by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

Fresh from contributing to a runners up finish at Confederations Cup, U.S. midfielder Benny Feilhaber says the squad acquired a new-found level of confidence during their first South African odyssey that should pay off when the time for their second arrives next summer.

Unable to rest on the silver laurels for long, the USMNT now heads directly into Gold Cup with an towards resuming World Cup 2010 qualifying by visiting arch rivals Mexico in August.

"I really believe this cup run was a beginning to a more confident team and a team that will ask more from themselves in the games to come," Feilhaber told Soccer365. "I feel every game we are getting better, and believing more and more in our own abilities to beat teams."

"This is a huge moment for us. I think it will definitely carry over into the qualification games and the World Cup next year."

For Feilhaber, Confederations Cup marked his first tourney appearance for the senior 'Nats since he capped the 2007 Gold Cup final with a famous winner against Mexico, and he was definitely glad to be back in the fold.

"It's been great to be able to play for the U.S.Men's National Team again," said the 24-year old. "It's always something I've cherished and it's amazing to be back playing at such a high level for one of the greatest competitions in the world."

While some players from the Confederations Cup roster are now preparing for the July 4th start to this year's edition of the Gold Cup, others like Aarhus GF man Feilhaber are catching a breather before they head off to join their clubs for preseason training.

After a disappointing spell with Derby County, the former UCLA walk-on is excited to be a key member of a team on the rise in Denmark. Feilhaber has his eye on the starting #10 job and believes his World Cup chances can only be helped by a lead role in the team's hunt for Europe.

"This year is huge for me in AGF and it's a big year for the club as a whole," he stated. "We have a great team and we have the ambition to finish top three this season."

"I will be fighting for a starting spot and I hope I can be the playmaker for them this season. Its gonna be a great thing for me to get consistent starts in Aarhus."

Feilhaber, U.S. teammate Jeremiah White and the rest of AGF will kick off the new SAS Liga season with a July 20th visit from Marcus Tracy and Aalborg BK.

Soccer365 reporter Greg Seltzer blogs daily over at No Short Corners.

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