TORONTO – How’s this for a change: a pro club complaining about releasing its players for Canadian national team duty?

Usually it’s the other way around, with Canada crying foul over teams pulling all sorts of chicanery to prevent its players from representing their country.

But Toronto FC is not too happy with the Canadian Soccer Association, with coach Ryan Nelsen and club president Kevin Payne publicly rebuking the organization over what it feels is a lack of co-operation.

TFC hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday at BMO Field, but will then lose starters Doneil Henry and Jonathan Osorio – as well as Kyle Bekker and Ashtone Morgan – for next Wednesday’s home game against the Montreal Impact.

Those four players have been called up by the Canadian national team to compete at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs from July 7-28 in the United States. FIFA rules stipulate that players have to be released five days before the start of the tournament, which means TFC has to release the four players one day before the match against Montreal.

Nelsen and Payne said they have asked the CSA if they could hold onto two of the four players – any two – for an extra day and let them join the national team after the Impact game.

Thus far the CSA has not been very accommodating, according to Nelsen.

“Other teams are complaining about (losing) one player. Well, we’ve got four. Unfortunately, it’s the (situation) we’re in: We develop them and we give them their opportunities more than any other clubs and then (the CSA) take them away without even a thanks,” Nelsen told reporters on Friday.

Nelsen later added: “It’s one-way traffic” with the CSA.

Payne was trying to get a hold of Peter Montopoli, the CSA’s general secretary, on Friday morning about possibly keeping two of the four players an extra day. Payne said he will try to continue to reach out to the CSA.

“They say they want to treat everyone equally, but they’re not. They’re taking four of our guys, and meanwhile we get to play against (Montreal Impact midfielder) Patrice Bernier next week. It’s not fair,” Payne claimed.

Without two of the four players being held back, Nelsen claims he will have a hard time filling out his 18-man roster next Wednesday

“At the moment, I can’t fill the bench. (Assistant coach) Fran O’Leary might have to get dressed. That’s how desperate it might be,” Nelsen quipped.

Nelsen and Payne could hardly hide their frustration over the situation, claiming TFC does favours for the CSA all the time.

Specifically, Nelsen said the Canadian national team uses the MLS club’s training facility whenever it’s in Toronto. He also revealed that Pat Onstad, TFC’s chief scout and a former goalkeeper, is currently with the national team helping out the coaching staff.

A team official told sportsnet.ca that it was the CSA who approached TFC about using Onstad as their temporary goalkeeping coach.

“What’s frustrating is that we let (the CSA) use our facilities, we give them a coach (Onstad), we give them everything. We try to develop as many good young players as we can. All we’re asking for is one day where we can just keep a couple of them,” Nelsen stated.

Nelsen explained he has no qualms about releasing the players, but he was hoping for more understanding and flexibility from the CSA.

“I want Canadian soccer to win more than anybody. But all I’m asking for is two players to stay for one more day,” Nelsen stated. “It might come back to hurt them in the long run. When you take and you don’t really give, it starts to wear a bit thin.”

A Canadian Soccer Association official did not answer a text message from sportsnet.ca requesting a comment on this story.

NOTES: Forward Robert Earnshaw is questionable for Saturday’s game with a calf injury… Defender Richard Eckersley, who’s been out with a long-term hamstring injury, told sportsnet.ca he expects to return to full training next week and could be available to play after TFC’s break in early July… Scottish defender Steven Caldwell, who is currently on loan from Birmingham City, said he hopes to sign a long-term permanent deal with the Reds in the next few days… The team waived defender Logan Emory on Thursday, and Nelsen said other players could be waived before the July 1 MLS release deadline.