U.S. National Team Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann needed a calming influence on his lineup on Tuesday against Guatemala and knew exactly which leader to turn to. After already deploying veterans Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Geoff Cameron in a 2-0 loss on Friday in Guatemala City, Klinsmann had one more bullet in that chamber on his bench in Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman. In playing him in his three-man midfield on Tuesday, Klinsmann had a savvy leader that brought the intensity to the field that was lacking on Friday and the proof of his value was in the results and Guatemala was mostly futile in a 4-0 win for the U.S. at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
“Every team needs leadership from its veteran players. Clint and Michael and Kyle Beckerman – the way he cleaned everything up there on the field was tremendous,” Klinsmann said after the match in a video from U.S. Soccer. “I think Geoff Cameron grows more and more in a leader roll. That’s all good to see.”
Tuesday marked Beckerman’s 52nd cap with the U.S. National Team, more than any of the four field players that were replaced in Friday’s lineup and third-most among starters in either match, behind only Bradley and Dempsey.
Beckerman knew that the presence of some experienced players would make a difference in a match that was vital to U.S. Soccer’s survival in qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
“I think it definitely helped. A lot of us felt we’d been here before and we just have to stand up and we’ve got to go get it,” said Beckerman in a video from U.S. Soccer. “Last game, we didn’t like it, so we wanted to make it better and get back on track for qualifying. I think this wasn’t too big a moment for anybody. It felt good that we all were there and had each other’s backs and we were all ready to step up and get the job done tonight.”
The U.S. next plays in World Cup qualifying in September with a road match against St. Vincent & The Grenadines and a home match against Trinidad & Tobago to close out the Group Stage. The top two teams in the group will advance to the Hexagonal Round.
For more on Beckerman’s influence, read the following selection of stories:
American Soccer Now: Three Thoughts on the U.S. Victory over Guatemala
“Beckerman played deep and did what he does best: win the ball, make defensive stops, and maintain possession by completing a huge percentage of his passes. There are legitimate concerns about his age but Beckerman can still play that very deep midfield role as well as anybody in the U.S. player pool.”
MLS Soccer: USMNT's veteran leaders deliver in the clutch: "How bad do you want it?"
“After he was left out of the lineup in the 2-0 loss in Guatemala four days earlier, Kyle Beckerman provided a much-needed metronome in the center of the pitch.”
ESPN FC: Geoff Cameron, Kyle Beckerman excel for United States vs. Guatemala
“When given the right task in the right system -- namely, sitting in front of the backline with a couple of busy players ahead of him -- the Real Salt Lake man is dominant. He was just that against Guatemala when the Americans needed it.”
Bleacher Report: Veterans Beckerman, Cameron Help Calm USMNT in Vital Win over Guatemala
"You know he's there," (Graham) Zusi said of Beckerman. "Kyle's that rock behind you. He allows you to be more aggressive moving forward, and even defensively you can be aggressive because you just know he's there constantly. He's always breaking up stuff and keeping the ball for us."
