Jesus Bueno gets the call from Venezuela after great month with Union

CHESTER — When the Venezuelan Football Federation reached out about a week ago to Union midfielder Jose Martinez to arrange his latest international trip, it dropped the hint that his travel might be different this time.

This voyage, for the September international break, Martinez might not be the only Union midfielder playing for Le Vinotino. So Martinez let his mate Jesus Bueno know to be on the lookout for a call, one that the federation made official Tuesday night. They are expected to play three more games for the Union before departing.

Both Martinez and Bueno have been called up to Venezuela as it starts the qualification campaign for the next World Cup, with games in Colombia and hosting Paraguay. For Bueno, it’s his first senior national team camp.

“I feel very happy for that,” Bueno said Tuesday via a translator, just before the Union travelled to Toronto for a game Wednesday night. “I think I worked so hard my whole career for this moment. I’m very happy and I cannot wait to play for the national team, to get my first game with them.”

It was a fitting mode of delivery given how the trajectories of Martinez and Bueno have mirrored each other. Martnez came to the Union in 2020 from Venezuelan club Zulia having never been in the national team picture at any age group. He’s become a fixture at defensive midfield for the Union, an MLS All-Star who has earned 14 caps for Venezuela.

Bueno was 21 when the Union signed him from Deportivo Lara in 2021. He played six games and just 29 total minutes (plus 25 in the playoffs) that season before a 12-minute cameo in 2022. Toiling with Union II sharpened his game, which has led to a much larger role this year.

Bueno has played 16 league games, making five starts, for 523 minutes. He was the revelation of Leagues Cup, starting six of seven games with two goals, three assists, a drawn penalty and twice scoring in PK shootouts.

Adding a national team call-up is a nice capper to a fantastic last six weeks.

“I’ve been working hard for these moments,” Bueno said. “I was kind of ready for all of this. I’ve been working so hard to make all of this happen, and now I’m just enjoying this. It’s nice to have those great moments and the minutes for the team and the good things that I always believed I could have. And working hard, I have the opportunity to go to the national team.”

“Jesus is a great example of a kid who has put his head down and worked hard,” coach Jim Curtin said. “He’s been a real professional. He pushed guys in training even when he wasn’t called on to start, was a true teammate and now he’s getting his reward with minutes and also now with the Venezuelan national team, which is the ultimate honor.”

Bueno made one appearance with Venezuela’s Under-20 team in 2018. He wasn’t selected for the 2019 South American Youth Football Championship side, and he was called into a senior national team camp in 2021 that was cut short when he contracted COVID-19.

Bueno has been part of the midfield depth that has propelled the Union (13-7-4, 43 points) to second in the East. They have a golden chance to add on Wednesday in visiting a Toronto FC team circling the drain.

TFC (3-13-10, 19 points) has lost eight straight and is winless in 11. Among their losses is a 4-2 beating in Chester on April 22. Despite the high-priced acquisitions of Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne last summer, the Reds are last in the East with 20 goals scored in 26 games.

About the only good thing happening around BMO Field is that they have a new coach, sort of: John Herdman was introduced Tuesday, but he won’t formally take over until Oct. 1, when he wraps up his duties with the Canadian national team, which piloted to its first World Cup in four decades last fall.

Curtin is always wary of struggling teams that could be on the verge of breaking out, even more so when the momentum bump of a new coach is a threat. Herdman’s sort-of arrival is a twist, though.

“This one’s a little unique because it sounds like he won’t physically be there, so that does change things a little bit,” Curtin said. “But (interim coach) Terry Dunfield’s there, he’s doing a good job with his group and trying to get them prepared as best he can each week. Herdman will be assessing things from afar, so players will be motivated. They’re professionals. They’re playing for positions for the future.”

The Union are fully healthy. The hamstring issue that caused Martinez’s early exit from Saturday’s 3-1 win at D.C. United proved to be just tightness. He trained fully Tuesday and is available. Damon Lowe is back after attending to a personal matter that caused him to miss the Leagues Cup third-place game and Saturday at D.C.