This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I spoke with Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis at training today and asked him what he attributes to Kyle Beckerman's rise with the U.S. men's national team over the last year or so. Beckerman, a 31-year-old midfielder who has no doubt worked his way into Jurgen Klinsmann's good graces, has 32 career national-team caps and started in the World Cup-clinching 2-0 win over Mexico on Sept. 11.
Beckerman could be in line for another start in Friday's World Cup Qualifier against Jamaica in Kansas City, Kan.
"Probably the biggest point about Kyle is that he's willing and able to do exactly what a coach wants," Kreis said. "When he takes on a role that a coach wants and doesn't try to do too much and does the job to the best of his ability, he's one of the absolute best at it, across the country and internationally for Americans.
"I think when he holds and he's a responsible player and a disciplined player, he's excellent," he said."
Kreis also gave credit to RSL's success over the last few seasons for showcasing Beckerman's talents.
"Players like that need to be consistently in front of a coach to win them over," Kreis said. "He's not the type of that where you watch one game and say, 'That player's incredible.' You have to watch a lot of games and you have to have that player in your camp to understand what he can contribute and what he's able to contribute to a team. I think there needs to be some credit for the entire team for what Kyle Beckerman is now pretty much a mainstay with the national team."
-Chris Kamrani
Twitter: @chriskamrani