CARSON, California — It might not seem like it was that recent, but it was just three years ago when Matt Besler made his U.S. national team debut in a winter friendly against Canada. Though he was already a reigning MLS Defender of the Year at the time, the Sporting KC star was just preparing to embark in a whirlwind two years that saw him go from newcomer to regular starter to Gold Cup winner and eventual World Cup veteran.
Fast forward to the present, and Besler is preparing for another winter friendly against Canada, only not as the new guy but rather as one of the leaders of a U.S. team in the process of integrating new blood.
"Definitely the first camp, maybe the first couple of camps, there's a lot of focus on yourself individually," Besler told Goal USA . "I think that’s just a natural reaction to have. You want to make sure you show well and you’re basically thinking, ‘How do I get on the team?’ I think this year is different because I have more responsibility. It is about yourself in ways but at the same time it’s about the other guys as well.
"It’s about trying to get everyone up to speed, especially in the back. I’m probably the most experienced player, cap-wise in the back, so I’ve had a job to do of pulling guys in and giving them tips here or there but overall I’ve really enjoyed it."
U.S. captain Michael Bradley agreed that Besler a "leader" on defense for the current squad.
"Matt’s a guy who comes in every time excited by the challenge of being a big player for us and being a leader," Bradley said. "He wants to take on more within the group in a big role. As somebody who tries to do a lot of the same things, that part is great because you can never have enough of those guys."
Besler has re-established himself in the U.S. pecking order at center back after a stint out of the picture just a year ago. With other veteran central defenders like Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron and John Brooks not available for the current camp, Besler has emerged as a key leader called on to help work with a young group that includes several U.S. Under-23 players.
"I think you want it to happen as naturally as possible," Besler said of his relationship working with the younger players in camp. "You don’t want to be telling a guy what to do every roll of the ball. You want them to figure things out, so I’ve tried to pick and choose my moments of when to maybe bring up a point here or there. For the most part, they’ve come in with the right attitude, they work extremely hard and they want to learn."
The U.S. defense had its shaky moments in last week's 3-2 win against Iceland, and will be tested once again on Friday against a Canada side featuring reigning MLS Rookie of the Year Cyle Larin.
"They are very compact. When they decide to defend they drop deep and they have all the numbers around the box or in the box," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said of the challenge presented by Canada. "It will not be that simple. We have to be patient. Hopefully we can create chances. And then they have young forwards that we know, the play and MLS, that can hurt you in a split second. So it's gonna be a good test for us, hopefully for them as well."
Klinsmann wouldn't elaborate on who he plans to start against Canada, but he did downplay the notion that the match would be used to showcase the many U-23 players in camp. As it stands, FC Dallas defender Kellyn Acosta looks like the best bet to start against Canada among the U-23 pool after showing well in his national team debut against Iceland.
Klinsmann will be banking on a better defensive effort on Friday, though Besler feels the U.S. didn't fare too badly defensively against Iceland.
"I feel like against Iceland we did a good job of keeping the game in front of us," Besler said. "That’s what we want to do, especially when we play at home. We want to have a lot of the ball. We want to make it tough for other teams to get out when they win the ball. Then obviously there are a few times when you’ll have to defend a few counters. When you’re talking that sort of thing, I think the Iceland game was good. Canada is going to pose another challenge for us, but we’re going to look to do those things."
