What DMB Adds to the USMNT

After several months off the radar for both club and country, DaMarcus Beasley has made a meteoric rise back to relevance on both fronts, resuscitating both his career at Rangers and his World Cup hopes. If you haven't been paying attention over the last month and a half, Beasley has taken advantage of a few opportunities to play for the SPL leaders, making a noticeable impact in practically every game he has entered. The fine run of form was most recently extended by a great performance against Dundee United on Tuesday, where Beasley scored a fantastic goal and set up another in a 3-0 win for the Glasgow side. Just like that, Beasley has vaulted himself from USMNT afterthought back to serious candidate for a spot in Bob Bradley's World Cup 23. The ramifications of Beasley's revival would be felt throughout the USMNT, assuming Bob Bradley gives the former Chicago Fire star the call. His presence on the roster would add depth and tons of international experience, while also facilitating potential lineup moves for the US coaching staff.

Now, before I begin delving into the potential effects of Beasley's presence with the USMNT, I just want to reiterate that it is still only December, and plenty could happen. For any of this to be relevant, Beasley has to stay healthy and continue to produce for Rangers, or he will find himself on the bench once more. Despite manager Walter Smith's assurances that Beasley would be able to get regular playing time leading up to the World Cup, it would be completely understandable if a poor run of form saw Beasley back on the sidelines. With that in mind, however, I'm going to move on to the potential positive effects that Beasley's resurgence could have on the USMNT, assuming that he will be able to stay relatively healthy and productive over the next couple of months.

The one glaring hole in the US roster remains the void left by Charlie Davies' unforunate injuries. While it would be nice if Davies' can complete his miraculous recovery in time for South Africa, that isn't any where close to being guaranteed, so Bob Bradley must continue to search for a suitable striker partner to compliment Jozy Altidore. Though Jeff Cunningham, Robbie Findley, and Eddie Johnson might not like to hear it, the best option forward the second striker spot is probably Clint Dempsey. Dempsey has tended to drift out of games when playing out wide, and he has also made his mark in his time at striker with the national team (see: 2009 Confederations Cup), so moving him up top seems like a logical idea. Dempsey has played at striker with solid results at Fulham, as well, so he is not unfamiliar with the role. Taking him out of the midfield is made a lot easier with the presence of a healthy and in-form DaMarcus Beasley. Even if Beasley does not start, he would provide fresh legs off the bench to spell Stuart Holden, who would be the favorite to take over at outside right midfield if Dempsey moved to striker. Beasley's speed and ability to run at defenders mesh nicely with the USMNT's counterattacking style, and he would also be another left-footed option for set-pieces (which there are not too many of on the USMNT roster), adding another dimension in the final third.

A relative lack of depth has been an issue for the USMNT, with fans needing to only look back to the weary legs struggling to hold on in the second half of the Confederations Cup final as evidence. If the US is to make another deep run in a FIFA tournament, it will be essential that the minutes can be distributed throughout a larger portion of the roster, rather than depending on 14 guys to hold up for the entire tournament through injury and fatigue. Adding Beasley to the mix gives Bob Bradley another option at outside midfield, and he would also be a player that Bradley would not be afraid to call on to start a World Cup match, given his extensive international experience. It must be noted too that, despite the lackluster showing in the Confederations Cup, Beasley could provide cover at left back. While many are hopeful that Edgar Castillo will at least be able to add depth to the position, left back could still very well be a relative weak spot in the lineup come June, and having another option never hurts.

Beyond just adding depth here and there, though, there is the simple fact that an in-form Beasley could be a huge boost to a US attack that has had its fair share of tepid performances and is fairly reliant on Landon Donovan for any kind of creative spark. His recent run with Rangers shows the bite he can add to an attack, as he provides quality service in addition to stretching the field with his cutting runs down the flank. Even if Beasley is unable to wrestle a starting spot away from Dempsey or Holden, his pace and ability to take on defenders would be assets late in games, making him a prime candidate for a super-sub role.

If you still have doubts about Beasley's reemergence, you should tune in to Rangers' game against Motherwell on Saturday. It's not just that he is playing well, it's that he looks like the pre-injury DaMarcus Beasley that was such an attacking threat in years past. He is playing with confidence, as shown by his fairly audacious strike earlier in the week, and he seems to have regained that bit of quickness that was missing over the summer.

Though he's just 27 years old, it feels and looks like we've got the "old" DaMarcus Beasley back, and it certainly is a welcome sight.