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MLS Ticker: DeMerit returns to full training; Impact sign former Wigan defender; and more

Jay DeMerit

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

When Jay DeMerit went down with an Achilles tear just minutes into the Vancouver Whitecaps season opener, nearly everybody thought that DeMerit’s 2013 season was over.

Everybody except for DeMerit himself, that is.

The Whitecaps captain returned to full training this week, just under four months after suffering the injury in the 6th minute of the March 2 home opener. And according to DeMerit, he’s expecting to make his return to reserve league matches within the next two to three weeks.

“If I’m training now for this week and hopefully a couple weeks then I’ll have to get a few reserve games again to make sure that the game-like activities are there and that the sharpness is there,” DeMerit told WhitecapsFC.com. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. You’ve just got to stick with the process and then the rest takes care of itself.”

In an interview earlier this month with the Vancouver Sun, the 33-year-old said he was aiming for his full return to come on August 24 against the Los Angeles Galaxy at BC Place, just one day before his wedding ceremony.

Here are some more stories to check out from around MLS:

IMPACT SIGN FORMER WIGAN DEFENDER LOPEZ

For the second time this week, the Montreal Impact have added a foreign player to their roster.

The Canadian club announced on Friday that they had signed Spain native and former Wigan defender Adrian “Piscu” Lopez on a free transfer. Per club and league policy, terms of the signing were not disclosed.

Lopez, 26, spent the last two and a half seasons with Wigan in the English Premier League after coming up with Deportivo La Coruña in Spain. He only made 11 appearances during his time at Wigan, and 26 appearances with Deportivo in three years with the first team.

The Impact announced that they have placed defender Nelson Rivas on injured reserve, keeping the foreigner amount on the squad at 11.

MARTINEZ COULD RETURN TO SEATTLE

Though they couldn’t come to an agreement by June 30, there is still a chance that the Seattle Sounders could see the return of Mario Martinez.

The Honduras National Team midfielder returned from national duty this week to his Honduran club, Real España, though he is still unsure what his future holds. Reports in Honduras say that he has options not only in MLS but also in Scotland, where countrymen Emilio Izaguirre and Jorge Claros played last season.

Martinez said in the reports that he expects to know his playing future by the end of next week, though he did say he would be okay with stay at Real España.

MATTOCKS UNDERGOES KNEE SURGERY

The 2013 season hasn’t been very kind to Darren Mattocks, and the news only got worse this past week.

After a rookie season last year where he scored seven goals and showed great signs of progress, the Jamaican forward regressed, scoring just three goals so far this season and losing his place in the starting lineup. To make matters worse, the Vancouver Whitecaps announced on Friday that Mattocks had undergone surgery to repair his right knee, leving him off the field indefinitely.

The 22-year-old striker’s last major impact came on July 6 when the Whitecaps won their first match against Seattle in the club’s short time in MLS.

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What do you think of these notes? Do you see DeMerit returning by the end of next month? Do you believe the Impact made a good signing? Would you like to see Martinez back in Seattle?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Really amazing recovery for Jay – haven’t heard of anyone returning from Achilles’ tear that quickly. Very happy for him. There’s another item, though that bears mention:

    “The Impact announced that they have placed defender Nelson Rivas on injured reserve, keeping the foreigner amount on the squad at 11.”

    This may also be unprecedented. Has anyone heard of this before? I’ve never heard of any team freeing up an int’l slot this way. In fact, I only dimly recall one or two players ever being mentioned as being on an injured list vis a vis the roster. So, that’s weird enough — but it gets weirder because we’re passed the guaranteed date for contracts. This means he’s on the books for cap purposes, but now not on the books for int’l slot purposes. Weird.

    Reply
  2. Always thought Jay was good enough to maintain his place in the Nats after the 2010 WC. Dude was a rock.

    Reply
    • Fully agree…

      Oneywu ovee the course of a few competitions solidified into a formidable duo in Bradley’s system.

      The first 70 minutes or so of the Championship match in the Confed Cup showed the duo at their peak.

      Of course, ninety minutes count.

      Reply

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