Glasgow Rangers manager Walter Smith has told midfielder DaMarcus
Beasley there is no reason for him to leave the Scottish club to
ensure he makes the U.S. World Cup squad.
Beasley said last week he was considering quitting Rangers
during the January transfer window because he feared his lack of
match action would cost him a place in South Africa.
But Smith says the midfielder would be guaranteed to start
for Glasgow if he maintains the form that saw him saw score his
first goal since May 2008 in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Dundee United.
"After coming back from his serious knee problem, he has had
things go wrong with his hamstring and his groin," Smith said. "In
the last two or three months, he has settled down and looked
sharper in training. He's obviously now playing well in games, too.
"The lad's comments before were quite simple. He said he had
to try to get games so that he could be included in the World Cup.
That's an acceptable factor because he wasn't getting a regular
game here, but that wasn't always due to the fact he wasn't getting
picked."
Now that Beasley is fit, Smith doesn't think playing time
will be an issue from the 27-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind.
"Sometimes he wasn't available but he is now and there's no
reason for him to move," Smith said. "DaMarcus has enough
experience and enough caps that if he does play, he'll be in with a
very good chance of being selected for the USA's squad."
Beasley has 17 goals in 89 international appearances but has
not played for the U.S. since the first round of June's
Confederations Cup, when he failed to read a short corner kick from
Landon Donovan and the mix-up led to the second goal in a 3-0 loss
to Brazil.onsidering quitting Rangers in the January transfer
window because he feared his lack of match action would cost him a
place in South Africa.
But Smith says the midfielder will be guaranteed to start for
Glasgow if he maintains the form that saw him saw score his first
goal since May 2008 in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Dundee United.
Beasley has been struggling with hamstring and groin
injuries.
Smith says that "sometimes he wasn't available but he is now
and there's no reason for him to move."
