Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com
The 2010 World Cup will be an important event in the careers of every U.S. national team player, and one player who's future will be riding on his performance in South Africa is Jay DeMerit.
DeMerit has finished out his contract with Watford at the moment and will look to secure a new deal this summer. A strong World Cup performance could secure him a lucrative deal, while a shaky performance could limit his options. One thing is clear. DeMerit's time with English club Watford is over, and based on comments from Watford manager Malky Mackey, you have to wonder if a return to the United States is a possibility.
"Jay is out of contract and financially we are not in a position to offer him a new contract and he has the World Cup (with USA)," said Watford manager Malky Mackey. "Jay also has an awful lot of other things in his life outside football that he is going to think about and even what country he is going to be in next year.
"I don't even think Jay knows what is going to happen after the World Cup yet but he goes with my best wishes."
Might a move to MLS be in the cards for DeMerit, or will he be able to put together another strong tournament like he did in last summer's Confederations Cup and score a new European deal in the process?
The 30-year-old Wisconsin native is expected to play a key role for the United States at the World Cup, and could be a starter if either Oguchi Onyewu doesn't fully recover from knee surgery or Carlos Bocanegra is deployed as a left back. DeMerit has played very well for the national team in all his recent call-ups and would be an attractive target for clubs looking to sign a defender on a free transfer.
Where would you like to see DeMerit go?
Share your thoughts below.
lol, he can’t escape vietnam
jeff parke isn’t the same jeff parke he once was
they’d sign him for a hell of a bargain and no promises for a starting position during the regular season
its a shame zach whitebread didn’t end up at leeds
he’s way too talented for denmark. the only team he should be with in denmark, if anyone one, would be f.c. copenhagen, starting as a cb
thats bull. if it wasn’t for Upson and Gabbidon, i could see Demerit starting for them for a season at the least
you’re anything but sage-like. There are many, many leagues outside england and hes a free transfer. He won’t be coming back to the US for a long time, unless its the off season.
Not exactly.
Players who do well in the World Cup or the European Championship do not necessarily do well in League competition. Besides the fact that the National team is usually a completely different set up from a player’s club team, the competitions are different.
The best way to explain the difference to American sports fans is that playing in a league like the EPL is like the regular season while the World Cup is more like the playoffs. Fulham played over 50 games in all competitions, 38 in the league alone, this season. In 2009 the US played 24 games which is unusually high for them. In 2008 they played like 14 games. The most games you can play in a World Cup is 7 in one month
And we all know that players who do well in one competition do not neccesarily do well in the other competition.
The point is just because you have a crap season like Spector, doesn’t mean you can’t do well in a World Cup. And just because you are a star at the World Cup, it doesn’t mean you can excel at Liverpool or some other EPL club. There are too many exampes of this for me to list.
i think we’re missing the real issue here: the watford manager is named malky mackey?
The only EPL side likely to be interested in Jay is the Cardiff/Blackpool winner…and that is unlikely at best. Barring any amazing performances in South Africa, I think Jay will look to try his hand at an ever-budding league known as Major League Soccer.
Blackburn as well. They need players and can’t really afford many players, so a free would do them well.
He shouldn’t go to MLS. They snubbed him before and said he wasn’t good enough. Now he’s a potential starter on the USMNT. He can do better. Newcastle and Celtic were mentioned, but I think that maybe Bolton or a mid table team in the PL would pick him up depending on his WC. Maybe an italian team as well, where age is not an issue
Chicago Fire
I’m reasonably happy with our centerbacks. I’m terrified of our left and right back options.
Watford was not relegated this season to League 1.
Being a free transfer, I would think a good agent could find him premier league work. There are plenty of teams always looking to take a chance on cheap options. Just ring up the newly promoted teams for a start, or Wigan, West Ham, Wolves… any team that starts with ‘W’ will do.
Hey Jay,
Best of luck, play great but easy on the cookies,
You’re forgetting Jay’s eye injury and his stomch injury and…his other injuries this year. And fact his team was just relegated from Championship to League One.
If Jay has a good cup, he gets to stay in Europe; but unlikely in a top league.
A bad cup or a cup spent on the bench and it’s MLS here we come.
exactly
from who exactly?
Please don’t say things like ‘not really creative or skilled’ Anyone playing football at level demerit plays is a helluva skilled player and is bound to have some creativity in em.
too much disrespect
I have to disagree with your statement that the USMNT is “stout and gifted defensively”. I think most US fans will tell you that aside from our goalkeeping situation, which is pretty solid, our defense is a huge area of concern. Frankly, it’s our biggest weakness going into the WC (yes, an even bigger concern than the forward situation).
To answer your final question, yes, most of us are saying the 60 teams across the top flight leagues won’t bring in a defender in his prime, when that defender is a 30 year old who even in his “prime” is only good enough for the English Championship. It doesn’t matter if he’s free.
Jimmy Conrad makes about $225K. Berhalter makes about $175. Chad Marshall makes about $300K.
I think that a young(ish) starting defender for the US World Cup team could make more than that.
this is a man that is starting on the national team….don’t see him doing anything in the Premier League? Doesn’t say much about our national team then, huh?
Demerit to Norwich! perfect fit.
I just have one thing to add…
JAY DEMERIT IS THE F*#KING MAN!
IIRC expansion clubs come in at the bottom of the pecking order with regards to returning internationals. I think this came up w/ Perkins this last year. I think DC dealt with NYRB not the Union for his rights. Portland or Vancouver could however acquire his rights this season and circumvent the whole MLS allocation process which would probably match the timing of his return anyways.
Solid post overall, but I have one quibble. There’s a reason Ryan Nelson has been a consistent starter at Blackburn (in the PL) for the past several years while Jay has been at Watford (in the Fizzy pop league) during that same time. Nelsen is a flat out a better player.
Newcastle are moving back into the Prem this next year and Demerit has exactly what they want. That is, a tough, Prem veteran defender with plenty of big game experience. On top of all that, his price is absolutely right as he’s a free agent. I don’t think Newcastle is the only team he could play on. I think there are others in the Prem too.
Remeber, he’s a free agent. That’s significant in a time when football clubs are really looking at those bottom lines.
I would love to see him play for a tough, blue collar team like Newcastle United. Great call. Would love to see it happen.
I don’t think anyone is arguing here that he can’t hack it because he’s 30. The only thing folks are debating here is where Jay will end up next. Will it be back in the Championship/MLS/EPL/other European league?
A little context helps…..Watford has had not-quite-Pompey, but-still-serious financial problems. When the coach says they cannot afford him — their team captain, I’d note — I take him literally at his word.
I’d assume he’s not bereft of options. He may not be destined for the middle of Chelsea or Inter’s backline, but he will get looked at, at least for the Championship level again, if not low-EPL, based on quality and the work permit in hand. I do think he is in a Catch-22 spot for a return to America right now because he is probably too expensive to be worth the salary as a defender. He’d command the sort of salaries we pay to productive midfielders and forwards, $300K at least.
The notion that a USMNT starter couldn’t hack it anymore just because he’s 30 is silliness. Did you see him play last summer? MLS’ Bext XI for 2009 had Conde, Cameron, and Marshall at back…..you don’t think he’s at least that good?
No, I think most people read that and understood exactly what the coach was saying. What people are debating here is whether Jay is good enough to play at a higher level than the English Championship. I happen to think that he isn’t, and if he wants to stay in England it will be back in the Championship.
You know that is exactly what the coach (Malky Mackay , Jay’s former teammate) said. But I guess no one read that
If you have followed european football for a reasonable length of time one thing should be apparent to you. Sheer talent is not the only factor that determines whether or not a player is on a club. In that regard it’s just like any other job.
Demerit is obviously a reasonably talented centerback who would do well at most any Championship club and probably a number of Premiership clubs. He’s certainly no worse than Ryan Nelsen who played for DC United and then transferred to Blackburn Rovers, where he is now captain and will be with New Zealand in the World Cup.
Doing well for the 6 or 7 games at the Confederations Cup or the World Cup is one thing but playing 40 some odd games over the course of a season is another thing. Many World Cup stars have secured big money transfers only to prove to be busts in league play.
I suspect that Demerit will go to the proverbial ” best situation”. If he’s just looking for one last big payday that would probably be in Europe, though with all latest economic news, you never know.
He would be a good option for Celtic. They need help on defense, they can’t spend the big money like a Prem club but more than an MLS team and they are very concious of the marketing aspect of many of thier signings. They have been trying to sign an American player for years (Dominic Cervi is there but can’t get games). He would do well in Scotland and even have a chance to play Champions League.
I doubt a return to MLS would do much for his career. I think he should stay in England if he can secure a good contract. I think the reason Watford’s coach made those comments is not out of any lack of respect for DeMerit’s abilities or any negative views about his abilities, but more from the standpoint that Watford can’t afford to pay him what he’s worth.
Not top4 of course but a newly promoted team in a free transfer after a food/decent showing v England. Absolutely. He’ll be a third CB for a bottom 5 club.
The Sounders just signed Jeff Parke. What do they need a center back for? A 30 year old guy like DeMerit with injury problems won’t want to play on turf either.
I think you’re probably right
If Newcastle don’t sign Fitz Hall on a permanent basis I could see it happening. It depends on how important playing first team football is. At Newcastle he’d essentially be cover for Coloccini and Taylor. If those guys are healthy, he isn’t in the team.
Any EPL club below the top 4??? You cannot be serious. Some people are just completely unrealistic when it comes to assessing the talent level of US players. Hey, I love Jay Demerit. He works his a** off for the US, but I’m not blind to his flaws. He’s a 30 year old Championship level player. Teams like Villa, Everton, Liverpool, Sunderland, Man City, etc. would have zero interest in him, regardless of whether he’s free or not.
I love how some people are bagging on a guy that’s 30. Defenders are often in their prime at 30 and it’s pretty rediculous to think he wouldn’t get offers based on the age. He may not get another chance in the EPL but that league is not the be all and doesn’t necessarily define one’s career. I’m fine with Jay finding a home with a good, promotion chasing Championship side. It’s a respectable, competitive league. Jay will have suitors and I suspect some will come knocking soon. But right now all I care about is his performances in a USA shirt. He very well may be the X factor is our defense and the upcoming camp is important to see where he will fit in (as a starter or bench player).
If Jay has a performance remotely similar to the Confederations Cup, he will have options with lower tier teams in top flight Euro leagues…if that is what he wants. I think some of the comments are spot on here…I’m not sure if Jay wants to hang out in Europe any more…
First off I love Jay Demerit he’s all heart and hustle. Unfortunately he is strictly a destroyer who breaks up plays but doesn’t collect the ball and play it smartly out of the back. He makes plays but the other team still has the ball when he’s done, it’s just further up the field or out of bounds. All of that is fine and dandy in lower leagues but in a top 4 league not to many managers are interested. There was no interest in Jay after the Conferations Cup for this very reason. He is very good at what he does which is to defend but he’s limited and not someone who will draw interest at the highest levels. Again he is an asset to the USMNT but he is not a world class defender; in other words the total package.
with your mum right?
not if he has a great WC
Eaten a cookie! Called into the World Cup Camp and barring an injury probably Starting as a CB for the US against England!
How about your self?
Didn’t Houston play RSL last night?