2013 was a rollercoaster year for Benny Feilhaber. Sporting KC acquired Feilhaber in December 2012 to replace the England-bound Roger Espinoza, but the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder struggled to find his footing in Peter Vermes’ high-pressure system.
The fitness demands of Sporting KC’s high-pressure system were something Feilhaber was not accustomed to in his previous roles, most recently with the New England Revolution. But as the season wore on, Feilhaber continued to work to carve out his role with the team, and now five games into year two, the Brazilian-born midfielder is beginning to leave his mark.
Through five games in 2014, including two in the CONCACAF Champions League, Feilhaber is the only field player on the team to have started all five games. In that time, he has totaled 435 minutes, which ranks him first among all MLS field players in all competitions through the first month of the season.
“It feels good to play, to play well and to play a lot of minutes,” Feilhaber said after Saturday’s 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. “It was a tough road last year to get as fit as I needed to be to play on this team, and thankfully now I get to reap some of the rewards.”
<strong>Feilhaber #SKCvSJ Heat Map</strong> |
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Feilhaber has played a role in three of Sporting KC’s four goals in 2014. The veteran midfielder initiated the sequence that led to Kevin Ellis’ goal against Cruz Azul in the home leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series, scored Sporting KC’s lone goal with a 25-yard strike past Jesus Corona in the road leg of the CCL series and found Aurelien Collin off a corner kick for the goal against FC Dallas on March 15.
Feilhaber was also active against San Jose on Saturday, putting in a yeomen’s shift on both sides of the ball including a team-best 43 passes completed and nine recoveries. Feilhaber's activity is highlighted by his heat map on the right.
And while the 29-year-old was lauded by media and fans - including Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman - for his work on Saturday, the cog in Sporting KC’s midfield was quick to deflect any praise toward his teammates.
“The team is playing well and making it easier for me,” he said. “I know my spot on the team, I know the job I need to do and all those things make it a little easier.”
