VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Kendall Waston was surrounded by his Vancouver Whitecaps teammates when Coach Carl Robinson, told him he had made Costa Rica’s 23-man World Cup roster.

The applause, warm wishes and water-bottle shower that followed were signs of respect and admiration. Waston is Vancouver’s captain, and his play with the Whitecaps is largely why he’s headed to Russia.

Of course, the moment Waston made that Costa Rica roster, his priorities changed.

Waston said the Whitecaps “treat me like a family” and “have helped me a lot,” providing the exposure and experience necessary to crack a World Cup roster. But like other Russia-bound MLS players, the last thing he wants is to invite needless risks. Keeping the club competitive, and staying fit and healthy to represent your country can be a delicate balance.

While most leagues around the world end play in May, the MLS schedule marches on, and many players headed to Russia stuck with their MLS teams through the last weekend of May.

“I think that each day you have to work harder to be in good standing with the club, first of all,” Seattle Sounders and Panama defender Roman Torres said. “Each day with the club, I am training to the fullest to obtain the triumphs that we’re trying to achieve. … It’s important to be physically fit and mentally strong as you arrive from the club to your national team.”

Torres is a prime example of how tenuous the balance can be as the World Cup nears. During pregame warmups April 29, Torres strained his hamstring. In the days after Torres was hurt, Coach Brian Schmetzer said, “it’s not good. It’s not good.”

Torres had to sit out four games to properly rest the injury. He spent most of May rehabbing instead of joining Panama in top form. And he’s at greater risk for aggravating the injury at the World Cup.

“It’s always challenging and it’s been challenging for us as a club because we’ve always had a lot of internationals on our roster,” Schmetzer said.

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