Sporting KC’s Busio gets the call, will play for U.S. at home stadium later this month
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gianluca Busio has been called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team for the Gold Cup, the U.S Soccer federation announced Thursday morning.
Initially included on the team’s preliminary 60-man roster, Busio made the final cut to the 23-man roster that will be aiming for America’s seventh Gold Cup title later this month. Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia also made the preliminary roster but was not named to the final roster.
“It’s a deserving call-up for him,” Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes said. “He’s played incredibly well and I think his progression over the last couple of years has been fantastic. I can’t say enough about his attitude, I can’t say enough about his maturity for his age.”
Busio received the news Tuesday night. He was playing NBA 2K on his video-game console when he got the call from U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter.
“I was a little surprised to get the first text and then he called me,” Busio said. “He just told me that, ‘We’re calling you up for the Gold Cup.’ I was excited and didn’t really know what to say exactly, but obviously I said thank you and I’m excited to get in.”
Having made his Sporting KC debut at age 16 in 2018, Busio had previously made appearances for the U.S. U-15 and U-17 teams. And now, after a stellar end to the 2020 season and start to the 2021 season, the teenager has worked his way into the prime-time international picture.
“Fully deserved. I feel like it should have come before now,” said KC captain Johnny Russell, who has made 14 appearances for his own home nation, Scotland. “Not going to criticize any other player, but there are players that have been on the international squads that I feel Busio is way ahead of.
“It’s been a long time coming; fully deserved, great guy, great player.”
Starting all 12 games for Kansas City this season, Busio has two goals and two assists. According to the soccer website FotMob, he has the highest overall match rating of any MLS player who was named to the preliminary roster.
And now, Busio will get the chance to make his international debut in his home stadium. The U.S. plays all three of its group-stage games at Children’s Mercy Park, beginning with a game against a preliminary-round winner on July 11. The U.S. also plays Martinique (July 15) and Canada (July 18) at CMP.
“It’s special. I started my career here and I did everything here to get to the national team,” Busio said. “I started my career in Kansas, so it’ll be really special to make a home debut (there) for my country.”
Busio said Berhalter told him that he has been impressed with Busio’s play in 2021, specifically in center midfield and as a defensive midfielder, his primary role for KC this season.
“He kind of explained to me how they play with the sixes and how they play with their eights and tens,” Busio said. “He just said to think about it, we have a week until we have to get into camp, so just think about it and he’s open to anything.”
Busio will be available for Kansas City’s match at the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday before he joins the U.S. squad for training at the nearby Compass Minerals National Performance Center in KCK.
This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Sporting KC’s Busio gets the call, will play for U.S. at home stadium later this month."