Many children grow up dreaming of becoming professional athletes, but only a selection of children achieve that dream.
That is not the case for Matt Besler. A native of Overland Park, Besler not only became a professional athlete, but he did so for his hometown team with Sporting Kansas City over the course of 12 seasons from 2009 to 2020.
From an early age, Besler had dreams of playing professional sports. Playing soccer, basketball and baseball as a youth, Besler would dream of making it pro depending on which sport was in season.
Growing up in the 1990s, Besler adored Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Besler and his two younger brothers would watch Bulls games downstairs of their house, acting as if they had the spotlight shined on them and getting their name called in front of thousands.
“My dad would turn down the lights and during the pregame announcements, he would announce us. We would run around the house and act like we were getting announced as players. So I would envision myself as Michael Jordan.”
Besler’s first memories of soccer came at Kemper Arena watching the Kansas City Attack. He quickly became attracted to players like Jon Parry, Kevin Koetters and Brian Haynes because they were left-footed like Besler was himself.
Ahead of the first MLS season in 1996, Besler had his first memory of the club he would later join. It was when his family participated in a promotion to come up with the name of the club.
“I remember sitting around our living room as a family and we were trying to brainstorm names for our new professional soccer team. We spent a night figuring out what the best team would be.”
Eventually settling with the Kansas City Canons, the Besler family was disappointed to learn that their name was beaten out by the Kansas City Wiz. Nonetheless, nine-year-old Besler still supported the Wiz and was on hand for the organization’s first-ever game in April of 1996, a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium. His favorite players were Chris Henderson and the left-footed Preki.
Going on to attend Blue Valley West High School, Besler led the Jaguars boy’s soccer team to the 2004 Kansas 5A State championship as a senior. Besler, who played primarily as a midfielder and a little bit as a forward, was later named Gatorade Kansas Boys Soccer Player of the Year in 2004-05.
Besler’s impressive resume resulted in an opportunity to play soccer at Notre Dame as a pre-med major. Spending his first season playing in the Fighting Irish midfield, Besler made one of the biggest decisions of his life: becoming a defender.
After his freshman season concluded, Besler went to Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark to discuss what he could do to get more playing time. Clark told him that both central defender spots would be open in the following season, suggesting that Besler could step into one of those roles.
“He (Clark) told me that the way I play the game and see the game, he thought I could be a really good fit back there. He also told me that the way the game is evolving, center defenders are going to have to be really good with their feet, which at that time I was. He didn’t have to convince me too much.”
After some growing pains, Besler took over the starting role as a central defender, starting every game and earning all-conference honors of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. By the end of his time with Notre Dame, Besler was among the top college defenders in the nation and was ready to make the jump to MLS.
Coming Home
Besler was shocked to hear his name announced as the eighth overall pick of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards. Besler had talked with other teams but never heard anything from the Wizards until they picked him.
“I really wasn’t planning or expecting them to pick me. Actually, the night before the draft I had been told by the New York Red Bull that they were going to pick me with their first pick.”
“I kind of went
Matt Besler
to bed that night
thinking about
New York City and what that
life would be like.”
After the draft, Besler still had to earn his first professional contract during the club’s preseason, competing for contracts against six or seven other first-year players.
“Every week it seemed like one or two guys kept getting cut. That was definitely in the back of my mind. I was just trying to learn as quickly as possible and get up to speed. Provide enough value and prove myself to make the team.”
By the end of preseason, Besler and Maryland graduate Graham Zusi were the only rookies left standing. Both earned contracts for 2009 and moved into the basement of Besler’s parents’ house to save money.
Wizards captain and central defender Jimmy Conrad served as one of Besler’s greatest mentors.
“From the very first day, he welcomed me. I don’t know how much of it was intentional, but I really learned a lot both on and off the field from him and the way he carried himself and went about his business every day.”
After the club rebranded to Sporting KC, Besler earned a spot in the starting lineup and the team found great success, topping the Eastern Conference in 2011 and 2012. Besler was awarded 2012 MLS Defender of the Year while Sporting won the Open Cup in 2012 and MLS Cup in 2013.
Honored to Represent the U.S.
Besler didn’t think a spot on the U.S. Men’s National Team was a realistic goal, but the combination of team and individual success made that dream a reality.
“Once we started winning and I started having some individual success, it started becoming more of a possibility. It all just happened pretty quickly.”
In 2013, Besler broke into the national team. The defender made his U.S. competitive debut in a historic away draw at Estadio Azteca, the second time the U.S. had ever avoided defeat in Mexico in a World Cup Qualifier.
Besler went on to start all four games of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Besler played all 90 minutes against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in a 2-2 draw, where a picture of Besler standing over Ronaldo gave Besler an unforgettable moment.
“At the time I really didn’t think much of it, but now looking back, especially now that I’m done playing, it’s one of those moments that I’ll always have. I definitely have that picture up at my house.”
Besler appeared in a total of 47 games for the U.S. under head coaches Jurgen Klinsmann and Bruce Arena from 2013 to 2017, helping the U.S. win Gold Cup titles in 2013 and 2017. Along with representing his nation at the World Cup, Besler also played at the 2016 Copa America.
Hometown Captain
After the retirement of Sporting captain Jimmy Nielsen in 2013, Besler was named captain of his hometown team ahead of the 2014 season.
“That was one of the biggest honors of my career. Every team I’ve been on, I’ve naturally taken on a leadership role and been in a captain role, so that was one of my goals.”
Through Besler’s leadership, Sporting won two more Open Cup titles in 2015 and 2017. The win in 2015 came on the road before winning at home in 2017. Both of those moments were moments he had dreamed about.
“I remember in 2013 when we won MLS Cup, Jimmy Nielsen was the captain of our team then, and I remember thinking that one day it would be really cool for me to be up there in his position as the captain and being the one that gets to lift the trophy first. It was fun that that came true.”
After over 300 games, winning an MLS Cup and three Open Cups, Besler’s 12-year career with Sporting came to an abrupt end at the conclusion of 2020.
Besler signed as a free agent with MLS expansion club Austin FC in 2021 before retiring at the conclusion of the season. After 13 seasons in MLS, Besler is most proud of being a good teammate.
“That was always important to me and something that I tried to do. I wasn’t always perfect, but hopefully looking back, most if not all of the guys I’ve played with can say that.”
Since retiring, Besler has kept busy working full-time as Chicken N Pickle’s director of strategic partnerships.
MATT BESLER HOMETOWN: OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS HIGH SCHOOL: BLUE VALLEY WEST COLLEGE: NOTRE DAME UNITED STATES: 2013 - 2017 SPORTING KC: 2009 - 2020 AUSTIN FC: 2021 - 2004-05 KANSAS GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - GOLD CUP X 2 (2013; 2017) - 2013 MLS CUP - OPEN CUP X 3 (2012; 2015; 2017) - 2012 MLS DEFENDER OF THE YEAR - MLS BEST XI X 2 (2012; 2013) - 2012 MLS BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR - MLS ALL-STAR X 4 (2011; 2013; 2014; 2015)
Kansas City Sports Magazine 
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