This American with a PSV past played in four different World Cups

The United States national team is also getting ready for the start of the World Cup that the country is hosting together with neighboring countries Mexico and Canada. On behalf of Team USA, current PSV players Sergino Dest and Ricardo Pepi will represent the Americans, just like former PSV player Malik Tillman.

In the past, DaMarcus Beasley, a former PSV player, was active at four different World Cups. Beasley was active for PSV from 2004 to 2006 and played 126 caps for Team USA between 2001 and 2017.

Beasley played for Team USA at the World Cup 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. At the 2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea, the United States under head coach Bruce Arena surprised friend and foe by advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Current PSV captain, Earnest Stewart, was at the time also in the squad of the United States and, thanks in part to a strong performance by Landon Donovan, Arena's team reached the quarterfinal in which Germany proved too strong with a 1-0 win. Beasley played all three group stage matches, but in the matches against Mexico in the round of 16 and therefore against Germany in the quarterfinal, the former PSV player remained on the bench.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany went less well for Beasley and Team USA. The Americans were eliminated in the group stage by losses to the Czech Republic (0-3) and Ghana (2-1), while USA drew 1-1 against the eventual world champion Italy.

In the second group match against Italy, Beasley seemed as a substitute to be able to score the 1-2, but the goal was disallowed because striker Brian McBride would have been in offside position in a way that was obstructive. In the last group match against Ghana, the former PSV player provided an assist for forward Clint Dempsey, but despite that the Americans lost 2-1 and as a result Bruce Arena's team finished last with only one point from three matches.

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Beasley spent the first two group matches against England (1-1) and Slovenia (2-2) the entire game on the bench, and in the final group match against Algeria the former PSV player was allowed to come on as a substitute by head coach Bob Bradley. Thanks to a goal by Landon Donovan (1-0) in stoppage time, the Americans qualified for the next round, and Team USA even won the group due to a better goal difference than England.

After a 1-2 defeat after extra time against Ghana in the round of 16, the tournament was over for Beasley & co, and during this match as well the former PSV player stayed on the bench for the entire game. In 2014, Beasley once again took part on behalf of Team USA and was played as a left-back by national coach Jürgen Klinsmann.

The former PSV player already played all three group matches against Ghana (1-2), Portugal (2-2) and Germany (0-1) for the full 90 minutes. Thanks to a better goal difference than Portugal, Klinsmann’s team qualified for the round of 16 against all expectations, finishing behind group winner and eventual world champions Germany.

In the round of 16 against Belgium, goalkeeper Tim Howard kept the Americans in the match for a long time and with sixteen saves in 90 minutes, Howard set a record and it meant that extra time had to be brought into play. In extra time, the Belgians eventually won 2-1 and Beasley saw the entire match through.