Chris Konopka is returning to Canada.

Meanwhile, he had a solid contract offer from the Jacksonville Armada. He received the offer just after the conclusion of the 2016 NASL season. The Armada’s brass knew he was going to try and get back to MLS, but Beckie also understood that the NASL side couldn’t wait too long for him to make a decision.

FC Edmonton confirmed the signings of Canadian midfielder Mauro Eustaquio and Norwegian midfielder Sabri Khattab on Tuesday — and later announced the team's plans for a four-game, two-week tour of Manchester, England.

The Jacksonville Armada announced Tuesday that the club had inked Beckie to a new deal. Last season, Beckie played 1,592 minutes over 23 games for The Team Formerly Known as the Carolina RailHawks (now North Carolina FC). Beckie spent 2014-15 with the Ottawa Fury; before that, he was with the Columbus Crew of MLS.

“It was tough in the off-season, watching the situation with the whole the league, with FC Edmonton,” said Watson of the December-January negotiations and deal-making that ended up preserving NASL as a division-two league in North America. “I had a few options, but it was a big positive the way it worked out. It seemed right to come back. It seemed right to try and go further this year, and win a championship.”

Oh, and while Sansara had never been to Canada before, his mother has — they have family in Calgary who are in the restaurant business.

It just wouldn't be a Canadian national-team roster announcement if we didn't focus more on who isn't on the team than who was on the list.

Then, on Thursday came the announcement that, as part of its national English-language television deal with TSN, seven MLS games will be broadcast coast-to-coast on CTV. That’s a massive sign of BellMedia getting behind the MLS property, with the same kind of fervour we have seen dedicated to the Canadian Football League in the past. Of the seven national CTV games, five will feature match-ups between the Canadian sides.

The team announced the signing of English-Indian left back Netan Sansara, Thursday. Sansara played with Norwegian side Fredrikstad from 2014 till the end of the 2016.

“I believe that continuity is massive,” said Miller. “I see some teams in North America that throw a hand grenade to their rosters every season. We are not going to look at changing over 15 or 16 players. The lads who are returning did well for us last year.”