Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Sporting Acquire Benny Feilhaber From Revolution

Sporting KC's announcement hinted at by Robb Heineman yesterday on Twitter has been announced.  The team has acquired midfielder, Benny Feilhaber from the New England Revolution for allocation money, KC's 2014 first round pick, and their 2015 second round pick.

The midfielder spent the last season and a half in New England after spending most of the previous 7 years playing in Germany, England, and Denmark.  In the past two years he's played in 52 games for the Revolution, starting 46 and scoring 5 goals over that period of time.

Feilhaber is a player that Kansas City had been interested in since he came to MLS.  Kansas City was apparently interested in making a trade for him at the time the Revolution took him with their allocation spot.  Overall the trade works out for both teams.  KC gets a guy that they'd been after while the Revolution get something in return for a player that they weren't going to bring back.  Some may say that it's a bit of a steep price for KC to pay, giving up 2 draft picks and what's likely decent allocation money for Feilhaber, and overall that's the one thing that I struggle with on this deal.  But to get talent you have to give stuff up.  And while KC has shown the ability to use their first round picks with success, it's hard to pass up a proven player like Feilhaber.

Feilhaber gives KC two national team level midfielders on their roster combined with Graham Zusi.  Those two will cause a number of problems for teams and should continue to provide Kansas City with danger off of set pieces.  The move could also allow Zusi more time on the wing where he's excelled at the national team level.

While it's a lot to give up, I like this move.  Feilhaber seems like the perfect midfielder for KC's 4-3-3 system and Vermes will hopefully be able to get some of Feilhaber's character issues in check quickly.

And who doesn't love watching this goal.


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two first rounds plus allocation money. The guy is good ....but that good???
don't think so

Anonymous said...

He does seem expensive but i think he is worth it. I'm stoked for next year !

aletheist said...

Not two first-rounds, one first-round pick and one second-round pick. The key is making sure that the first-round pick in 2014 is 19th overall!

Spoon said...

Not a very smart trade. Just because the Royals did something doesn't mean you have to make a move too. He is not that good of a player to be wizzing the money away on.

Anonymous said...

Seriously doubt the royals had anything to do with this trade. Really silly remark

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great trade to me. The MLS draft is getting less and less important. The gulf between college and the league has grown as the quality of the MLS has improved via other entry mechanisms for players, so those draft picks just aren't that valuable. Note how many minutes our 2012 draft picks played this last season, and that only one 2012 draftee remains on the roster, if you think that the price was too steep.

Zusi and Benny together in the midfield present a LOT of challenges for opposing teams, and while neither are known for their defending, both are pretty decent defenders. Yes, Benny is a defensive downgrade from Roger, but Roger's ball winning just isn't replaceable - and the offensive creativity of the midfield just went up a ton.

Anonymous said...

Terrible. Benny has been overrated ever since that goal in 2007. Don't like him, don't want to see him playing for Sporting. But I'm not Robb so... welcome Benny, sort of.

Nathan Martin said...

I definitely have questioned Benny's crybaby attitude. However, I don't believe that PV nor the players will put up with any of his BS.

It may be his last best chance to rejoin the USMNT and so I expect to see his best.

The price paid for him doesn't bother me at all.

Still in need of a finisher, left winger, and midfield enforcer.