It has happened again.
We've lost another player to another country. Very quietly and without much notice, goalkeeper Asmir Begovic showed up on the bench for Bosnia-Herzegovina in their World Cup Qualifiers last week against Armenia and Turkey.
This one really hurts because there was no indication it was coming.
Yes, there were some warning signs. Begovic turned down an invitation to play in Canada's Gold Cup tuneup against Cyrpus, as his club team Portsmouth wanted him to stay back as cover for number one David James.
Fair enough.
But then came interim head coach Steven Hart's invitation to join the Gold Cup team. Again he turned it down citing July training camp with Portsmouth, and the fact his girlfriend was soon to give birth. And then about a month ago in a conversation with Hart, Begovic seemed to waffle ever so slightly. Hart didn't really believe it. But its clear now, given the former Canadian under-20 number one's summer long rejection of the CSA's overtures that he had change his mind, despite stating clearly all along that Canada would be his choice. That's what we all thought, including Hart who is very disappointed.
Here's a guy who escaped the chaos of the Balkan region as a youngster with his family and eventually wound up in Edmonton where he was raised. That would be Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, a country where education and health care were free to the Begovic family. A country where they were free to do whatever they wanted, far away from the convulsions taking place in the country of his birth where little freedom existed at the time. Canada would also be that country which invested heavily in Begovic who showed an interest in soccer and signs of potential brilliance. He was an A carded athlete, meaning he received funding from Sport Canada. He matured through the Canadian youth system where coaches at every level invested countless hours in him by nurturing his development and preparing him for bigger things. He was in the same age group as the likes of Andrew Hainault, Jamie Peters and Marcel DeJong, all of them in the Canadian national team set up today. But not Begovic. Now 22, he's chosen to disregard what this country has done for him, and instead has chosen to play for Bosnia.
On one hand it's easy to see why. Bosnia are a solid second in their World Cup qualifying group and are a good bet to make the playoffs. A World Cup berth in South Africa is looming and that's what it's all about. Some people would say good for him. You have to look out for number one. Do anything you have to to get to the World Cup. That's exactly what Begovic has done without regard for what this country has given him on multiple levels. Of course Bosnia might not get there, and perhaps Begovic will never become Bosnia's number one. But that's something he'll have to live with.
