By AVI CREDITOR
PHILADELPHIA -- With the bevy of European-club-based central midfielders vying for starting roles with the United States men's national team, it's easy to overlook Real Salt Lake's workhorse, Kyle Beckerman.
Sure, he's a perennial standout in Major League Soccer, but he rarely gets the opportunity to shine with a first-team squad on the international stage.
Wednesday night that changed for the 29-year-old Beckerman. He earned the start and played 90 minutes against Mexico and held his own while shielding the back line, earning high praise from coach Jurgen Klinsmann in the process.
"The way Kyle Beckerman played his No. 6 role in front of the back four was exceptional," Klinsmann said.
"(Klinsmann) wanted me to hold in there and be that safety net in front of the back four, because they play a unique formation and have one forward sitting and trying to find little spaces behind the midfield and the back four," Beckerman said. "He wanted me to sit in there and clean it up and get on the ball if you can and just try and help the team."
He did just that on a number of occasions, winning the ball in his own end and drawing a number of fouls to thwart Mexican possession and turn the tide.
It wasn't a flawless performance by Beckerman and the central midfield unit, as the entire contingent struggled to hold possession during the opening half hour, when the United States appeared to be on its heels in the face of high Mexican pressure.
As the game wore on, though, Beckerman appeared to ease into his role, and the spacing around him seemed to improve while the United States seized momentum.
"We were kind of confused the way we were pressing in the midfield, but we kind of figured it out in the second half and we were able to put a little more pressure up higher and cause them to make unforced errors, and we started to win the ball in better positions," Beckerman said.
One of those times nearly led to a goal. In the 73rd minute, Beckerman stepped forward to make a well-timed tackle and keep the ball in Mexico's end. His intervention led to Landon Donovan setting up Juan Agudelo for a chance inside the area that was eventually cleared away.
"It took him a little while to figure the game out, but all-in-all he had a really solid performance," Donovan said. "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 to 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, and this week things were picked up at a different level than he's used to, but he's adapted well, and with more time I think he can be really good."
