VANCOUVER — Carl Robinson says he will never stop a player from suiting up for his country.
That doesn't mean international call ups aren't a huge early nuisance for the Vancouver Whitecaps' head coach.
Three games into the Major League Soccer season, Robinson has four key members of his squad missing with Vancouver set to host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
"It's a special moment to play for your country," said Robinson. "It does get taken away from you at some stage when you get older.
"We've got to patch things up for this week, which we will. We'll deal with it."
The heart of the Whitecaps' defence is hardest hit with Kendall Waston away with Costa Rica for World Cup qualifying, while fellow starting centre back Tim Parker has been named to the U.S. under-23 squad for a two-game playoff against Colombia with an Olympic spot up for grabs.
Their absence could mean the first action of the season for Pa-Modou Kah, with the other spot possibly falling to Andrew Jacobson, a veteran midfielder acquired from New York City FC in a trade earlier this month who can also play in defence.
Christian Dean would have been in contention if not for a broken foot, while first-round pick Cole Seiler is the only other centre back on the roster.
"We claim to have good depth in this team and we'll be able to show it now," said Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted. "I have no problem with the guys coming in."
Vancouver will also be without midfielder Christian Bolanos (Costa Rica) and striker Blas Perez (Panama), meaning there will be opportunities all over the pitch.
"It's no different than if they were injured," said Ousted. "The guys that are next in line have a chance to show what they're made of."
Houston, meanwhile, will have midfiedler Boniek Garcia (Honduras) and forward Erick Torres (Mexico under-23) away on international duty, while striker Giles Barnes, midfielder Cristian Maidana and goalkeeper Tyler Deric are out injured.
"It just goes to the importance of building a roster," said Whitecaps defender Jordan Harvey. "We have youth that can step in. I don't know if all of the teams have the depth that we have.
"Going into these (international) breaks where guys are stepping out and guys are getting opportunities, I think we have the advantage."
Vancouver (1-2-0) picked up its first win of the season last weekend with a 2-1 road victory over the Seattle Sounders. The Whitecaps put in a good showing defensively after two shaky outings, conceding their only goal on a wonderfully taken free kick.
On the other side, Houston (1-1-1) saw its two-game unbeaten run to start 2016 snapped with a 4-3 away defeat against the New York Red Bulls after blowing a late 3-2 advantage.
The Dynamo lead MLS with 11 goals through three games, but have also conceded seven in a league that has seen plenty of offence through the early part of the schedule.
"It's wild at the moment," said Robinson. "There's loads of goals being scored and some very average defending if I'm honest, our team included. We put that to bed on the weekend by putting in a very strong defensive performance.
"If you don't defend well you leave yourself very open and I think that's what you're seeing."
