TORONTO - Paul Stalteri has experienced the extreme highs and lows of international soccer.

After all, in captaining Canada, a side that's both surprised and appalled for more than a decade, 30 times since 2007, he's more than capable of recalling a few fond and not-so-flattering memories.

"Obviously winning the Gold Cup in 2000 was fantastic," Stalteri said after officially announcing his retirement from soccer on Wednesday. "It was probably one of our greatest achievements with the men's team. That remains a high for me without a doubt.

"As far as a low: The (World Cup) qualifying campaigns," he continued. "Not just one or the other, but all of them pretty much when we weren't able to get ourselves into that final round of qualifying."