{"id":43905,"date":"2017-02-04T20:15:33","date_gmt":"2017-02-05T01:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=43905"},"modified":"2017-02-04T20:15:33","modified_gmt":"2017-02-05T01:15:33","slug":"ex-rev-feilhaber-back-in-nt-fold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=43905","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Rev Feilhaber Back in NT Fold"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo credit: Fox Soccer<\/p><\/div>\n

Five years. 60 months. 1,839 days, to be precise. No matter how you slice it, there’s no debate Benny Feilhaber has waited quite a while for his 44th cap with the United States National Team.<\/p>\n

The playmaker’s last appearance came on Jan. 21, 2012 in a 1-0 win over Venezuela. Since then, the U.S. has played in a World Cup and a Copa America, as well as two Gold Cups and, oh yeah, weathered a high-profile coaching change.<\/p>\n

But all that couldn’t have mattered less to the 32-year-old midfielder, who finally returned to the pitch for the U.S. in Friday’s friendly against Jamaica in Chattanooga, Tenn.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt amazing,\u201d Feilhaber told the media after the match. \u201cI think it was a wonderful crowd. I think our team put in a good performance in a much-needed victory and it was exciting to be a part of it: to be a part of the goal, be a part of the starting XI, and it was something that I\u2019ve dreamed of for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was forced to dream, of course, due in large part to former coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s curious unwillingness to call up the former New England Revolution midfielder.<\/p>\n

After a pair of underwhelming seasons in New England, Feilhaber was traded to Sporting Kansas City, where rediscovered the form that made him a National Team regular during the mid-2000s.<\/p>\n

But that seemed to matter little to Klinsmann, who routinely called others despite Feilhaber’s impact on a club that won an MLS Cup as well as an Open Cup since his arrival.<\/p>\n

Last November, Klinsmann was fired in the wake of two disappointing performances in World Cup Qualifying. Bruce Arena, who held the post from 2000-06, returned to the helm, and when he called together his first camp, Feilhaber was among the group.<\/p>\n

Friday’s performance proved Feilhaber no doubt deserved to be back in the National Team fold. In the midst of a scoreless match, Feilhaber positioned himself in a vulnerable part of Jamaica’s defense to collect a pass from Dax McCarty. From there, he ran at goal then found an open Jordan Morris on his right, where the Sounders man promptly buried the deciding goal.<\/p>\n

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The breakthrough the #USMNT<\/a> needed arrives via @JmoSmooth13<\/a>'s right foot!<\/p>\n

Here's how we got our first goal of 2017 ?. #USAvJAM<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/n3Cn123nOR<\/a><\/p>\n

— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) February 4, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n