The international Loons have flown back to the nest ahead of this weekend’s away match against the LA Galaxy, and they returned with plenty of experience to share. From South Africa to eastern Europe, the four Black and Blue players that earned call-ups to their national teams during this break took part in World Cup tuneups and milestone moments, setting the stage for this summer’s tournament. Let’s take a look at how each of the guys did over the last two weeks!
Bongokuhle Hlongwane - South Africa
Carlos Harvey - Panama
Naturally, I had to put these two together, right? The South African national team — often known as the Bafana Bafana — played two friendlies against Carlos Harvey’s Panama side this window, resulting in a draw and a win for Panama.
Harvey started and went the full 90 in both matches, getting time in both the backline and in the midfield. He looked back on the pair of friendlies fondly, noting the chance for some more minutes as a positive from the break.
“I felt good, honestly,” he said. “Every time I join the national team, I always try to give my absolute best because it is a source of pride to represent my country. So, whenever I go there, I give it my all and to be honest, I really needed it, because I needed playing time. So, truthfully, I enjoyed it.”
When asked about playing against his club teammate, Harvey smiled.
“We greeted each other before the game, but you know that once we're on the field, we're rivals. And thanks to God, we came away with the victory.”
While Hlongwane was an unused substitute in the first match, he started and played 60 minutes in the second, making his first appearance for his national team since 2023. He was happy to join the group again, but certainly left feeling that he had more to offer, and will be hoping to see his name on the squad list this summer.
“It’s exciting to be there, but it comes with a lot of expectations and everything,” he said. “I had some moments where I could have done better, but it's okay. I will learn from that. I'm trying to come back and fix those things here with the team.”
Though there was no jersey swap between these teammates on the field in South Africa, there appears to be a planned exchange here at the training grounds after all — don’t worry.
Nectarios Triantis - Greece
For Triantis, this window saw him join the Greek national team for the second time. After subbing into their first match of the window (a 1-0 loss to Paraguay) for the final half hour, he stepped into the starting eleven for the first time.
“It's always an honor getting called up for the national team to make my starting debut was a dream come true, and hopefully many more to come,” he said. “It was a good atmosphere, the packed out Puskas Arena, great atmosphere. Great game. It didn't come with the win, but a great, great experience.”
Triantis, who was born in Australia, notably played his youth international soccer with the Socceroos. He spoke about that decision after training this week.
“I made the decision last year,” he said. “I had played for Australia in my youth ranks, but always felt that my family and my heritage was very Greek, and I wanted to honor that. It was always a dream of mine as a kid to play for Greece, so when the opportunity came up, I didn't hesitate.”
James Rodríguez - Colombia
Colombia’s captain featured in both of their friendlies, as Los Cafeteros took on Croatia and France in two matches here in the US. As fate would have it, he was subbed out in the 63rd minute of both matches, giving us a bit of symmetry to report. Colombia fell in both matches, and James is currently recovering from severe dehydration after returning from international duty. He will be out this weekend, but he is on the mend.
And that’s it. That’s everyone! The boys are all back in town, but only for a few more hours at most, as they’ll be on their way to LA (Carson, actually) for tomorrow’s matchup before long. We’ve got plenty of MLS action between now and the next international break, so lock back in on the Black and Blue before the World Cup haze takes over.
