Kyle Beckerman

Kyle Beckerman

Personal information
Full name	Kyle Robert Beckerman
Date of birth	April 23, 1982 (1982-04-23)
Place of birth	Crofton, Maryland, United States
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Real Salt Lake
Number	5
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2001	Miami Fusion	3	(1)
2000–2001	→ MLS Pro-40 (loan)	7	(0)
2002–2007	Colorado Rapids	145	(10)
2007–	Real Salt Lake	121	(13)
National team‡
1999	United States U-17	6	(1)
2007–	United States	18	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 26, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of November 24, 2010

Kyle Beckerman (born April 23, 1982 in Crofton, Maryland) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He is a holding midfielder and also serves as team captain for Real Salt Lake.

Career

Youth

Beckerman began his career participating in various youth leagues in the Bowie, Maryland area. He played for the United States in the 1999 Under-17 World Cup in New Zealand. After graduating from Arundel High School, he signed a Nike Project-40 contract with MLS on June 27, 2000. Beckerman however had been involved with the league for the previous few years, having been one of the inaugural students at the United States Soccer Federation's Bradenton Academy, which also featured Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, and Bobby Convey.

Professional

Two days after he signed with the league, the Miami Fusion claimed Beckerman. Beckerman hardly played in his first two years, however, registering only 110 minutes his first year and only 14 his second after breaking his leg playing in the A-League. He went on loan with MLS Project 40 in 2000.

After the Fusion were contracted at the end of the 2001 season, Beckerman was selected 11th overall in the 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft by the Colorado Rapids. In his first year with the Rapids, Beckerman again saw limited time, playing 477 minutes and registering one assist. In his second season, however, he finally broke through, starting 24 games and playing 2124 minutes, registering five assists, as a central midfielder. Beckerman did much the same in 2004, starting consistently but rarely impressing greatly. Beckerman remained a regular starter through the 2005 and 2006 seasons, playing an increasingly important role for the Rapids. He finished the 2006 season with seven goals and four assists, making him one of Colorado's top offensive players that year.

On July 16, 2007, Beckerman was traded to Real Salt Lake for Mehdi Ballouchy. He quickly established himself as a team leader for RSL despite joining the team in mid-season. He took over the captain's armband early in the 2008 season. He started all 38 matches for Salt Lake that year, helping the team reach the Western Conference Final (the club's first-ever playoff appearance). Also in 2008, he was named to the MLS All-Star Inactive List for the second consecutive season.

Beckerman continued as RSL's team captain throughout the 2009 season. During the year, he became the youngest player in MLS history to appear in 200 games. At mid-season, MLS Commissioner Don Garber added Beckerman and teammate Javier Morales to the roster for the 2009 MLS All-Star Game played July 29 at RSL's Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. RSL struggled through an up-and-down regular season, finishing with a losing record (11-12-7) and barely qualifying for postseason play. But with Beckerman leading the way, the team completed a stunning sweep through the playoffs, capped with a shootout victory over Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2009 MLS Cup championship.

International

Beckerman has represented the United States on multiple levels of competition. He made his first international appearance in 1997 as a member of the U-16 National Team (in a match against France). He made 40 appearances for the U-17 National Team, starting 36 times and scoring 15 goals. He started all six games in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand, helping the U.S. to a fourth place finish in the tournament. He also played for the U-23 National Team in the 2004 Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Mexico.

Beckerman's first appearance for the Senior National Team came January 20, 2007 in a friendly match against Denmark. He was named to the U.S. roster for the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela, where he earned two caps: he entered as a reserve against Argentina, then played the full 90 minutes against Colombia. In July 2009, he was named to the U.S. roster for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He started all six matches for the United States, helping his team to a second-place finish in the tournament. On July 18, 2009 he scored his first international goal in the quarterfinal match against Panama. On August 27, 2009, Beckerman was named to the national team roster for two crucial World Cup qualifier matches: against El Salvador (September 5) and Trinidad & Tobago (September 9). He entered the match against El Salvador as a second half substitute.

In August 2011, Beckerman re-joined Team USA at the invitation of new coach Jürgen Klinsmann. He played all 90 minutes in a friendly match against Mexico (a 1-1 draw) on August 10, and was a halftime substitute in a friendly against Belgium (a 1-0 loss) on September 6.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
01.	July 18, 2009	Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA	Panama	1 – 1	2 – 1	2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Career statistics

Club

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
USA			League		Open Cup		League Cup		North America		Total
2000	Miami Fusion	Major League Soccer	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
2001			1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2002	Colorado Rapids		14	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	14	0
2003			28	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	32	0
2004			29	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	32	1
2005			30	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	33	1
2006			31	7	0	0	3	0	0	0	34	7
2007			13	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	1
2007	Real Salt Lake		15	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	2
2008			30	3	0	0	3	0	0	0	33	3
2009			25	3	1	0	4	0	0	0	29	3
2010			22	2	1	0	2	0	5	1	30	3
2011			29	3	0	0	3	0	4	0	36	3
Total	USA		269	24	5	0	22	0	9	1	305	25
Career total			269	24	5	0	22	0	9	1	305	25

Updated November 24, 2011

International

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States
	2007	3	0
	2008	0	0
	2009	7	1
	2010	2	0
	2011	6	0
Total		18	1

Statistics accurate as of match played November 24, 2011

Honors

Real Salt Lake

Team

• Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship (1): 2009
• Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2009

Individual

• MLS All-Star (3): 2009, 2010, 2011

See also

• List of current MLS players

External links

• MLS player profile