Steamers aquire Jamar Beasley
October 25, 2005 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
St. Louis Steamers News Release
ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Steamers Chief Executive Officer Michael Hetelson announced today that the Steamers have acquired forward Jamar Beasley and the playing rights to Mauricio Salles de Alencar from the California Cougars in exchange for forward Anthony Maher and the playing rights to Brad Davis.
Beasley, 26, played for the Kansas City Comets the previous two seasons, amassing 83 points (53 goals, 30 assists) along with 227 shots in 61 games played. He was awarded the 2003-04 Major Indoor Soccer League's Rookie of the Year, collecting 46 points (31 goals, 15 assists). California selected Beasley in the second round, seventh overall in the 2005 Cleveland Force, Kansas City Comets Dispersal Draft.
"We are getting a young, exciting player with a lot of speed," said Steamers head coach Omid Namazi. "Jamar has played at a very high level outside of the MISL and he has the ability to turn around games on his own. We are very excited to have him."
He appeared in 25 games for the Comets last season, recording 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists). He missed 14 games due to injuries and time abroad in Chinese Taipei with the U.S. National Futsal Team.
The native of Ft. Wayne, IN, began his professional career in 1998, when he signed with Major League Soccer directly out of high school. In four MLS seasons with the New England Revolution and Chicago Fire, Beasley scored seven goals and 22 points in 59 regular season games. At the time of his signing, he was the youngest player in MLS history. He also spent time in Italy with Serie "C" club Puteolana and also trained with Italian power AC Milan in 1998.
The 5'-10'', 180-pound forward recently participated in several friendly outdoor matches that have been held by several MISL clubs.
Beasley, whose younger brother DaMarcus currently stars with the U.S. National Team and PSV Eindhoven of the Dutch First Division, had a standout performance at the 2002 World Cup and was instrumental in helping the U.S. National Team qualify for the 2006 World Cup. He played four and a half seasons with the Chicago Fire of the MLS. A 1998 Parade Magazine All-American, DeMarcus was hailed as one of American soccer's future stars in the April 13, 1998 issue of Sports Illustrated.
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Salles, 25, led the Puerto Rico Islanders of the "A" league in scoring for the second straight year, finishing third in the league in goals (14) and points (29). He was named to the 2005 All League First Team.
"He is a player who has great size at 6'-4'' and he has a flare for the game," said Namazi. "We wanted to add a target player and with Mauricio being a Brazilian, he brings another dimension to the team.
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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from October 25, 2005
- Steamers aquire Jamar Beasley - St. Louis Steamers
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