. I hope he gets to come back in. He's the kind of guy who has a real ability to learn and progress.”

Though they are the same age, Donovan has some 120-odd caps more than Beckerman and is the USA all-time leader in goals (46) and assists (47). He's scored five times against El Tri, so he knows better than most what the Americans need to do to close the gap on a sparkling Mexico side.

“Just technically, they're more advanced than most teams in the world," Donovan said. "They've got players that can do things a lot of teams don't have. And they're playing well as a team.

“It was good for us to realize that when we do things the right way, not only can we compete at that level, but we can put them in uncomfortable situations and we can press them and we can take the life out of them. If we continue to do that, even against good teams, we're going to be successful.”

As Klinsmann sets about building his team with the lofty goal of becoming one of the world's top 10 teams, Beckerman proved he may just be ready to contribute to that end.