Aaron Long took the moment to himself for just a few seconds, a silent celebration to soak in a moment that had, at times, seemed so far away.



The dream is there for every young player—to pull on the national team’s jersey and represent their country. But as Long bounced around Major League Soccer and even the second-tier USL, the goal remained distant.



FC Tucson. Loans to Sacramento Republic and Orange County Blues. Seattle Sounders II. Red Bulls II. And, finally, just last year, the senior Red Bulls.



When the call came and Long learned he had been called into U.S. men’s national team camp, he reveled in the news for just long enough—”that personal little smile within,” he called it—and then picked up the phone and dialled up his grandfather.



“He’s a big crybaby nowadays,” Long joked, cracking a smile ahead of the team’s training session in the intense New York humidity on Wednesday...