Canada vs. the United States? Bring it on.

That’s the attitude in Toronto FC camp after Canada was drawn into Group A of the CONCACAF Nations League A, with John Herdman’s side pairing off against Cuba and the U.S. in this new regional competition later in the year.

Les Rouges earned their spot in Nations League A after successfully navigating the qualifying stage with a 4-1 win over French Guiana, setting up the prospect of a few club teammates butting heads on the international level out of the Toronto squad.

Canada’s sporting history against the U.S. transcends soccer – it’s as fierce a rivalry as any in hockey, and the two neighbouring nations have always held a mutual respect for one another on grassy turf, too. But this latest match – the first competitive tilt between these two sides since 2011 – promises to be even more special for a few players in both camps.

Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley, for example, has built a new life in Canada, moving to the Reds in 2014 and settling down well, seeing the birth of his youngest child in Toronto and becoming a central figure in the club alongside his international teammate, Jozy Altidore.

The two will now pair off against club teammates like Jonathan Osorio or Jay Chapman for the first time since 2016, a prospect Bradley is already looking forward to experiencing.

“(I’m) really excited,” Bradley said of the match, as quoted by Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press. “(I) hope the game is in Toronto. My kids are very excited. It should be a fun fall.”

Though there is no named venue for a Canada vs. U.S. matchup on Canadian soil, the Toronto FC camp has their fingers crossed for another tilt at BMO Field.

Defender and former U.S. international Drew Moor is hoping both sets of his teammates will still be friends after the encounter.

“It should be fun,” Moor said, as quoted by Davidson. “While there is a bit of rivalry within the locker room there at times, it’s all professional and it’s all switched back over to TFC pride and love at the right time. It should make for a fun couple of weeks as it does approach.”

Canada will be hoping for a victory regardless of venue or character billings – as Davidson points out, Canada is 8-14-11 against the U.S., but last picked up a victory in April of 1985 in Vancouver. Since then, Canada has gone 0-9-8 against the U.S., drawing two of the last three encounters.