If you go to the player pages on this website, you might notice a small American flag adorning some of the profiles. The flag signifies that player has been capped for the USA before or during his Metro stint. Recently, we were incredibly happy to add the flag to the pages of Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo. But if you browse through Metro history, you will find the flag appearing in some unlikely places, leaving you scratching your head, asking, how on earth was he ever considered an international player.

Ted Gillen and John DeBrito are two such players. Both playing careers have long expired, both had indifferent (at best) stints with the MetroStars in the early stages of MLS. Not to take anything away from them: they were considered international-caliber players at sometime. But when one looks at their Metro career, obscure-caliber is how we would describe it.

Gillen was taken by the MetroStars in the 6th round of the Inaugural Draft. The New Jersey native last played with the Richmond Kickers of the USISL... in 1993, three years before MLS started, he spent the gap coaching. That time away from the game obviously did not help; Gillen's career with Metro was incredibly forgettable. He started the year on injured reserve, and made his debut against DC in May and spent most of the season at left back and defensive midfield. Somehow surviving the mid-season purge, he played in 15 matches, and ended up starting the first playoff game -- but only lasted 33 minutes. Before the 1997 season, Gillen retired (from MLS. He then spent a few seasons with the minor league New Jersey Stallions), and returned to coaching in his home town of Toms River.

But yes, Gillen was capped -- three times, all coming in 1988. His first came in a loss to Chile, the other two against Ecuador and Costa Rica (starting on defense alongside Jeff Agoos!).

DeBrito came to the MetroStars in 1997. The Cape Verde-born defender started in MLS in 1996, playing 21 games for New England (his pre-MLS stint included a year with the New York Fever of the old A-League). Metro was desperate for a left back -- the forgettable Cris Da Silva started the season in that position, started through three losses, and got replaced 14 minutes into the fourth match. So DeBrito was signed, and immediately slotted into the position, debuting against DC. He played in eight games, started them all, nothing great, nothing too terrible. But on June 10th, after starting Metro's last game, a loss to New England, he was suddenly cut. Just like that. Manny Lagos was returning from injury, so perhaps Metro needed the roster space. The real reason is lost in obscurity.

But unlike Gillen, DeBrito persevered in MLS. He was taken off waivers by Kansas City, played two years there, then followed by two and a half in Columbus. Midway through 2001, he played in an Open Cup game for Dallas, becoming one of the first players to appear for five MLS clubs. He ended his career in his adopted home state of Connecticut with the minor league Connecticut Wolves. In 2006, he was inducted to that state's Soccer Hall of Fame. So that's nice.

But yes, the caps! Six for DeBrito, all in 1991 and 1992. He was actually on the roster of the 1992 King Fahd Cup (the precursor to the Confederations Cup), but did not play. His first cap? Don't ask. In a 1:0 loss to Bermuda. BERMUDA! Here's the lineup from that forgettable game, just to have it on record: Tony Meola, Jimmy Banks, Marcelo Balboa, Jeff Agoos, Troy Dayak, Paul Krumpe (John DeBrito 75'), Ron Dufrene (Mark Santel 64'), Dominic Kinnear, Bruce Murray, Peter Vermes, Eric Wynalda. BERMUDA!

Amazing how much the US national team and MLS evolved in the last two decades, isn't it?