Without question, 22-year-old Benny Feilhaber has been one of the biggest revelations since Bob Bradley took charge of the U.S. national team late last year. In just four topsy-turvy years, Feilhaber has gone from being a walk-on at UCLA to becoming a starting central midfielder for the U.S. national team. However, his national team success comes after a disappointing season for Bundesliga club Hamburg SV. If Feilhaber doesn’t travel to Venezuela for the Copa America (though his performances would indicate he will), Feilhaber will have to consider his future, something the Boston Globe says he’s used to.
Feilhaber grew up in Rio de Janeiro playing futsal, a five-a-side indoor soccer that uses a smaller ball. Soon, he was forced to move to Scarsdale, N.Y., then Houston, then Cos Cob, Conn, then Wilton, Conn, and finally Irvine, Calif. The 22-year-old said soccer didn’t become the most important thing for him until he got to UCLA, which had just won the national championship. After earning a starting spot, Feilhaber soon made the squad for the 2005 World Youth Championship, where he would go on to hold his own against Leo Messi and eventual champion Argentina.
Offers starting pouring in by the end of the tournament. Eventually, Feilhaber had to tell one of his teammates, “Dude, I’m not going home with you guys,” because he was off to Hamburg. After a rough start, Feilhaber got his chance, but now that Manager Thomas Doll is gone, Feilhaber has been demoted to the second team. After the Copa America, it will be time to consider his future again.