For the most part, the 2007 season has been one to forget for FC Dallas defender Adrian Serioux. The Canadian international had knee surgery right after arriving in Frisco prior to the preseason and was on the shelf until making his FCD debut in a July 14 match at D.C. United.
That makes Serioux's call-up to the Canadian national team even more meaningful. The Maple Leafs take on Costa Rica on Wednesday at BMO Field in Toronto.
"It's great," Serioux said. "It's always a privilege to play for your country. I've been out of the mix for a while and it's just good that they still remembered me and when I was good, ready and healthy, they called me back up. It's definitely a privilege and hopefully I can go there and perform like I've done in previous years."
FCD head coach Steve Morrow is equally happy for Serioux.
"We found out a few weeks ago (that he would be called up)," he said. "He's very pleased and looking forward to it. It's always an honor to play for your national team and I know he's pleased and looks forward to it."
Serioux has represented Canada nine times. The last time he did so was in March 2006, when Canada played Austria in Vienna, Austria. He participated in a national team training camp in January but didn't play in any matches.
Because of his injury, he was left off Canada's roster for this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup. Serioux admitted it was hard watching those matches as a spectator, but he was very proud of his side's run to third place.
"It was tough but at the same time, you have to support your teammates that you spent all those years with growing up," he said. "That was a great accomplishment for us and hopefully people will realize that Canada is a country to be reckoned with."
That run in the Gold Cup is something that Serioux feels shows how far Canadian soccer has progressed and is a hint of good things to come.
"Over the course of the past few years, they have been bringing in new guys, a majority of them European guys," he said. "We probably have the best squad we've had in years. Now, we have to go out there and accomplish what people don't expect us to do -- win a few games and qualify for the next World Cup."
Serioux, who has started four games for FCD so far this season, played the full 90 minutes of a 2-0 win against Toronto FC on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park. Several of the Reds he was squaring off with two days ago will become his teammates on Wednesday. He left Frisco on Sunday and is scheduled to re-join FCD on Thursday, two days in advance of the match at New England on Saturday.
He came to FCD last fall in a trade with TFC after he was selected in the expansion draft. Prior to that, he was a member of Houston's 2006 MLS Cup championship squad. His call-up makes Serioux the 11th different FCD player to be summoned by their national team this season.
