Gianluca Busio was one of the last players to depart the Sporting Kansas City practice field Tuesday. As his teammates walked toward the locker room, he was still circling the field, collecting equipment and storing it in a bag over his shoulder.
Rookie chores.
For the better part of five months, this has been the work environment of a 16-year-old soccer player. The culture remains unchanged, even as the national spotlight begins to centers on his potential.
On Saturday, Busio became the third-youngest player to start an MLS match. He was the second-youngest to record an assist, which came on Diego Rubio’s game-winner in a 1-0 win in Houston.