France to Scotland to Romania all in a week's work for Canadian soccer player Derek Cornelius

Chris Jones is in Bucharest with Canada's men's soccer team ahead of Friday's game vs. Romania as it continues preparations for next year's FIFA World Cup.

Derek Cornelius knew he was in Bucharest. How he got there, exactly, took some remembering.

The end of Europe's summer transfer period ran hard against the opening of FIFA's September window for several members of the Canadian men's national team, set to play a friendly against 48th-ranked Romania on Friday.

Cyle Larin completed a last-minute loan to Feyenoord. Tani Oluwaseyi joined Tajon Buchanan at Villarreal. Theo Bair moved to Lausanne-Sport.

But Cornelius, the 27-year-old central defender, had perhaps the most tumultuous turnaround. 

When he stepped on the grass for Tuesday's opening training session at a sweltering Stadionul Arcul de Triumf — traffic swirling, ambulance sirens screaming — he looked a little like a man who had been told something surprising about himself. 

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After, sinking into his chair at Canada's team hotel, he still seemed a little uncertain about his surroundings. "It's been kind of hectic," he said. "And not so much sleep." 

Last Sunday, Cornelius had expected to join Scottish giant Rangers for the rest of his club season, on loan from Marseille. But his soon-to-be-former side was thin defensively, and he was asked to join them for one last game, away to Lyon.

"Everything was set and ready to go," he said. "I wasn't even sure I was going to travel with the team."

He ended up coming in as a substitute in the 34th minute — "lo and behold," he said — and after the final