DaMarcus Beasley: USMNT's most unlikely World Cup history maker

When asked about the impending World Cup history he was about to make with the United States men's national team, DaMarcus Beasley stared straight ahead, choosing not to make eye contact with the questioner but instead to focus on the perfectly manicured training grounds of Sao Paulo FC.

"I'll talk about that after I'm done playing," said Beasley with a shrug.

The irony could not be ignored, though. If anyone was going to be the first American to play in four World Cups, it was supposed to be Beasley's longtime teammate, Landon Donovan. But the U.S.'s all-time leading scorer was back home and here was the 32-year-old Beasley sitting before the media in preparation for the opening group game against Ghana.

The accomplishment can't be lost when discussing Beasley's career. His perseverance to be in such a position cannot be denied.

On Monday, Beasley announced on his Instagram account that he is retiring from international duty after 121 appearances in 14 years for the U.S. He leaves with career numbers of 17 goals (tied for ninth on the all-time U.S. list with Earnie Stewart) and 13 assists (tied for eighth with Clint Dempsey) and will always be remembered for being a part of the new generation that energized the USMNT to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. But a legacy of longevity is what will define Beasley the most. It just didn’t look at all possible four years ago.

At the 2010 World Cup, Beasley played in only one of the U.S.'s four games (he was on the field as the third and final substitute for Donovan's miracle goal against Algeria), and his time in the USMNT midfield figured to be up for good once Jurgen Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley as head coach in 2011. But despite scouring the planet for new talent with American passports, Klinsmann could not find a solution for the U.S.'s longtime problem position – left back.

Beasley playing left back in Brazil was as likely as Jonathan Bornstein playing left back in Brazil, but the pace and experience of Beasley made for an intriguing position switch. His national team revival gained serious steam in 2013 when he captained the U.S. side that won the Gold Cup and played in 17 games, his most ever in one year for the USMNT. He became such a fixture at left back that an angry Klinsmann ranted on Univision when Beasley's Mexican club at the time, Puebla, opted not to release him for a friendly against rival Mexico last March.

Not a lock to start in the months leading up to Brazil 2014, Beasley ended up playing every minute of every game for the U.S. overcoming a horrible performance against Ghana with consecutive strong performances against Portugal and Germany. With Beasley departing, left back figures to be in good hands with Tijuana's Greg Garza, one of the few bright spots for Klinsmann during the USMNT's post-World Cup struggles.

Now that he's done playing, Beasley finally talked about what donning the Red, White and Blue meant to him on Instagram, thanking his U.S. teammates and coaches and, of course, the fans.