Kyle Beckerman thought his national team career might be over when he hung up the phone following a chat with U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann last winter.
At the time, Beckerman was only six months removed from starting four of five games for Klinsmann at the 2014 World Cup. But he was also four months shy of his 33rd birthday, and he had just informed the U.S. coach of his plans to skip the national team's grueling, month-long January-February camp in order to participate in a full preseason with Real Salt Lake.
"It was a possibility," Beckerman told ESPNFC.com in a recent interview.
"We had a good conversation, he seemed to be really understanding of where I was coming from, but of course I knew he'd be looking at other players when I wasn't there."
As RSL's captain, Beckerman believed strongly that he had to be with his club, which was entering a transition year, from the start.
But despite Klinsmann's fondness for the dreadlocked defensive midfielder, Beckerman knew there were risks involved.
"It was a decision that I had to make," Beckerman said. "But I didn't know what would happen with the national team after that, if Jurgen would go in a different direction with younger players."
Beckerman didn't become a U.S. regular until the German was hired in 2011, and Klinsmann, in a rare moment of public self-criticism, said in March that he regretted not starting the midfielder against Belgium in their round-of-16 loss at Brazil 2014.
As it happened, Klinsmann did preside over a youth movement during the first half of 2015. Yet not only was Beckerman part of the squad Klinsmann named last week for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, he's a projected starter for the Americans when the regional tournament kicks off for the hosts against Honduras next week.
Whatever doubts there were about Beckerman's U.S. future earlier this year, he helped erase them during last month's two historic friendly wins at the Netherlands and Germany.
"Kyle Beckerman," Klinsmann said following the 2-1, comeback victory over the reigning world champions in Cologne on June 10, "is, I think, the most underrated player coming out of the last World Cup. He cleans things up and he makes everyone around him look better because he's doing the dirty work and that makes it easier for us.
"He is really just there for the team."
If those words sum up how Klinsmann views Beckerman, they also apply to Nick Rimando, Beckerman's longtime RSL teammate.
The 36-year-old Rimando is like his close friend in several ways. He was also named to Klinsmann's experienced Gold Cup roster last month. The bulk of his national team call-ups came late in his career, too. And while Klinsmann confirmed that Brad Guzan will be the Yanks' starting goalkeeper this month, it's also clear that Rimando still has an important role to play.
"I think Jurgen knows what I bring on and off the field," said Rimando, who, with Guzan unavailable, started the first five U.S. matches this year.
"Sometimes the off-field stuff is more important. If a guy is down or not on his game, encouragement from a teammate can be more useful than from a coach or staff member.
"I think Jurgen knows that I can bring that in the locker room, [or the team] hotel."
Still, Rimando wasn't sure he wanted to continue at the international level after accompanying the U.S. to the World Cup last summer -- the culmination of a lifelong dream whether he was the Americans' third string backstop or not.
However, his wife Jacqui, a former professional soccer player, and their two kids convinced him to carry on.
"Once I had their blessing, I was fully committed to achieving more with the national team."
If that starts with the Gold Cup, it doesn't necessarily end there. In addition to Rimando's team-first attitude and willingness to mentor younger players, Klinsmann loves the Californian's ability to play the ball out of the back.
And Rimando, who, unlike Tim Howard, intends to play into his 40s, says he'll never turn down an invite.
"When your country calls, you go," he said.
It's no surprise that Beckerman feels the same way. After waiting so long to become a key man for the U.S., he insists he won't give up his spot easily -- even if he was willing to gamble it.
"Maybe I am a big part of this team, maybe not, but I never take it for granted and that keeps me on my toes," he said. "It's a long way away, but hopefully I'm still there in 2018. I'm going to leave it open to get called in as long as possible."