While Americans furiously wring their hands over Michael Bradley's impending return to North America, on this side of the border, there's actually been good news on the repatriation front in the past little while.
On Friday, Ottawa Fury FC -- slowly building their roster in preparation for their first NASL season -- announced the signing of 21-year-old Canadian fullback Andres Fresenga, who had been playing in Uruguay (most recently with Racing Club de Montevideo) for several years. Fresenga impressed many with Canada's under-23 team in 2012 Olympic qualifying, and is likely to challenge for an immediate starting spot in the nation's capital.
That's a welcome change from this season, when he rarely even made the matchday roster for Racing, and a welcome sign for Ottawa, who also have Carl Haworth (Fresenga's teammate on the under-23 team from 2012) on the roster.
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This move comes just over a month after striker Frank Jonke also made the move back to Canada, signing with FC Edmonton, and amidst rumours that Lucas Cavallini -- who, like Fresenga, has spent the last few years in Uruguay -- could also be looking at a change of scenery (albeit, not to North America).
The common denominator in all of these situations -- and in Bradley's move to Toronto FC -- is getting an increase in playing time in a more comfortable environment.
Now, is MLS a step down from Serie A? Yup. Is NASL a step down from the Uruguay first division? Yup.
But is playing regularly, keeping your skills sharp and contributing consistently to a team, no matter the level, a step up from rotting away on a bench somewhere? Absolutely.
That's why Fresenga's move is good not just for him personally and -- if he lives up to his potential -- for Ottawa Fury fans, but for the men's national team generally: It's further proof of the theory many have held about the growth of Canadian professional clubs, that having more of them does wonders for the health of the Canadian player pool.
Need proof? Also on Friday, Fresenga got the call-up to his first men's national team camp under head coach Benito Floro.
While the MLS clubs receive the lion's share of attention, there's no doubt that Edmonton and Ottawa will play a crucial role in the Canadian player ecosystem in the years to come. This is simply the beginning.