Former Houston Dynamo FC captain DaMarcus Beasley was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas on Saturday, May 6. Beasley was elected in his first year of eligibility following his retirement with the Dynamo in 2019.
Playing mostly as a defender during his time in Houston, Beasley tallied 137 appearances and five goals across all competitions during his six seasons with the club (2014-19).
“Without my family, I would not be here,” Beasley said. “I don’t mean here, on the stage. I mean as a person. My family stays with me. They’ve been to every World Cup, to all the countries I’ve played in. This is about family.”
Beasley’s time in Houston came with several memorable moments, including captaining the club to its first-ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship in 2018, captaining the club on a run to the Western Conference finals in 2017 and scoring a late game-winning goal against CD Guastatoya in Guatemala in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League.
The leader was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2018, the MLS Fair Play Individual Award in 2017 and the Dynamo Players’ Player of the Year in 2019.
A defender and midfielder on the national stage, Beasley made 126 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team between 2001 and 2017 and was the first American man to play in four World Cups. Beasley was a member of five CONCACAF Gold Cup winning squads, including earning Golden Boot honors and being named to the All-Tournament team in 2005.
Beasley signed his first professional contract with Major League Soccer in 1999 at the age of 16, eventually playing 11 seasons in Major League Soccer (LA Galaxy in 1999, Chicago Fire from 2000-04 and Houston Dynamo from 2014-19), earning five MLS All-Star selections, one Best XI selection and three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles (2000, 2003 and 2018).
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native also enjoyed success in Europe, playing in the UEFA Champions League and winning domestic league and cup trophies during stints with PSV Eindhoven (2004-07), Manchester City (loan 2006-07), Rangers FC (2007-10) and Hannover 96 (2010-11). He then moved to Puebla in Liga MX in 2011 prior to returning to Major League Soccer in 2014.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Beasley were U.S. National Team alumni Landon Donovan, Lauren Cheney Holiday and Kate Sobrero Markgraf, as well as former U.S. Women’s National Team coach Jill Ellis and indoor soccer legend Slavisa “Steve” Zungul. U.S. National Team alum Hope Solo entered the Hall of Fame after deferring her induction last year.
The Hall of Fame also honored Grant Wahl as the posthumous recipient of the 2023 Colin Jose Media Award, which honors journalists whose careers have made significant long-term contributions to soccer in the United States.
