Bulls Abroad: November internationals start out weird for New York Red Bulls

So far,  those New York Red Bulls fortunate enough to be summoned for international duty have had an odd time.

First, we learned Ibrahim Sekagya had been called to the Uganda national team for the first time since he officially retired from international football in 2012. This is big news. Or it should be, but the local press coverage of the Cranes' preparations for their make-or-break Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has largely focused on the whereabouts of midfielder Geoffrey 'Baba' Kizito.

Kizito was missing from the national team camp for most of this week, and had reportedly not contacted anyone to explain his absence. He turned up for camp on Thursday, November 13 - two days before Uganda's big qualifying match against Ghana.

As for Sekagya: he wasn't officially named in Uganda's squad last week, but that was no surprise because he has been retired from the national team for two years. Still, the Red Bulls did receive a request for his services, and Sekagya has traveled home, presumably to represent his country.

At least, that is the expectation on this side of the Atlantic. In Uganda, a local reporter followed up on the story, asking the national team's media officer to confirm that Sekagya had indeed come out of retirement to help his country. "Maybe yes, maybe no," was the puzzling reply.

The curious case of the player so important to his national team's cause that no one will admit he is actually available to play has one day to resolve itself. Uganda plays Ghana on November 15.

Mike Petke expects Sekagya to return to the club on Sunday. If that happens, it will be the only part of the veteran defender's November international duty that has complied with expectations to date. Uganda is scheduled to play Guinea in Morocco on November 19.

In Spain, the US U-20 Men's National Team kicked off the Marbella Tournament with a wild 4-3 win over a Russian U-21 selection on November 12.

Matt Miazga played the full game, and won a penalty in the 77th minute - converted by Dembakwi Yomba to tie the game at 3-3. The US went on to have a man sent off (Emerson Hyndman, who picked up his second yellow card in the 83rd minute) before winning a second penalty (the third of the game: Russia had one too) to snatch victory in stoppage time.

RBNY's young 'keeper, Santiago Castano, remained on the bench for the duration of the game.

The U-20s are next in action on Saturday, November 15, when they will play the Republic of Ireland.

Finally, Roy Miller watched from the bench as Costa Rica played out a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw with Uruguay in Montevideo.

Los Ticos took a 1-0 lead into half-time, coughed it up in the 50th minute, got it back in the 51st, then dropped two goals in three minutes as the home team took control of the game. Just as it appeared Uruguay might have done enough to win some measure of revenge for the humbling it took the last time these teams met, Johan Venegas popped up to score an equalizer in the 91st minute.

Insult was added to injury when Costa Rica won the penalty shoot-out which followed.

Los Ticos are now unbeaten in 12 matches (they "lost" to the Netherlands on penalties in the quarterfinals of the World Cup). This was their last scheduled game of 2014, so Miller will return to New York having effectively enjoyed a mini-break in Uruguay with some friends.