Report: Ex-Philadelphia Union defender Vitoria will represent Canada

Ex-Philadelphia Union defender Steven Vitoria will reportedly accept a call up to his native Canada later this year, a source has told The Province. According to the British Columbia daily, Vitoria will not seek to represent Portugal and instead will accept a call from Benito Floro to represent Canada.

Vitoria was born in Toronto to Azorean parents, and thus is eligible to represent both Canada and Portugal.

Vitoria has returned to Benfica in the Portuguese Primeira Liga after a rather disastrous stint with the Union. The center back was a weak link on a defense that was one of the worst in the league. He was injured for a good portion of the 2015 season, only making 18 appearances, and will perhaps be remembered most for his last appearance in a Union kit.

After giving up four goals and picking up a yellow card in the first half to the New York Red Bulls, Vitoria was benched at halftime. The yellow card put him over the yellow card accumulation limit, so he was suspended for the final match of the season against Orlando City.

Vitoria has represented Portugal at the U19 and U20 level, however he hasn't seen a call-up at the international level since 2007 when he featured in Portugal's 2-1 group stage loss to The Gambia. Canada will have a friendly with the United States on February 5 before a home-and-away series with Mexico in the fourth round of CONCACAF's 2018 World Cup Qualifiers, where they'll need to get two points to have a shot of moving on to the hex.