Beasley's Goal Against Monaco

 On This Day in 2005, the Winger Became the First American to Score in a UEFA Champions League Knockout Round Goal

Dutch football fans became increasingly familiar with the sight of DaMarcus Beasley sprinting down PSV Eindhoven's left wing during the 2004-05 season. The lightning-quick American, who signed from Chicago Fire in July 2004 for $2.6 million, had already shown flashes of the talent that made PSV manager Guus Hiddink hand him Arjen Robben's vacated number 11 shirt. 

"I'm very excited about joining PSV. It's a huge step for me, and I'm looking forward to this great new challenge," the 22-year-old American said upon signing.

But European football's biggest stage still awaited. Eight months later, Beasley would prove worthy of that prestigious shirt number on European football's grandest stage.

The build-up to PSV's crucial Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match against Monaco had already seen the Dutch side carrying a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg. But on March 9, at Stade Louis II, Beasley would help write one of the most memorable chapters in PSV's European history.

After Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink had headed PSV into a 27th-minute lead, Beasley, who had started on the bench, was introduced by manager Guus Hiddink in the 67th minute. It took the American just two minutes to make his mark. Following some clever footwork by Ji-Sung Park, veteran Phillip Cocu delivered a low cross that Beasley calmly slotted home, sealing a 2-0 victory on the night and 3-0 on aggregate against the previous year's finalists.

"They are a strong and solid team," Monaco manager Didier Deschamps conceded after the match. "Over the two legs, PSV proved they were a better side than us."

The goal was part of a remarkable Champions League campaign for Beasley, who would go on to help PSV reach the semifinals. In the quarterfinals against Lyon, despite missing a penalty in the shootout, PSV advanced thanks to goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes' heroics. Beasley later admitted, "It was quite the worst PK [penalty-kick] I've ever taken. I looked up, and he [Lyon goalkeeper Grégory Coupet] was going the way that I was going, so I tried to change it at the last minute."

However, Beasley's fairy-tale European run would end in heartbreak. Just days before PSV's semifinal second leg against AC Milan, the American suffered a devastating injury in an Eredivisie match against FC Twente. What initially appeared to be just a gash on his left leg was revealed to be ligament damage, ruling him out for up to five weeks and forcing him to miss the crucial Milan clash. He missed the rest of PSV's double-winning season and returned for World Cup Qualifying, starting both victories over Costa Rica and Panama in early June.

Still, Beasley had already exceeded expectations in his first season in Dutch football. Between his crucial Champions League contributions and helping PSV secure their 18th league title, the Fort Wayne, Indiana native proved that American players could compete and excel at the highest level of European football.