Reliability.
That enviable knack for remaining steadfast, dependable and high-performing, regardless of the circumstances, time and time again.
In many ways, it’s a word that has come to define the decade-long careers of Graham Zusi and Matt Besler, two players who will forever be attached to an era of trophy-laden success at Sporting Kansas City.
A twist of fate would see Zusi and Besler join the club on the exact same day, taken 15 picks apart in the MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 15, 2009, in St. Louis. Since then, their meteoric rises as professionals have mirrored one another uncannily.
MLS breakouts followed by U.S. national team breakthroughs. Cup victories and championship celebrations at Children’s Mercy Park. Best XI selections and perennial All-Stars. A FIFA World Cup in Brazil and a Gold Cup title on American soil.
And now, sitting alone atop the club record books.
A healthy competitiveness between Zusi and Besler — who have been the closest of friends off the field for 10 years now — has propelled both players to heights they may not have reached alone. And while they haven’t always achieved their respective honors and milestones in perfect concurrence, today they can reflect on two bodies of work that share a striking resemblance.
Before Saturday’s match against the Portland Timbers, Zusi and Besler will be formally recognized at Children’s Mercy Park as the top two regular-season appearance leaders in team history. Besler ranks first with 246 games played, while Zusi is second with 241.
Besler was the first to reach the top of the charts. Earlier this summer, he passed former midfielder Davy Arnaud as Sporting KC’s all-time leader in regular-season games played. It was a fitting achievement for the club’s captain and a revered Kansas City native who has served as the face of the franchise.
It’s perhaps fitting, then, that a player much more comfortable out of the limelight has quietly ascended to second place on Sporting KC’s all-time appearances list. In this particular case, Besler crossed the finish line narrowly ahead of Zusi, receiving acclaim when he broke the record in June. The whole time, Zusi stayed close behind as both players neared this impressive mark of longevity.
In a genuine reflection of his character and personality, Zusi wouldn’t want it any other way.
It would be a tall task for any soccer player to “quietly” win four major championships at the club level, earn six MLS All-Star nods, two Best XI selections and become a national team regular. After all, these are the biggest games, played under the brightest lights, oftentimes linked to the most prestigious of awards.
Yet Zusi has done just that, simply going about his business. Make no mistake: he has his admirers, as evidenced by his multiple MLS Fan XI nods and frequent calls to the U.S. national team over the years. But the manner in which Zusi has pieced together each chapter of a storied career has been consistently unassuming.
Soft-spoken and modest by nature, Zusi wouldn’t be one to revel in his own accomplishments, no matter how numerous they are. But the numbers speak for themselves, and they’re impossible to ignore. Consider the following:
- Zusi’s six MLS All-Star Game appearances since 2012 are more than any other player.
- Since 2011, Zusi leads MLS in chances created (521) and ranks second in assists (59).
- Zusi’s 55 caps were the fourth-most among U.S. internationals between 2012-2017.
- Zusi is one of three players, alongside Besler and Seth Sinovic, to appear in each of Sporting KC’s four victorious cup finals this decade — the 2013 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup finals in 2012, 2015 and 2017.
This is a resume that brings us back full-circle to that one word: reliability. Being steadfast, dependable and high-performing, regardless of the circumstances. Take a look at this definition part by part, and it becomes clear that reliability is what Zusi — maybe more than anyone else — is all about.
Steadfast – Zusi, like Besler, remains a one-club man. Only Real Salt Lake duo Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman and New England veteran Chris Tierney have longer active tenures with their respective teams.
Dependable – Zusi has played 209 regular season matches since 2011, the most for Sporting KC and the seventh-most in MLS. As his career has progressed, he has fine-tuned his diet and prioritized optimal recovery after training and matches to stay fit.
High-performing – This one is self-explanatory. All of those championships and individual accolades don’t fall into the hands of players who don’t consistently perform at a high level.
Regardlessofthecircumstances – Throughout his 10 seasons at Sporting KC, Zusi has shifted from central midfielder to winger to right back. That’s three distinctly different positions that Zusi has made his own under the guidance of manager Peter Vermes, who himself transitioned from national team forward to MLS center back late in his career. This is a testament to Zusi’s versatility as a player and his selflessness as a teammate. Each positional switch has allowed him to showcase different qualities, and they have come with Sporting KC’s best interests in mind.
For a brief moment after player warmups on Saturday, Zusi will share the limelight with Besler, the one who has been by his side since 2009. They will stand at midfield, appear on the videoboard at Children’s Mercy Park and become showered in applause from thousands of fans, their legacies already etched into club lore.
Neither could have predicted this moment a decade ago — when they lived together in Besler’s parents’ house as wide-eyed rookies — and neither would have sought this individual recognition on their own. From day one, Zusi and Besler have always put the team first.
Nevertheless, Saturday will give supporters, staff and teammates the chance to salute the two of the most iconic players in Sporting KC history. The paths Zusi and Besler took to the summit look remarkably similar, but as both players would attest, their journey isn’t over yet.
There are still plenty more games to win, trophies to hoist, walls to paint.
