DaMarcus Beasley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

DaMarcus Beasley starred at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, winning the Silver Ball as the tournament's second best player, behind teammate Landon Donovan. He emerged as a star with the Chicago Fire, scoring 14 goals and recording 20 assists over 4.5 seasons while being named to the league Best XI in 2003. His move to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in 2004 saw him become the first American to play in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, against Milan, where he led his team with 4 goals in 12 Champions League matches. He later spent time in the Premier League with Manchester City, in the Scottish Premier League for Rangers—where he became the second American to play for the Rangers' first team, after Claudio Reyna—and in the Bundesliga for Hannover 96. He finished his career with spells with Puebla and Houston Dynamo. Beasley is the only U.S. man to play in four FIFA World Cups, his first in 2002 and his latest in 2014, earning 126 caps during his 16-year international career.

In Their Own Story

On May 28, 2005, PSV advanced to the final of the 2004–05 KNVB Cup by defeating Feyenoord in a penalty shootout after Beasley's goal in the final minute of regulation tied the match. In the Champions League semi-final first leg, PSV lost 2–0 at the San Siro, while in the second leg, PSV won 3–1 at Philips Stadion, though they were eliminated based on the away goals rule. On October 2, 2007, Beasley was influential in Rangers' 3–0 win against Lyon in the Champions League group stage. He was involved in all three Rangers goals: his inswinging corner was headed in by Lee McCulloch, his wide pass to Alan Hutton allowed him to set up Daniel Cousin for the second, and he took a 50-meter aerial pass from Cousin while on the run, controlled, and finished. Beasley was named Man of the Match. On February 19, 2019, Beasley and the Dynamo opened the season with a Champions League match against Guastatoya; Beasley scored the only goal of the match, hitting a weak foot volley from outside the box to give the Dynamo the win.

Reader's Guide

DaMarcus Beasley is the only U.S. man to play in four FIFA World Cups, his first in 2002 and his latest in 2014, earning 126 caps during his 16-year international career. He played both as a left winger and left-wing back throughout his career. At the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, he won the Silver Ball as the tournament's second best player. With the Chicago Fire, he scored 14 goals and recorded 20 assists over 4.5 seasons and was named to the league Best XI in 2003. At PSV, he helped them win their 18th league title and became the first American to play in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. At Rangers, he became the second American to play for the first team, after Claudio Reyna, and scored his first goal for the club against FK Zeta in a Champions League qualifier on August 7, 2007, becoming the first American to score for two clubs in the competition. He helped Rangers win the SPL title for 2008–09, being awarded a championship medal after appearing in ten league matches during the season. With Houston Dynamo, he was named an MLS All Star in 2015 and 2017, and received the MLS Fair Play Individual Award in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Beasley is the only U.S. man to play in four FIFA World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014).
• He won the Silver Ball as the second best player at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, behind teammate Landon Donovan.
• Beasley became the first American to play in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, with PSV against Milan in 2005.
• He became the first American to score for two clubs in the UEFA Champions League, scoring for PSV and Rangers.
• Beasley received the MLS Fair Play Individual Award in 2017.