FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Jay Heaps understands the double-edged sword of national team duty.
On one hand, coaches would love to fill their rosters with national-team caliber players who are in form and in demand at the international level. On the other hand, national-team call-ups often pull players away from their club duties in MLS, as Je-Vaughn Watson will be pulled away from the New England Revolution in the coming weeks as he joins Jamaica for Copa America Centenario.
“It hurts. You don’t want to have all your players gone,” Heaps said. “But then again, when it’s the national team and they’re being called away because of what they’re doing on the field, you tip your hat and you wish them the best of luck.
“It’s part of our business that we’re going to have players called up and they’re going to have to play for their country.”
Watson’s absence is dulled by the upcoming league-wide hiatus that will see the Revs break from league action between May 28 and June 18, but at the very least he’ll miss this weekend’s meeting with Seattle Sounders FC as the Revs close out a three-game homestand.
The versatile 32-year-old has started every game for which he’s been available in his first season with the Revs, primarily at right back, but the Revs will have to turn elsewhere – perhaps London Woodberry, Darrius Barnes, Kelyn Rowe or Jordan McCrary – to fill that hole on Saturday night.
One absence they may not have to worry about, however, is Lee Nguyen, who was not named to the final 23-man U.S. National Team roster by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Because Nguyen was on the initial 40-man roster, he is eligible to be called into camp should Klinsmann require an injury replacement at any point in the tournament, and Heaps believes there’s a distinct possibility that Nguyen could get the call should that be the case.
“I think he was so close and I think he’s still in the picture if there’s some type of injury or things that happen in those camps,” Heaps said. “Lee’s right on the cusp of being called back in.”
In the meantime, Heaps is happy to retain the services of Nguyen, who’s notched one goal and one assist in each of the last two games to up his team-leading totals to three goals and four assists on the year.
As for the – perhaps temporary – national-team snub, Heaps believes it could light a fire under Nguyen.
“I thought Lee had a very good game the other night,” Heaps said. “He found out on Friday, just before everybody else, so it’s a difficult thing to process, but I thought he handled it really well.”
