By GIANFRANCO PANIZO
DaMarcus Beasley's struggles for playing time may have taken a turn for the better two days ago after scoring in a friendly against AC Milan, but that highlight might have never happened had a German club gotten its way before the transfer deadline on Monday.
Beasley confirmed that Schalke 04 was interested in his services and that the German side almost made a last-minute deal for him.
"The Schalke thing was real, it was pretty close," Beasley told the BBC. "It was close. It went down to the wire; it just didn't happen. But I'm a Rangers player and I love being here."
Beasley's comments didn't sound like those of a player preparing for a move back to Major League Soccer, but you have to wonder if he is considering a return, especially as rumors persist that he could wind up in Los Angeles.
American fans will hope that Beasley's positive attitude results in some minutes at Ibrox Stadium as the United States national team heads into the beginning of a busy 2009 year that includes World Cup Qualifying, the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup.
What do you think of Beasley staying with Rangers? Think he'll see playing time in the second part of the season? Wish he would've made the move to Germany?
Share your thoughts below.
I don’t know what you guys are complaining about. But I clearly remember Beasley playing in MLS with Donovan when they had that good run in ’02 so why couldn’t it happen again regardless of where they play?
The German club passed on a good thing. I think the Bundesliga would be a better environment to showcase DeMarcus’ skills and flair, and he would probably spend much less time on the bench. All I really care about right now — filling up the Mexican net on Wednesday night!!!
My comment is that it makes me sick the way the league finds a way to channel any name player linked to MLS to either NY or LA. There are other struggling teams in this league that NEVER get any help.
Did Beasley give a reason as to why the deal didn’t happen?
Beasley, leave Rangers and Scotland, take Edu with you.
Beasley is easily good enough for regular playing time.
Why Smith will not give it to him is a mystery because at least in the press his attitude seems very positive.
I say Beasley should stick it out til at least the end of the SPL season and see what happens. After that, if Schalke comes calling in the Summer, he needs to leave the IBROX. MLS = NOT an option as he’d be labeled a Euro Failure. I say he should go to Portugal, Italy, or Spain.
Not to start an argument but when did Beasley become too good for MLS? Are you saying that he should just sit it out until something “better” comes along? What about the numerous French players that return to France when their “bigger league” aspirations fizzle out? Ask Quaresma how his four years in Portugal (after rotting on the bench at Barca) worked out in the final analysis.
Isn’t this the same Beasley who played like absolute crap for large periods of the last 2-3 years? I have nothing against him as a player, in fact I just want to see him play so he can be at his relative sharpest for WCQ and 2010. Is sitting on the bench anywhere good for his continued progress? We as American fans need to get over the inferiority stuff. No we aren’t the almighty EPL or even the SPL (well have y’all ever watched Motherwell v. Kilmarnock?)but PT is PT, period.
With so many American players in Europe coming back to play in MLS (again), the league will definitely become a stronger league which is always good. But you have to wonder who is going to be our starting left wing for this year and next year’s World Cup if Beasley and Convey end up playing in MLS. Ideally, you would like to have players in Europe competing at the highest level.
I know that Ching has been our starter at striker the last couple of years and we have had success in CONCACAF and against teams like Sweden, Poland, and South Africa, but what will happen when we play better teams from Europe (Italy, England, and Spain) and from South America (Brazil and Argentina)?
I would like to see our entire national team composed of players playing outside MLS in the top tier of European football. At least until MLS is played at a higher level defensively.
I don’t think Beas would last a month in Germany. That is one physical league with plenty of bone crunching tackles.
I think the German game makes a lot of sense for him. His combination of speed, ability to cross and tenacity to play both ways would make him ideal for the structure and control of Germany. Schalke is a very good club and I hate to break it to all the Rangers and Celtic diehards but that league sucks and the Bundesliga would be step up for competition on gameday. There is two teams who win every year in the SPL and then the rest of the league is junk. If the MLS took its best players and put it on one team (essentially what the Scottish Premier League is with Rangers and Celtic) then they would dominate that league (oh wait this sounds like when our all-star team kicked Celtic’s ass.)
Beasley’s best days are finished. As much as all US fans love him an appreciate what he has contributed, we need to realize that it is time to move on.
Jesse,
2/20.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/26/sports/SOC-World-Cup-2010-Tickets.php
He needs to be playing, period. Whether it’s for Schalke, Rangers, or in MLS. He’s not much good to the USMNT in 2010 unless he’s getting regular first team action.
@Simms, Beasley goal:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2051657/
Playing time at LAG < training and fighting for a spot at Rangers.
This is a somewhat unrelated question….but i was wondering if we have any USMNT players/rising players that can deliver crosses into the box from the wings. Eddie Lewis could, but he’s on his way out. I dont think this is beasley’s or dempsey’s or donovan’s (when he does play RM) strengths…..but i was wondering if i’m wrong about those guys or if the upcoming guys like torres can service balls up. We need somebody to hit Altidore’s head in the coming years!
Any help for my lack of knowledge is appreciated.
He should stick it out. If things don’t progress, move to the next best option over the summer (and that’s not MLS for him.)
I think it would just be the Bee’s Knee’s if DMB came to help us (Galaxy) out on the left side. My only question is what happened to Eddie Lewis?
What a class act. Adu and Feilhaber could use a mentor like that.
Beasley needs playing time… If its for Rangers, or Schalke or LA… He just needs to be on the field playing…
What about the possibility of a loan move back to MLS? That would seem to make sense for a Rangers player who can’t get minutes with the first team.
If he is willing to stay and fight for a starting spot, good for him. It will build his character if he has to FIGHT for a spot, instead of moving to a team that will GIVE him a spot.
I just hope that he fights in training, because we really need him 100% fit and ready come next Wednesday.
Any links to the Beasley goal on AC Milan? Thanks in advance!
If he can get the playing time he needs with Gers, great. If not, he needs to be willing to go somewhere he can play. We need our best players in top form for WCQ and the Confed Cup this year!
The Beaz would have linked up with his PSV former partner-in-crime, Peruvian striker, Jefferson “Foquita” Farfan, had this gone through. 🙂
Foca is currently struggling at Schalke and may have benefited from hooking up with DMB again.
There were some pretty cool videos and in-depth articles in the past about Farfan and Foca clowning around and clicking when both signed for the Dutch team. I found it pretty funny since Farfan can’t speak a lick of English and Beasley barely speaks Spanish. That’s the beauty of the game.
id rather he played in germany with schalke, who’s a prestigious side, but id assume that ‘gers will give him more pt now. if they dont, then come back to the us and kick some ass before maybe giving it another go in europe. he’s fast as hell, but i dont know if he’s big enough to play regularly for an premier league side. i do think that he will right the ship for himself soon.
does anyone know when world cup tickets will go on sale. fifa.com says feb 2009…
Please, please, please don’t come back to the MLS. If he enjoys being there and thinks he can fight for a spot then stay but if he has to/wants to leave then go to Germany/Spain/Holland/France. He’s “too good” for the MLS and he’s still only 26(?). No reason to waste his good years in the MLS.
We need our national players in top form and that means getting minutes. So I think it would have been good for him to move to the German league to play more. It sounds like he making those comments about being a ranger and loving it there to brown nose a bit to get more playing time.
Hey if he likes it there all the power to him. Bob Bradley might not like the fact that he’s rotting away on a bench, but it seams like DMB is having a good time in Glasgow. All the best to him!