KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sporting KC II coach Benny Feilhaber played in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. That provided a springboard to the 2009 Confederations Cup and eventually the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
But the next few generations of U.S. soccer players missed out on that valuable opportunity.
Women’s soccer is a Senior National Team tournament at the Olympics, but it’s a U-23 tourney for men’s soccer, making it one of the most critical international events for developing players.
After missing the last three Olympic tournaments, the U-23 team is back in the Olympics for the Paris Games.
“It’s special,” Feilhaber said. “I’m glad the team’s back in it because it’s a really important experience to be in those competitive environments with players that you’re going to play with at the highest level when you get to the World Cup and full national team.”
After failing to make the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the U.S. Men’s National Team missed the 2018 World Cup as well.
The U.S. men also failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games before advancing from group play at the 2022 World Cup as the national team started to get back on track.
“The fact that our Olympic team didn’t get to go to some of those Olympics and the fact that our national team didn’t get to go to the World Cup in 2018, that stalls things,” Feilhaber said. “That stalls the progression, the experience of players.”
Feilhaber scored two goals in 44 appearances with the U.S. senior team and appeared in three games at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, so he knows about the path and progression required to play at the sport’s highest level.
“It’s enormous for our team to be back in the Olympics, to be able to compete,” Feilhaber said. “Those U-23 players that are the future of the national team will have this experience and hopefully do well. That only suits us for success at the full national team level for years to come.”
Former Sporting KC Academy star Gianluca Busio, who scored eight goals in 65 appearances with Sporting KC being moved to Venezia FC on a club-record transfer in August 2021, is on the 2024 U.S. Olympic roster. If Feilhaber had any advice, it would be simple — embrace the moment.
“You’re playing against the next wave of top players in the world,” Feilhaber said. “It’s not only invaluable in terms of your career from here on out, but they’re memories that are going to stay with you, so enjoy it, make the most of it and have no regrets looking back on it.”
Busio — who has eight goals in 94 appearances with Venezia, which recently won promotion back to Italy’s Serie A — and the rest of the U-23 team that will compete at the Paris Games will play their final Olympic tuneup against Japan on Tuesday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Tickets are still available on Seat Geek.
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