Mathis, Howard and Pope all get regular call-ups for the US Nats. Zaide plays for Jamaica, and Guevara wears the armband for Honduras. Is this going to hurt us during Gold Cup and/ or WC Qualifying?
At worst, we're going to take a hit for the entire second half of the season, even after our three Nats return from GC and Confed Cup duty, assuming they all go. They will have played some high profile international matches by the time they return to the Metros on a regular basis. At the same time, every team in the MLS with the exception of the Burn will have the same problem with internationals coming home in late summer, so as long as our Metros get some good results in the first half of the season, we'll be fine.
That's why you need reliable players on the bench, and a good coach. I know we have the coach, but the reliable players on the bench?