DaMarcus Beasley is not ready to close the door on his international career. The ironman left back is fresh off his fourth World Cup, the only American to pull off the feat, and embarking on a new chapter in his career with the Houston Dynamo.
In the back room of a local pub during a World Cup roundtable with fellow Brazil veterans Brad Davis, Luis Garrido and Boniek García, the man who has earned an international cap in each of the past 14 years made it clear he’s not calling it quits.
“I’m still available until Jurgen [Klinsmann, US head coach] tells me or doesn’t call me in,” Beasley told the media. “I’m sure if it did go [that way] that I’ll have a chat with Jurgen and get his thoughts on how long or how he sees a fit or if he watches my games or what he thinks. I’m still available; I’m not retiring anytime soon.”
There are big tournaments where Beasley could help the US coming up. The team will play in the Gold Cup in the summer of 2015 before participating in the Copa América Centenario in 2016, which will combine both CONCACAF and CONMEBOL teams.
For now, the left back is not ruling anything out but did joke that he would definitely retire before 2018. However, when asked if he would entertain the idea of playing in a fifth World Cup his competitive side came out.
“Of course, I’m a footballer. At the end of the day, I want to play at the highest level for as long as possible,” Beasley said. “I’m not going to give that position away easily. I’m gonna fight until my legs can’t run, until Jurgen says we’re going another way.
“If Jurgen sees me in 2018 that I’m still the left back of the US national team then great, but I’m realistic and know the quality we have in this country.”
That’s the long-term outlook. The immediate goal is getting on the field for the Dynamo. During the same interview his availability for Sunday’s game vs. D.C. United (7 p.m. CT; TICKETS) went from no to yes.
The reason for the uncertainty was the status of his international transfer certificate that must be obtained when a player moves clubs, in this case from Mexico’s Puebla. It is common for that process to go down to the wire as clubs deal with player movement.
“From my understanding, it’s that they’re still holding some papers of mine in Mexico that we need to complete the transfer,” Beasley said before getting the good news. “They’re holding it hostage. Physically I’m fine. It’s just complications in Mexico that we need to resolve before Sunday to have a chance to play Sunday.”
Just after that Dynamo president Chris Canetti poked his head through a few reporters and said “you’re good” and just like that, the prospects of his involvement Sunday were left to just the on-the-field matters.
Beasley has had just four training sessions under his belt with his new club that all come after a three-week layoff following the World Cup.
“I don’t really get unfit. I’m a pretty fit guy usually,” Beasley said. “If [the coach] sees I need another week of training, I need another week of training. If he sees I’m fit to play, I’m fit to play. Depends on how he sees it and this game Sunday.”
That decision will fall to head coach Dominic Kinnear, who told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday there is still some time to digest their options.
“We have an idea,” the Dynamo boss said. “We have an idea of what we’re doing.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
