When Real Salt Lake head out to Los Angeles for a rematch against Chivas USA this weekend, midfielder Andy Williams will hit the road with a different destination before him.
Williams will be away from the club for the next two weeks, joining the Jamaican national team in a pair of World Cup qualifying matches against the Bahamas on June 15 and 18.
The RSL veteran made his official return to international soccer a week ago in a friendly against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Williams went a full 90 minutes to help boost Jamaica to a 5-1 victory.
In some ways, returning home felt like a trip back in time for the midfielder. He had not really spent time in Jamaica since his previous stint on the national team.
"It was kind of surreal," Williams said. "It's been a while since I was that nervous."
For Williams, it marks a surprising return from a self-imposed retirement in 2006. He played in 82 games and scored 12 goals for Jamaica over an eight-year span -- debuting internationally against Croatia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Williams experienced a falling out with the national team after a new head coach took the reins. But the coach from the 1998 World Cup team, Rene Simoes, came calling and Williams put off his brief retirement.
When he decided to put the past behind him and represent his country again, his return wasn't exactly welcomed from all quarters.
"A lot of Jamaicans are critical," Williams said. "A lot of people weren't happy that [they] called me back in. A lot of people think I'm too old."
With Williams once again getting the call to play for the Reggae Boyz, he is expected to miss Saturday's match at Chivas and a home match against San Jose the following week.
RSL will have adapt to his absence at a time when another starting midfielder, Dema Kovalenko, might be a game-time decision. A lingering illness has sidelined Kovalenko during consecutive training sessions this week, which will likely force Real coach Jason Kreis to dig even deeper into his bench.
While Kreis would admittedly like to have Williams in the first XI for the next two games, he is thrilled to see the RSL veteran playing an important role for his national team again.
Kreis said Williams earned his spot because the 30-year-old has done what it takes to make himself a better player this season.
"There's no doubt in my mind he deserves it," Kreis said. "He's worked so incredibly hard over these last six months, not only to help himself but to help our team and our franchise as well. He's really become a leader in the group."
Williams' temporary departure is just the latest in a series of absences Real Salt Lake has had to work around this season. If Jamaica get past Bahamas -- as they are expected to do easily -- Williams could be a regular call-up when the semifinal round of CONCACAF qualifying for South Africa 2010 begins later in the fall.
It is something of a good news/bad news scenario for any club. Kreis thinks that international stints for players like Williams can only mean good things for the RSL side as the season plays out.
"Typically you get back a player that feels more confident once he puts a few of those experiences under his belt," Kreis said. "For him -- a player that hasn't been there for a while -- I'm sure we'll see the same thing."
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
