International duties are back and players around the NASL are returning to their home countries ahead of their upcoming fixtures. Cosmos defenders, Dejan Jaković and David Ochieng, as well as midfielders Richard Menjívar and Irvin Herrera have been called up to represent their respective nations. The players will prepare for their international friendlies, which will take place next week. 

 

Jaković returns to Canada to assist his country in their upcoming match against Curaçao. The 31 year-old defender made his debut in March 2008 and has accumulated 34 senior caps since then. He has been showcased during the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and has been an important asset to the Canadian National Team’s defense. The strong defender has also been an instrumental player for the Cosmos during the NASL Spring Season, playing in eight matches and leading the team with 25 total clearances.

 

Fellow Cosmos defender, David Ochieng, will return to Kenya for his international duty. The 24 year-old defender Nairobi-native made his first appearance for his nation in 2012 and since then has played 26 matches, appearing in both the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His first FIFA competitive cap came on March 23, 2013 against Nigeria, in a 1-1 draw during a preliminary World Cup qualifying match. 

 

Next are Salvadoran midfielders Herrera and Menjívar, who will be suiting up for their countries' friendly against Ecuador. Both players were involved in the Cosmos 1-0 victory on Sunday against North Carolina FC, and are looking to provide the same success for the National Team. Herrera made his debut for the national team on March 28, 2015 and has 13 caps and two goals for his country. His teammate, Menjívar, began representing El Salvador at the U23 level before making his senior team debut on January 19, 2013 during the Copa Centroamericana. He’s made 32 senior caps, scoring one goal during a match against Honduras in 2014.