The countdown of the top stories of 2015 for Real Salt Lake continues at No. 5 where we find Kyle Beckerman reaching milestones and setting records for club and country.
Over the course of the last few years, Beckerman’s star has grown in luminosity as his place in the U.S. National Team has expanded. That came to a peak last year when the RSL captain found started all three matches in the World Cup Group Stage as the U.S. advanced out of the Group of Death that also featured Germany, Portugal and Ghana.
This year, he continued to feature for Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad while also balancing his time with Real Salt Lake. That meant missing the entire month of July while at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Beckerman reached a pair of great personal milestones along the way.
July 22, 2015: Beckerman earns his 50th U.S. National Team cap, 28 of which have come in the last three years. That includes appearances in the 2009, 2013 and 2015 Gold Cups, 2014 World Cup qualification and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was the 46th player to surpass the 50-cap milestone and currently ranks 45th on the all-time list with 51 appearances in the Stars and Stripes.
October 17, 2015: Beckerman surpasses Steve Ralston to become the all-time MLS leader with 379 career appearances in the field. Only goalkeepers Kevin Hartman (416) and Nick Rimando (394) have more MLS matches to their credit than RSL’s iron man.
All told, Beckerman played in 26 MLS matches and 31 matches across all competitions, in addition to his nine matches with the U.S. National Team.
Top 10 RSL Stories of 2015
10. Maund Emerges on Defense
9. The Launch of the Monarchs
8. Waibel Climbs the Ladder
7. Youth is Served at RSL
6. Records at The Riot
5. The Captain Reaches New Heights
4. 11/5
3. 11/5
2. 11/6
1. 11/6
