From DaMarcus Beasley to Weston McKennie: The Black USMNT and USWNT stars that paved a pathway to Europe

Throughout the 1990s, American soccer was fighting for whatever scraps they could get. The sport was still in its infancy in the States, with the 1994 World Cup beginning a change that felt long overdue.

After that World Cup, Cobi Jones became one of American soccer's first pop culture icons. His performance in 1994 vaulted him into the national spotlight, but it also opened doors to Europe. Jones spent one season with Coventry City in the Premier League right after the tournament, making 24 appearances, before joining Brazilian side Vasco da Gama for a brief spell. His road, ultimately, brought him back to MLS, but Jones was one of the first Americans to cross over and make an impact in the Premier League.

His 1994 World Cup teammate Earnie Stewart was thriving in the Netherlands at the same time. Born in Holland, Stewart was the son of American Air Force airman and a key figure for the U.S. team for 14 years. His impact on the Dutch top-flight is still felt today, with Stewart now serving as PSV's director of football, using his platform to sign Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi.

If you're going to argue which American has had the best European career, few can match up with DaMarcus Beasley. After becoming a star at age 20 at the 2002 World Cup, Beasley eventually made the move to PSV. With the Dutch side, he went all the way to the Champions League semifinal, becoming the first American to reach that stage of the competition. Once there, Beasley and PSV lost on away goals, suffering elimination at the hands of a legendary AC Milan side.

Beasley went on to feature for some of Europe's biggest clubs: Manchester City, Rangers and Hannover, before coming back to North America for stints with Puebla and Houston.

All these years later, Beasley's impact remains massive. He's one of the best American soccer has ever seen, and perhaps more than any other player, he blazed a trail through Europe that many ended up following.

Manchester United, at that time, were the biggest team in the world. And, in 2003, they went out and signed Tim Howard to be their goalkeeper.

His time at Old Trafford didn't last long, but there's no denying what Howard ended up thriving in the Premier League. As Everton's No.1, Howard proved time and time again that he was one of the best goalkeepers in England. At a time when American goalkeepers were earning respect in the Premier League, Howard might just have been the best of the bunch as he established himself as a legend at Goodison Park.

Few Americans have a connection to a club quite like Howard does with Everton, and few ever will.

By the mid-2000s, the pathway had begun to open up. Some of America's top stars were headed to Europe determined to prove themselves for both club and country.

Maurice Edu became a folk hero at Rangers, scoring a legendary winner against Celtic, before going on to play for Stoke City. Oguchi Onyewu was a mainstay in Europe, playing in seven different countries during his time anchoring the USMNT before eventually becoming U.S. Soccer's vice president of sporting.

Cory Gibbs, Eddie Johnson and Charlie Davies all created their own pathway to Europe, and all are actively involved in the game today. Gibbs is an agent, representing some of the best and brightest American soccer has to offer; Johnson works heavily within the youth space, helping develop up-and-coming talent; and Davies, like Edu, is a mainstay on TV, becoming one of the top pundits in the American game.

And then there's Jozy Altidore. Perhaps the best goalscorer American soccer's ever seen, Altidore is responsible for quite possibly the best season an American player has ever had in Europe. His 51 goals across two campaigns with AZ, headlined by 31 in 2012-13, showed how dominant he could be. His move to Sunderland didn't go to plan, but that won't erase just how decisive Altidore was in the Eredivisie.

And that brings us to the here and now, to a USMNT loaded with Black players plying their craft at higher levels than ever before.

Of the 26 players that made the USMNT's 2022 World Cup squad, 12 were Black. And, of those 12, eight were playing in Europe at the highest levels.

The likes of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Tyler Adams are blazing a new trail, playing for teams at a higher level than any of their predecessors. McKennie is a key figure at Juventus, one of the world's biggest clubs, alongside Weah. Adams is at Bournemouth in the Premier League, and he already has a Champions League quarterfinal goal on his resume from his time with RB Leipzig.

Yunus Musah is at AC Milan, Antonee Robinson is killing it for Fulham, Haji Wright continues to score in the Championship... the list goes on and on. And there are several Black players on their way up, too, with youngsters like Josh Wynder, Chris Richards, Kevin Paredes and Malik Tillman climbing the ranks.

The point is this: American soccer players have always had to fight for respect in European soccer, and that fight has included so many Black players who have helped change the game. Thanks to those players, American soccer continues to rise; who knows where things will be in 10, 20 or 50 years?

On the USWNT side, the European game hasn't been quite as enticing as it has been to men's stars. The game has, generally, been better on this side of the pond, leaving little incentive for many to go abroad.

However, as England's top-flight grapples with its own diversity issues after a controversial Arsenal team photo, several Black USWNT stars have had quite an impact on the game in England.

In the past, players like Crystal Dunn and Christen Press have showcased their talents for megaclubs. Dunn 's time with Chelsea was brief, but she had her moments, helping the Blues reach the quarterfinals of the 2017-18 Champions League. Press, meanwhile, bounced all over Europe, playing in Sweden for several years before a stint with Manchester United in 2020. She scored 14 times during her time in Manchester before returning home to join Angel City FC in 2022.

Currently, two of the USWNT's most promising stars are plying their trade at Chelsea under future national team manager Emma Hayes. Mia Fishel is coming into her own, having joined the club after scoring goals for fun at Tigres to establish herself as a potential USWNT No.9 of the future. Catarina Macario, meanwhile, is nearing a return from injury as she'll look to add another dimension to the national team attack when healthy.

The USWNT's core is more diverse than ever, with several Black players among the most promising prospects in the pool today. We could still see them head to Europe at some point and, if they do, they'll follow in the footsteps of some USWNT greats that showed them the way.