By DAN KARELL
There could be a familiar face sitting on the Vancouver Whitecaps substitutes bench for the first time this season on Saturday with the Los Angeles Galaxy travel north.
Following surgery on his torn left Achilles tendon that cut forced him off in the 6th minute of the Whitecaps season opener, Jay DeMerit is likely to be part of head coach Martin Rennie’s game day squad on Saturday. The U.S. Men’s National Team defender returned to full training a month ago, and had targeted August 24 as the date of his return, with his wedding taking place the next day.
“We’re very close,” DeMerit told WhitecapsFC.com on Thursday after practice. “Now it’s just a matter of continuing to turn that screw and refine and make sure every day we’re improving. I’m looking forward to doing that.”
The 33-year-old center back played 70 minutes in a Whitecaps scrimmage against a local college this week as he continues his impressive recovery from a serious leg injury.
Here are some more stories to catch you up around the league:
NEW CREW OWNER TO MAKE CHANGES
To the Columbus Crew faithful who are tired of the same old, same old, you’re not alone.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, new Crew owner Anthony Precourt outlined a number of changes and decisions he was planning on making, including pushing forward a deal for stadium rights and even changing the team’s logo.
“The name and the colors are great,” Precourt said. “The crest, it’s one of my highest priorities. Man, it’s one of my obsessions. When I go to the league office and look on the wall and see the different logos, I want ours to be really relevant and local and contemporary.”
Precourt also said that he’s in the process of making upgrades to Crew Stadium, and will evaluate the head coach, Robert Warzycha, and technical director, Brian Bliss, who both have contracts ending at the close of this season.
MILLER ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT
In the days since scoring in Scotland’s 3-2 defeat to England on August 14, Vancouver Whitecaps forward Kenny Miller decided that it was time to end his international career.
The 33-year-old Edinburgh native announced his international retirement on Friday, finishing with 18 goals in 69 appearances for Scotland, the last of which came on one of the grandest of scenes, at Wembley Stadium. Now playing for a team on the west coast of Canada, it’s likely that travel time played a factor in the decision, as well as Scotland’s failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
In my time as national coach it has been a pleasure to have a player with (Miller’s) ability and experience in the squad,” Scotland manager Gordon Strachan told the BBC. “He has come to this decision to help prolong his club career and feels that this is the best time bow out. We understand his decision and wish him all the best for the future.”
With games for the Whitecaps before and after the friendly match against England, Miller traveled approximately 9,404 miles from Vancouver to London and then London to Denver, Colorado, where he played 62 minutes in last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to the Colorado Rapids.
THORRINGTON QUESTIONABLE FOR D.C. UNITED
Heading into a match that D.C. United desperately need to win, they could be without one of their best players in midfield.
The oft-injured John Thorrington has been placed on the injury report this week as questionable with a right quad strain. The 33-year-old has played just 11 times this season due to various injuries, though he was a solid contributor with a 90 minute performance last Saturday at the Montreal Impact.
D.C. United already has six players listed as “out” on the injury report, including starters Chris Pontius and Lionard Pajoy.
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What do you think of these reports? Excited to see DeMerit nearly complete his comeback? Do you hope he plays vs. the Galaxy? Do you like the changes proposed by Precourt?
Share your thoughts below.
DCU will meet its goal in October when they heist the US Open Cup.
How can i start with the columbus crew- im so buzzing that i can think of so many reasons for a name and logo………but please just rebrand, its not rocket science. How about columbus.city pioneers, columbus.ohio pioneers, columbus city fc, ohio.pionners. How about make up a name to represent columbus, cleveland, cincinnati. Like ohio pioneers fc or ohio united and 30 000 seat stadium downtown.
The Crew is going to end up pissing off this guy:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&docid=7k5oake1_K88PM&tbnid=ZQfrf5XgwSbbvM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.5mtko.com%2F2013%2F07%2F05%2Fknow-thy-enemy-columbus-crew%2F&ei=JLgXUrjWI8i92gXp5YHQCw&bvm=bv.51156542,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNEfceDzfsyTH33FxMdNSFzp8L81RQ&ust=1377372545838268
Put a new Crew Stadium in the Arena District!!!!,!!
Leave the old place as a concert venue and high school playoff stadium
Crew logo is hideous but the name isn’t much better…
The smurfs logo isn’t exactly hot either… and am the only person that think the seattle logo is a bit template-y?
The name and logo should be updated, maybe N*Synch? One Direction?
But seriously, it made sense for the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins to switch from original Powder Blue to the current Black/Gold. Leveraging the color scheme of the existing teams (in this case, Pirates and Steelers) is not a bad strategy.
It would make sense for Precourt to switch to Ohio State colors.
LOL, you had me until you mentioned a college team…
Build a new stadium in downtown Columbus Ohio
Change the team name and logo —-> Columbus Wolves and steal the wolverhamption wolves logo
* wanderers
Why does DC desperately need to win?
to avoid relegation?
I see what you did there.
ha, something like that, I mean the only thing they are playing for at this point is the US Open Cup, hard to see why any other game matters at this point.
i was wondering the same thing… my only guess is so that they don’t end up last in points.
“D.C. United already has six players listed as “out” on the injury report, including starters Chris Pontius and Lionard Pajoy.”
Pajoy as a starter… Stay slightly, non-life threatening,non-painfully injured.
I never understood if the Crew’s logo was supposed to be a construction crew, wanna be rappers from the 1990s in jangol hats or an attempt at home-erotic relevance.
its just as bad at the San Jose Earthquakes logo
A giant soccer ball made to look like its shaking
And it’s not even local!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meF7NmfnXZ0
I think the Crew logo looks good. I doubt that’s why their attendance is lacklusture. Too much focus on stuff that doesn’t matter.
Branding matters a LOT more than you would imagine. Who you are, your imaging, your marketing, how you present yourself are all very important for athletic teams. It’s why branding agencies get paid millions, why publicists exists, why Dos Equis is a million times more popular than it was 15 years ago, and why corporations will sue anyone and anything that threatens their image.
Changing the crest wont directly impact results, but it will impact the brand, which very much could impact the attendance, attitude, and ultimately results.
-Paid for by a Digital Brand Manager
dead on brand matters big
Meh. The Crew doesn’t suffer a major branding issue, it suffers a competitive issue. They are ill-equipped to compete for the MLS, which isn’t exactly a prize pig in the football world. Look how Columbus supports the national team.
As a Crew fan, I am tired of watching 11 no names while the rest of the MLS has USMNT players as well as the occasional washed up international to support. even the sponsor is discount shaving cream- YAWN. I don’t like black and gold teams generally, but have no issue with that color choice. The crest is fine, but I would gather the new one won’t look a whole lot different. Get us some damned players though please.
Hmmm, have to disagree. I think players and results matter a whole lot more than what the logo looks like. Plus, although I’ve never been to Crew Stadium, I gather the location isn’t good. That would also impact attendance far more than a brand.
The exception of course is Hempstead Cosmos. Those fanboys love the “brand” so must they don’t care they’re watching minor league soccer in Hempstead. Still, I think even that is going to get old pretty quick.
Yep, location of the stadium sucks too, even though it is a pretty cool venue.
The stadium is cool, but it’s next to a damn Lowe’s. There needs to be something out there other than barren concrete, a Lowe’s and some chain restaurants.
should say slowlefta$%hole
Totally understand Kenny Miller retiring from Scotland…they’re not going to qualify for Brazil, so better to go out on a high note by scoring against England and focus on your club career without having to make any more trips across eight timezones for international fixtures.