Two more years of Feilhaber

Benny Feilhaber gets to call Kansas City home for another two years. The talented, entertaining and very honest midfielder signed a new contract with Sporting Kansas City. Having already played at Sporting KC for longer than anywhere else in his career, Feilhaber will have another two years to add to his impressive stats.

While he would have moved on if he could not work out a deal with SKC, Feilhaber wanted to stay in Kansas City. “One of the big things for me is family life right now,” Benny explained. “In terms of soccer I’ve always wanted to stay here because it is where I have been successful in the last four years more so than anywhere else in my career.”

“Just as important is the family aspect,” Feilhaber continued. “I’m a married person with two kids. It’s not like I’m single and only thinking of myself at this time. It’s a great place to live here and we feel very comfortable. No doubt about it, having to move the family to wherever that may be and also get used to my new teammates, a new style of play and all that. It made more sense to stay here than go anywhere else.”

Second home

Feilhaber was born in Brazil but grew up in Irvine, California and still thinks of that as home.

“California is home,” Benny stated and made it clear he would move back there someday but also made it clear that he and his family consider Kansas City home as well.

“We have a house here, both our daughters were born here, we’ve lived here for four years, we have friends here so there is no doubt about it that this is our second home,” Feilhaber said. “We’ve grown used to the lifestyle here and love it here. It’s definitely something special for us to stay here for another two years and we are very happy about that.”

Kansas City and Benny have been good for each other

There is little doubt that Feilhaber has played his best and most consistent soccer for Sporting KC. Benny is fourth in club history with 50 assists and 11th in club history with 28 goals in all competitions.

Feilhaber points to several factors that make him a better player now than when he was younger. “I’m at a point in my career where I am a better professional probably than I was at the beginning of my career. I do a lot of the little things that maybe weren’t done as well early on,” Benny explained.

The second factor was easy to explain, “Experience.”

The third factor has everything to do with being in Kansas City. “The way that we play, we like to press teams to dispossess teams in important areas of the field. That type of energy and the transition that we play with I think has helped me be a better player and the way we move the ball has helped me exploit other teams as well. The players I have had around me has helped me be more productive also.”

Sporting Kansas City has made the playoffs every year that Feilhaber has been with them and has won an MLS Cup in 2013 and the U.S. Open Cup in 2015. Can Feilhaber take them to the playoffs again and can they go all the way one more time?