Much to the inevitable dismay of Jason Kreis and RSL fans across the nation, Kyle Beckerman played a full 90 minutes for the U.S. Men’s National Team in their 1-1 draw against Mexico, winning his 13th cap along the way. Despite some worrying scenes in the first half when it appeared Beckerman had been done in by a sliding tackle, it seems likely — or at least possible — that he’ll be fit for Saturday’s RSL match in Toronto.
But despite concerns around Beckerman’s health and fitness in a run of seven games in three weeks, our Claret and Cobalt-wearing captain showed Jürgen Klinsmann what he’s capable of in a national team system — even if his cohorts flattered to deceive on more than one occasion.
Playing largely in a double pivot system in the first half, with Jermaine Jones in the second defensive midfield slot, Beckerman found some neat passes and broke down play effectively, and his movement was acceptable if not stellar. His partnership with Jones was rather ineffective, though, as the German-born American crowded space and failed to utilize the intricacies of the pivot in any effective way.
That isn’t to say that Beckerman had a perfect match — he’s a player that thrives on understanding and cooperation among teammates, and without that, it becomes difficult for his play to reach the connective heights he does with the club — but he certainly shone in the first half, and in the second half he was effective and efficient.
Now, I’ve heard various complaints about his play during the match, most of which focus on his not moving the ball quickly enough in the first half, instead lingering a bit. While I admit that is the case, it’s not without an explanation: Nobody (really, I mean nobody) made effective forward runs into space in the first half.
The favored boy Landon Donovan (here’s where everybody swoons, right?) didn’t understand his positional responsibilities until he was put in a central role in the last 20 minutes, but even still was somehow found unable to make even a simple pass. His runs on the wing — something he does quite often from a forward position, so his positioning is hardly an excuse — were practically non-existent.
Perhaps I am in the minority, but I’m awfully tired of Landon Donovan. He only looked happy and willing to play the ball when he was given a more free role, and I’m not at all convinced that he’s good enough to play in a completely free role. If he — and the rest of the team — can’t do simple things well, they don’t deserve to be playing for their national team. Donovan may have upped his play in the last 20 minutes, but he deserves to be criticized for those first 70 minutes.
Up front alongside Donovan in a makeshift three-man forward line, Torres and Buddle were generally found missing, and Michael Bradley was perhaps played out of position but unable to make a difference: It all combined in the first half to leave Beckerman with no space to pass the ball into, no space to move himself into, and even fewer simple passing options. If he lingered on the ball, it’s because nobody was doing the work necessary to open up those channels for him, and if we’ve seen anything in the last few weeks from Kyle Beckerman, it’s that he can hit a killer pass.
At any rate, Kyle Beckerman can come out of the match knowing he performed above expectations, and he showed a nation of doubters that, yes, he can play at the international level. We’ve seen him week-in-week-out in our colors, and to be sure, we’re lucky to be able to do that. He works incredibly hard and puts an incredible amount of effort into everything he does, and even if he couldn’t make a pass (he can) or score the odd goal (oh, he can!) he’d still be a fan favorite. But you throw those final considerations in, and a national team call-up was certainly on the cards.
The hard part now is, well, we have to share.
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