It was a rousing sendoff.

Toronto FC won a fourth straight Canadian championship last Wednesday and then followed it up Saturday with their first win of a Major League Soccer season in which they set a record by losing their first nine matches.

Those were the last two games before the Reds began a three-week break from MLS action as the league virtually shuts down for international matches and the next round of World Cup qualifying. Some of the players will go home to visit their families. Others will stick around town but get away from soccer. Still more will nurse injuries or work on their fitness.

But for a trio of Reds, there’s no break. Julian de Guzman, Ashtone Morgan and Ryan Johnson are trading club colours for those of their countries, beginning with the next stage of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Here’s a closer look at the three:

TFC’s second-highest paid player at $1.9 million a year, the midfielder found himself on head coach Aron Winter’s substitute’s bench earlier in the season. But in the past few matches, the Scarborough native has played some of his best soccer in a Reds uniform, winning battles, sticking up for teammates and setting up chances and goals.

A veteran of the Canadian national team, de Guzman is expected to be a regular at midfield as Canada takes on the United States in a friendly at BMO Field on Sunday before opening the third round of World Cup qualifying in Cuba on June 8 and hosting Honduras at BMO Field on June 12.

One of the youngsters who plays regularly on TFC’s much-maligned backline, the 21-year-old Toronto native has already trotted out for Canada twice in World Cup qualifying and will no doubt continue his rapid development even if he plays sparingly, or not at all.

Prospects: Canada will face a stern test on Sunday from the U.S., widely regarded as the top team in CONCACAF right now, in a match that highlights the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Soccer Association.

In qualifying, Canada is in tough against Honduras, participants in the 2010 World Cup and semifinalists at last year’s Gold Cup. To advance to the final stage for Brazil 2014, the Canadians will have to take care of business against the weakest team of the group, Cuba, and get the better of Panama.

The Jamaican striker, who was named MVP of the Canadian championships after scoring two of TFC’s four goals in four matches, leads the Reds in goals so far in 2012, with five in all competitions.

A regular with the Reggae Boyz since 2009, Johnson has played in 14 matches for them and has scored seven goals in the past two years. He’s expected to be available for a friendly in Panama on Friday and two qualifiers, June 8 at home to Guatemala and June 12 at Antigua and Barbuda.

Prospects: The bad news for the Reggae Boyz is that they’re drawn in a group with the U.S. The good news is that the top two teams from each of three groups advances to the final round, and with Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda the other two sides, Jamaica should have no problems.