Photo by ISIPhotos.com
BY ADAM SERRANO
Jay DeMerit's search for a club has taken yet another turn.
Canadian Newspaper reports claim that the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps have joined the race for the USMNT defender's signature. The reports claim that DeMerit and the Whitecaps have been in conversations, but there is still a "significant distance to bridge.'
Earlier this year, the Whitecaps won the allocation draft over fellow expansion side Portland Timers that allows them to sign any U.S. international player returning from abroad. DeMerit who has been out of contract after a successful stint with English side Watford has been heavily rumored with several clubs including German club Wolfsburg and Everton of the English Premier League.
What are your thoughts of this potential move for DeMerit? Glad to see him potentially start a career at MLS? Can the Whitecaps contend in year one?
Share your thoughts below.
if they want a defender on the wrong side of thirty, they should go for canuck paul stalteri. hes had a much more successful club career than demerit, who is a pylon
He’s going to be a good signing for the Whitecaps. He probably will be a good leader for them as well.
They will be some excellent domestic CBs in the expansion draft. Fo example, the Sounders are getting Hurtado back next season which means Ianni, Graham and Wahl will all likely be left unprotected. All three are starting caliber CBs IMHO.
Oh wait, forget I said that!!!! The caps should take a veteran forward like Noonan instead………
His choice from what I understand – he’s looking for the holy grail where he needs to realize that he’s just a bruising CB who won’t find work anywhere but England or Germany. The Spanish and Italian based centerbacks need to be very technical.
I’ll speak for all of Seattle and say that we’ll take him. We can get a 3rd DP slot and pay him whatever he wants. Money is no problem here.(Unless Montero will take the 3rd DP slot, then Jay’s dreams will be crushed. Yes, we all know every players dream is to play in Seattle)
Imagine Hurtado paired with Demerit … WOW.
Possibly the greatest post of all time.
Watford definitely did’t get relegated, since they currently sit 5th in the Championship table…
crack kills
I also hope he lands in Europe for a few years but I would bet he ends up in DC next season
I’m not sure you can even be considered a troll
Jay DeMerit needs to be playing in Europe. I hope this Everton thing works out. cross your fingers
As much as I love to see our Americans “return home” so to speak and finish their careers in MLS, if DeMerit can get one more lucrative contract in Europe, that’s what I would pursue. Play in England or Germany for another couple of years than play in MLS (hopefully the Fire since he is a UIC alum) for a swan song.
The career of a footballer is so short, you have to be able maximize your earnings in the small window you have.
Go ahead and list all of the Canadian central defenders that have played in the EPL, captained a European side, and played in the World Cup.
We’ll wait.
The new “homegrown” roster rules aren’t helping him, that’s for sure.
DeMerit needs a movie of his life.
I would like Jake Gyllenhaal to play him or maybe some unknown. Dude left for europe at age 23 with less than 2 grand and started playing for an eight division English side. That is like recreational league for toddlers. Than rose to the Championship and captained his club in the PL and than got into the NT and started 4 games in the WC of which he was quite good.
at the very least he needs a Spike Tv movie of the week.
1. DeMerit is a fine CB. But he’s limited. He’s not great technically. And he’s American (though he obviously has a work permit) so that’s a drawback to Euro clubs as opposed to someone who’s from the EU. Additionally, his best moments were with Onyewu as a CB pairing so there may be some scouting that feels he has limits–you must pair him with the right guy (don’t know if that’s fair, only pointing out that may be one perspective some scouts have of his game).
2. The point about signing a Canadian DP is correct (as long as it’s not overspending). The point is NOT that McKenna and others are as good as DeMerit. It’s that you can get quality defenders without having to spend them on a DP. And if you’re going to sign a Euro player (whether they’re American or Canadian or someone from the EU) you’re going to have to overpay (unless they’re local or close to retirement) so if you must overpay, either make it for someone that might sell tickets (a name, someone with local roots, maybe of the nationality of the country the club plays in) or in a role with major technical demands (A-mid, holding mid, withdrawn forward, finisher). What expansion drafts have shown is that there very little difference between most of the players selected and USL talent and that you can find lots of good role players. DC United this year is basically an expansion team–the club has played hard but lacks a finisher and until recently, any type of spark coming from central midfield). You can only go so far by signing spear carriers (ie: the James Riley’s of the soccer world).
One other thought–Canadian professional players are overvalued at the moment. You’ve got Vancouver coming in, the Toronto academy hasn’t starting cranking out talent yet. When TFC came into the league, they ended up paying 6 figure salaries for a bunch of journeyman players like Sutton and Roda. It’s not really acceptable to have a new club that is basically a bunch of foreigners to the country. I believe it’s good to have some national (and ideally local) ties. Vancouver coming from USL will certainly bring in a few of their current players (much like Seattle did with Le Toux). So if you’re Vancouver, you have to ask yourself–do you overpay for some guys who are no more than role players (when you can get a bunch of those easily in the expansion draft) or overpay for someone on the NT who will start and play a key role? It’s not an easy choice.
I have nothing against DeMerit and am actually proud of how me have a career in England and has represented the US so effectively. But from a purely objective standpoint for an expansion team, signing DeMerit probably isn’t a wise move.
Without a doubt DeMerit would ask for minimum $400,000 and maximum $6-700,000.
Earlier poster is right. He could be making that amount for sure in Scandinavia. Heck even in a crappy team in Holland he’d make that. If he signed for another Championship team he’d probably be making double that.
Holding out hope Everton or Wolfsburg sign him. Even if he’s just for “depth” eventually a long season and injuries will allow him to stake a staring spot claim.
Jay would immediately be the best defender in MLS but can they afford him at 5-800K? He needs to stay in Europe and cash in as teams struggle over the next couple of months prior to the transfer window. He is available immediate and someone in German like BMG will give up lots of $$$ soon. MLS will always be there but not Europe.
It was a club relegation release that let him go. IIRC Jay was Watford’s captain. He was let go because the team got relegated, not because of his play.
this guy is crap. thats why hes out of work, no one wants him. vancouver can find plenty of canucks that are better than this stiff for the same money
Demerit is a good, tough player who would help a squad in the EPL, but is really a solid Championship-caliber guy. Given his age and the fact that he is of limited athetic ability anyway (he’s not going to get appreciably better), I think a move to MLS would be good for MLS and decent for him. He could probably make more in Scandanavia or even in League 1.
Jay would instantly become one of the best defenders in the MLS if he were to sign with Vancouver. It’s the type of signing the MLS should go for. Defenders are really nicely rounded by the ages of 28-32. Klukowski? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
There aren’t any shenanigans going on here. Vancouver and Portland will have the #1 and #2 allocation slots for the upcoming year. And now that the Sept 15 roster deadline has passed, Demerit can’t play for any MLS teams this season. So, if he went to Vancouver it would be in the winter — no rule bending.
So…he is out of contract…so Watford does not want him?
After a great world cup, his championship club he is captain of released him!
This is wierd.
Lol u must be Canadian to think that some Canadian nats are just as good as Demerit.
DeMerit > Klukowski
Unless he’s going to wait until the winter to sign, then the Quakes are getting screwed since they’ve got the top allocation slot right now, which would expire at the end of the season. If DeMerit comes back and ‘signs’ with the div 2 Whitecaps, there’s some rule bending going on. Which, as we know, never happens in MLS, never!
Watford had to drastically reduce its salary burden as it’s parachute payment, made to teams demoted from the EPL, ran out. Add to the fact that the EPL and other European teams had, (some for the first time) roster limits. Couple these with the facts of age (30+), injuries and his asking price ( a bit higher as there is no transfer fee) was a hard think/decision for a lot of EPL teams.
What am I missing here? How is it possible no one has signed him yet in the Premiership?
I’m more interested in why DeMerit is still out of work. He was solid at Watford and solid in South Africa. How has he not signed with a Euro side?
no offence to Jay but no 30 year old Central Defender is worth more than 200K in MLS. and Vancouver would be much better off signing a “big name” Canadian NT player like Kevin McKenna (CB/30) or Michael Klukowski (LB/29) who would be cheaper most likely and who are just as good as Demerit if they want to have a marquee signing for the defence.
Jay Demerit is 30 years old. He is what he is no matter where he plays.
If DeMerit doesn’t land a new Euro gig soon he may as well pack his bags for Vancouver.
Lots nicer than Watford.
But if he can land with Wolfsburg or Everton, both teams doing unexpectedly poorly so far this season -not just because of d but still – then those are way better gigs for him and us national team.
I think Jay wants Europe football to add to his resume. Thats why he hasnt moved yet. He has a couple good years left. he hasnt logged all the soccer miles yet. Hopefully he continues to play at a high level.
I have a better idea. Bring him to Philly and send Califf to the salt mines.
Good move for mls. Bad for him the guy can play play top league in the world he needs to keep it going.
It might be wise to blow DP money on the best available domestic, since there’s so many quality internationals available for little money, but few world class domestics.
If thereby, the overall quality of the team improves wins and excitement ensue.
Thirty isn’t particularly old for a defender, though Teitur likes pace.
How is this guy not getting a gig in Europe after the WC he had? I’ve seen CBs playing for some European teams that are considerably worse, Sochaux comes to mind..
if not a DP, then good enough for sure
have to think that for DP money, there are better centerbacks out there on the wrong side of 30
He needs to sign with somebody….quickly.
The most successful MLS expansion clubs have been those who “built from the back”. Spending money for quality defenders is important but I think the DP role (right now) is to put “butts an seats”, so bringing in a DP who can ignite the imagination of the fans who will then come to see, is somewhat more important than acquiring a DP for defense. Although Demerit is well know in soccer circles (and in Watford), it would make more sense to bring in a more “familiar” player.(this is not to denigrate Demerit contribution to the USMNT WC popularity and “it’s” star quality) For the amount of money I hear DeMerit is asking for, you could purchase just about the whole Galaxy backline)
Yes, but only in Canada.
Is this true that U.S. and canadians will count as domestic for all teams next year?
As much as I am a Whitecaps fan, Jay needs to play in Europe for the sake of the USNT and himself. I would love to see him in a VW jersey. If Europe does not work out, great. He needs to be in Europe if we want to see our USNT backline continue to play better.
Go Tommy!!!!!