"For me, it was a chance to get back into Europe," said de Guzman, who was a key part of the Deportivo La Coruna squad and regarded as one of La Liga's better holding midfielders before the move to MLS. "For six months, I got to play every minute of every game. Even though the club struggled it was a chance for me to showcase myself. There has been interest from a couple of second-division Bundesliga clubs and some from other part of Europe as well."

Haber spoke to The 11 about getting his first national-team callup, and his prospects for the future.

Haber has made his way from Israel to the Alberta capital and is expected to be present for most if not all of the four-day camp.

But, with each week that goes by, the Gold Cup gets closer. It kicks off July 7 and wraps up on the 28th. Conveniently, the NASL takes almost all of July off — and Miller could have the time on his hands.

The Canadian Soccer Association is now working with FIFA to ensure that Quon is eligible to play. Herdman said that a national coach needs to invite a player to camp before the FIFA process can begin.

Fast forward to the present. Miller has his FC Edmonton squad just three points off the top of the NASL table. And he’s beaming with pride after the Canadian Soccer Association confirmed that he’ll be the interim coach of the national side once again.

Canadian referee Carol Anne Chenard’s name is on the list. Norwegian official Christina Pedersen’s name is not.

But here’s the irony. While Canadian players are considered “internationals” on the rosters of U.S. MLS teams, they are considered “domestics” on USL rosters.

The Canadian team played the third-place match as if it was playing for gold.

When players I’ve covered over the years earn major awards, I don’t think about the stats they’ve accumulated over the courses of their careers. I think about the moments I remember the most vividly, the marks that these athletes made on my brain.