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designated players
another team, another chance
No one better defines the up-and-down life cycle of a professional athlete – or more importantly (and bumpier), that of an American footballer abroad – than DaMarcus Beasley: the name garners both praise and cynicism wherever I bring it up. Would a move to the English Premier League change any of that? We’re about to find out.
4.5 years in Chicago built up nice promise. A move to PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands continued the uphill climb. Peaks came with a strong 2002 international campaign and a stronger Champion’s League showing two years ago. And then the waterfall: his play plunged off the fanfare cliffs as a litany of hamstring injuries acted as the concrete boots drowning the hope of thousands of fans. In the wake was and is one giant valley. It’s no Hetch Hetchy, but it has been slowly filling with questions of confidence for the man once described as having gone farther in Europe than any American.
2005-2006 has undoubtedly been hard for DB, but he’s getting another chance. And nothing equals rebirth and regeneration for an athlete like a change of scenery (not to mention a change of coach). Just as the transfer deadline passed, PSV loaned the midfielder to Manchester City of England’s Premier League for the rest of the season. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.
the peanut gallery
what will the reaction be this time around?
Will he resurrect his career? Is he a good fit for the EPL?
- The hard-nose-to-the-highway EPL is not the best place for the injury prone speedster, but the US MNT fan is psyched to see him get a chance at a higher level, hopefully putting a hard shell on Mr. Softee – or Rubber Man, because he sure does seem to bounce back up from those falls.
Will he help continue the rise of Man City (who just beat my team, Arsenal) or will he be slipping back into those concrete boots?
- Man City is surely an up-and-comer, and the management and fan base are expecting bigger returns this year (and have seen them so far). Several moves, including the DB acquisition, should strengthen the team further. But have they overlooked the fact that Claudio Reyna, the former U.S. captain who also plays for Manchester City, tends to be poison when it comes to playing with other Americans (or is that just World Cup bitterness and what I like to call the Wynalda Effect)?
laying back in the cut
GLEN
on Sep 7th, 2006 - 9:43pm
i hope so, it would be good for all americans, especially African americans who have yet to embrace the beautiful game.
john
on Sep 7th, 2006 - 9:47pm
isnt it about time for claudio to call it quits anyway? hes not getting any better. DB will be fine in the epl, should be a good revival to his career.
Deanna
on Sep 7th, 2006 - 10:37pm
This is an excellent opportunity for him! The EPL is the best you can get. Props—I LOVE Arsenal. (Hopefully we’ll do well this year with the new transfers!!!) While Man City is still an up and coming team…playing against teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool CAN provide him with a career boost.
Alex Velasco
on Sep 15th, 2006 - 5:18pm
this will be a great move for DB i think. he’s a heck of a player, he just suffer’s from the disease that separates american soccer from european level football, softness. except for a handful of players, which does include cobi jones and more recently Gouch, american soccer players lack the hard nose offense that players in europe demonstrate. too many times have i seen a player in the MLS run full speed towards the goal, and then turn around and throw a pass back to the safety zone, we need to be more gutsy. but i digress, as far as DB is concerned, i think he’ll be fine in the english premier. so much so that i’m getting excited to see a better beasly on the 2010 US MNT in africa.
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