Kyle Beckerman Made His Case For More USMNT Action - The Daily Soccer Fix

One of the ongoing criticisms against former United States National Team coach Bob Bradley was that he stuck with "his guys" to a fault. Whether that was accusations of his playing favorites with his son, sticking with guys like Ricardo Clark against all logic or overlooking guys who seemed to earn their chance, there was never a shortage of fans who were critical of Bradley's personnel choices.

One such player who seemed to be on the outs was Kyle Beckerman. After a solid performance on Wednesday against Mexico, the Daily Soccer Fix seems to think Beckerman may have worked his way back into the national team picture:

The Real Salt Lake midfielder hurt himself in Bob Bradley’s eyes with a nervous, sloppy few minutes against El Salvador back in September of 2009. That was an important match, one the U.S. needed to win to keep the World Cup qualifying train on its tracks. Perhaps it’s not fair that a such short run-out could have such a lasting impact, but that’s life. Plus, Beckerman’s relative lack of pace will always limit him back internationally. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t make an impact here and there, and that’s just what he did Wednesday. He was good in the tackle without ever being reckless. With the ball, he’ll need to get it off his foot just a little faster, but all in all Beckerman’s passing was simple and sharp, just what Klinsmann needed for the defensive anchor in a three-man central triangle. Klinsmann singled out Beckerman’s play in post-game comments.