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The Yanks' best player is a maturing DaMarcus Beasley

Toward the end of November or early December, I'll get a ballot in the mail from the Futbol de Primera folks asking me to select the best American male soccer player of the year. And you know what? If I had to pick right now, the winner wouldn't be that hard to choose.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present ... DaMarcus Beasley.

Granted, it's a post-World Cup year and several top Yanks haven't seen much playing time. But who could have expected that Beasley -- at just 21 -- would make The Leap, becoming a central figure for the American team as it heads into the Gold Cup. Just try to think of a U.S. player who has improved more at the international level in a 12-month period. I can't come up with anyone.

"My offensive skills weren't up to par last year," Beasley said from Providence, R.I., on Wednesday, "so that's what I've been trying to work on this year. I knew I could play defensively and be a two-way player, but I needed to improve as far as scoring, striking the ball better, crossing and beating guys off the dribble. My coaches keep giving me opportunities to play in a more attacking style, so I'm trying to take that step forward."

These days Beasley is playing with speed and subtlety, picking his spots to track back on defense and venture forward to the goal. And, unlike a few other U.S. players, he never, ever dogs it on the field, exuding the "Let's play two" enthusiasm of another Chicago sports figure, Ernie Banks.

Beasley still has room to grow, of course. He's not yet the crosser that Eddie Lewis is, and though Beasley is now bigger than his 2002 World Cup listing of 126 pounds -- "I'm 5-foot-8, 134 pounds," he tells me with a hint of pride -- he could use some extra muscle by the time he makes his inevitable move to Europe.

Says Beasley's Chicago Fire coach, Dave Sarachan, "Over time [weight] is a concern, but he's strong, young and flexible, and athletic enough not to get too much in harm's way. He can't afford to neglect the weight room, but at the same time his body type is his body type. He really wouldn't be the same player if he put on 20 pounds."

Before the MLS season started, Sarachan sat Beasley down and laid out his expectations for the year. "We challenged him to be more accountable in the attacking part of the field," Sarachan says, "not just to be energetic and Gumby-like, but to put his stamp on games with assists and goals." So far Beasley has fulfilled those expectations, putting up solid numbers with the Fire -- four goals and two assists in nine games -- and carrying that verve over to the national team.

In the meantime, he has hired U.K.-based agent Paul Stretford in an attempt to hook up with a club across the Atlantic. "Basically, I wanted to get to Europe, and his record spoke for itself," says Beasley, whose minor ankle sprain shouldn't keep him from playing this weekend. "A lot of guys on the national team, like Claudio Reyna and Eddie Lewis, said good things about him, and I want to be a part of that group."

The latest rumors in Britain have Beasley on the shopping list of Everton's David Moyes, but Beasley -- who sounds a lot more mature about Europe than he did even a year ago -- says he doesn't have to make a move during the current transfer window to be happy. "I'm pretty focused on my season with the Fire," he explains, "and to be honest, I don't want to screw that up. I want to win a championship before I leave, so right now I'm not worried about Europe."

At the rate Beasley's going these days, he shouldn't be having any worries. It'll happen. The only question is when.

Opening the mailbag ...

How do you think the U.S. will do in the Gold Cup?
—Tim Nehring, Byron, Minn.

Hard to say, Tim. The only spot where the Yanks get a real upgrade from the Confederations Cup roster is up front, where Brian McBride returns from paternity leave to give the U.S. a presence in the air. (It's possible that Reyna could make a significant impact as well, if he's fit enough after his long injury layoff.) But there's still no Eddie Pope, no John O'Brien and no Tony Sanneh, three players who were crucial for the U.S. in last year's World Cup.

What's interesting, though, is that U.S. coach Bruce Arena has raised expectations for the Gold Cup by saying all along that he considers it to be more important than the Confederations Cup. By any reasonable expectation the Americans should make the semifinals, but it will have to be considered a disappointment if they don't reach the final in Mexico City on July 27. The most serious challengers will be Mexico (which is bringing a decent team, but not all its stars), Brazil (which is sending its under-23 team, including Santos phenom Robinho), Colombia (which looked good in the Confed Cup) and Costa Rica (coached by Steve Sampson, who would like nothing more than to get a piece of the U.S.).

Keep in mind, though, the U.S. always seems to play better on home soil than it does in Europe, and the Americans' first two opponents (El Salvador and Martinique) are hardly world-beaters, though El Salvador did beat Mexico 2-1 last weekend. My biggest question: Who will we see up front? My preference would be to give Clint Mathis and McBride another chance to show they can indeed work together, with Landon Donovan moving to the attacking midfield spot (to which he was often retreating during the Confed Cup anyway). My sense is that Donovan has the ball and holding skills necessary to give the U.S. midfield the spark it needs right now.

I would like to know about these rumors that Chivas (Guadalajara) is talking about "investing" in MLS. What does that mean?
—Jordan Smith, Philadelphia

Word is that MLS agreed to play Chivas in the All-Star game because the league is trying to interest Chivas owner Jorge Vergara in the prospect of owning an MLS team. In my mind, the only way this All-Star format can avoid being regarded as an unmitigated disaster is if it causes Vergara to cough up a few million pesos for an MLS team. Consider: In one fell swoop, MLS alienated its players and turned a league showcase into yet another chance for America's Finest to be booed lustily on their home soil. This had better be worth it.

Do you see Cory Gibbs as a mainstay with the U.S. national team?
—Mike, Melbourne, Fla.

He's passed the test so far. Some readers have suggested that Gibbs reminds them of Eddie Pope, circa 1996, and Bruce Arena can only hope that's the case. I haven't seen enough of Gibbs yet to know whether he has the ball skills necessary for the international game, but he certainly appears to have good defensive instincts, and his versatility on both the center and the left side will only help matters. This is an experiment that should continue.

Will the U.S. men ever stop playing conservatively?
—Angel Avila, El Paso, Texas

It's a matter of personnel, Angel, and right now the U.S. doesn't have any central midfielders (aside from Reyna, O'Brien and perhaps Donovan) who are capable of playing the kind of soccer you're looking for. Perhaps Kyle Martino will be that man. There's probably an entire column to be done on whether the counter-attacking style that worked so effectively at the World Cup is one that the U.S. should pursue in the future, but we'll save that for a later date.

I am writing in response to the "Top 10 Ways to Spice Up Futbol in the U.S." piece that SI.com recently ran. I enjoy your columns and the little coverage the Web site provides the sport. But I want you to know how tasteless that article was. It's one thing not to cover soccer. But then to turn around and insult those of us who are interested?
—David Hillman, Raleigh, N.C.

Got a lot of mail on this topic. First off, I do think it's possible to give soccer a good zetz and still be funny. (Remember the hilarious Simpsons episode when Homer takes the family to see the big soccer match?) That said, it's a shame that 99 percent of attempts at soccer "comedy" are so brutally unoriginal as to be insulting. Please don't blame Sports Illustrated magazine or the site entirely, though: the "Spicy Futbol" Web piece was written primarily by B. Duane Cross, a producer for SI.com. And give some props to SI mag editors, who in two recent issues devoted a combined 11 pages to legit coverage of the sport.

Two questions about David Beckham's new contract: What is the status of his endorsements now that he has left the world's most popular team? And will Real Madrid benefit from any current or future contracts?
—Mike Hagerty, Atlanta

In the big picture, Beckham's endorsement portfolio will be just fine. For starters, Adidas is overjoyed that he has left Manchester United (a Nike team) for Real Madrid (an Adidas team). And now that Real has so many of the planet's top players, you can bet the Madrileños will make a run at being the world's most popular team. What's interesting, though, is that Beckham did agree to Real's stipulation that all its players give the club half of their endorsement money. That's a pretty big chunk of change. Makes you wonder if perhaps Adidas will make up the difference to its global icon.

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