In Brazilian culture, soccer players can often be defined in one of two ways - piano carriers or...

In Brazilian culture, soccer players can often be defined in one of two ways - piano carriers or piano players.

The latter dictates the rhythm, the tempo of his team, while the carriers facilitate. When choosing, Benny Feilhaber readily associates with the piano players. “I’d like to think I’m one of those,” Feilhaber says.

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, his first exposure to football came in Rio de Janeiro at the Maracanã Stadium - a South American landmark for soccer and place of pilgrimage for fans that visit the country. Smuggled in as a five-year-old to see his now beloved Botafogo take on Flamengo it was illegal for his father to take in a child so young.

His memories of the event are somewhat fuzzy, as you might expect, but in that moment a passion was ignited in Feilhaber that still burns strong to this day. “I watch all football, all the time,” he says with a laugh. Those claims appear to check out as he discusses players from across different continents, even correcting me on my Danish pronunciation.

Aarhaus - the second largest city in Denmark - was just one stop for Feilhaber. Arriving after Hamburg in Germany and Derby County in England. The midfielder signed in Europe following an impressive U20 World Cup in 2005 under the guidance of Sigi Schmid. However despite a spell in the Bundesliga and the Premier League neither could afford him the playing time he needed to develop. “It wasn’t right to try and force it,” Feilhaber explains.

His lowest point in Europe arguably came at struggling Derby: “The fact we were losing all the time made it that much more difficult,” he explains. “You kind of think eventually things will come round but Billy Davies [the manager who signed me] he got sacked and Paul Jewell came in he gave me very little opportunities, even though we were as poor as we were.”

That lack of playing time forced Feilhaber to evaluate his options: “I didn’t make much sense to stay after the end of the 2008 season,” he explains. Then a chance arose at Aarhaus and he took it.

By all accounts he enjoyed his time there. Denmark gave him regular minutes and developed his game. In 2010, following a strong World Cup showing in South Africa Feilhaber was once again assessing his options amid interest. On the surface it seemed like he would move to a bigger stage, a better stage, but other factors would dictate his future.

The economic downturn that cast a shadow over Europe also impacted sport. “Of course the top notch players are still getting their big pay-days but it was tough for me to find a better team at a better level that would still pay me what I was getting in Denmark,” he explains. “It was a tough decision for me.”

He opted to stay for a while longer before he received a chance to return to the United States. New England Revolution was his route into Major League Soccer but there was something uneasy about the partnership. The team were struggling, there were difficulties both on and off the field. Some fans even questioned Feilhaber’s work ethic.

“My first year i went in there with tons of positive feelings and I think a lot gets lost [in the evaluation of the season],” Feilhaber explains. “There was definitely good moments where we played some good soccer. I personally did a little bit worse the second year and it wasn’t matching very well. Thankfully we both found a better result with them trading me to Sporting.”

Transferred to Sporting KC for allocation money and SuperDraft picks in 2014 and 2015, it now looks a more than fair trade in the eyes of most Sporting fans. Cut free from the frustration he found in New England, Feilhaber was able to play his game with confidence - the fuel for his success and something Peter Vermes has managed expertly.

“When Peter sees a guy playing with high confidence he gives them a longer leash,” Feilhaber says. “When he sees him not playing so well he tightens it up a bit. I’ve been on both ends of that spectrum. He’s a tough coach to play for and he’s not going to give you an easy way out so to speak but I think he gets the best out of all his players.”

In the case of Feilhaber, ‘the best’ has often meant a deep-lying position; ‘more of a Pirlo role’ as he puts it. However, one of his assets remains his versatility. “I’m comfortable in any one of those central midfield positions,” he says. “I played with Hamburg as a six. Whereas I played in Derby more as the offensive midfielder.”

Donning the number 10 shirt for Sporting KC (he claims options were limited when he arrived) this season has largely seen him dictate the tempo for Vermes’ side as they march towards a U.S. Open Cup final and the play-offs in MLS.

That has lead to growing discussion on whether he should be a consideration for the U.S. Men’s National Team. At present something of a pariah, his potential inclusion unearths a polarising set of opinions in which some say he is too old, while others believe his form warrants a call-up.

However with each passing game, goal or assist, the cause for his inclusion grows stronger. Feilhaber himself is somewhat relaxed about the situation, in fact he admits to not expecting to hear from Jurgen Klinsmann anytime soon.

Instead the midfielder will continue to focus on his club form where he is thriving. Attributing the hard running of Dom Dwyer as part of the reason he has so many assists, he is equally as impressed with new signing Krisztián Nemeth. “It’s really hard to predict what he’s [ Krisztián ] going to do as a defender, you think he’s going to shoot and he turns. He’s kind of slithery,” Feilhaber says with a laugh.

Believing his teammates could make it to the MLS Cup final - the second during his time at the club - Feilhaber revealed this week he is in the finest form of his career to date. A consequence of the belief shown in him, Feilhaber is enjoying being Sporting KC’s piano player, producing tune after tune to an adoring fanbase in Kansas City.