THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps will make defender Jay DeMerit, who played for the U.S. team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, their first Major League Soccer signing.
A source confirmed the move to The Canadian Press.
The Whitecaps, who join MLS next season, have called a news conference for Thursday.
DeMerit’s contract with English club Watford FC expired prior to the World Cup.
The 30-year-old Wisconsin native started all four games for the U.S. at the World Cup. He played the match against Algeria with a split tongue that required five stitches.
Jason de Vos, a former defender with Ipswich Town who played against DeMerit in the English Premier League, praised the signing. He said DeMerit can help form the spine of the Whitecaps.
"He’s a tough competitor, hard as nails," said de Vos, a retired Canadian international who now is a CBC soccer analyst. "He is someone they can build their back around. He will provide them with real leadership back there."
Former Canadian international Jim Brennan was the first player signed by Toronto FC when the team joined MLS.
De Vos said the Whitecaps were wise to make their first signing a defender, instead of showering money on a goal-scoring striker.
"If you look at all the successful teams in MLS, or any league around the world for that matter, they generally have a very strong spine to the team," de Vos said in a telephone interview.
"A lot of people who don’t follow the game closely are going to say ‘who is this guy?’ People who know the game understand that is the kind of player you need to be successful. Someone who can form part of your spine and be effective in that role."
DeMerit’s soccer career has followed a winding road. A former manager at Watford once call him the "Rocky Balboa of English football."
Born in Green Bay, and raised an NFL Packers fan, he played college soccer at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Undrafted out of university, the five-foot-11 DeMerit spent some time working as a bouncer. In 2003 he travelled to Britain and played for Southall, a team in the ninth tier of English soccer.
In 2004, DeMerit joined Northwood, a seventh-tier side. When Northwood played Watford in an pre-season match, DeMerit was impressive enough to earn a two-week trial with Watford.
The trial resulted in DeMerit receiving a contract for the 2004-05 season.
"That is almost unheard of," said de Vos. "Very rarely does a player go over there and just make it without some kind of in."
In May of 2006, DeMerit scored a storied header in a 3-0 win over Leeds United which gained Watford promotion to the Premier league.
Watford later was relegated from the Premier league.
DeMerit continued to play with Watford, and even spent time as captain, until his departure.
DeMerit earned his first international cap in March 2007 when the U.S. played a friendly against Guatemala. He also was a member of the American team at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
He’s played 23 games for the U.S. but never scored a goal.
"A hard-nosed, solid central defender, DeMerit is as fearless as he is committed," according to U.S. Soccer.
DeMerit will be 31 by the time Whitecaps play their first MLS game next March.
"He’s coming into his prime as a defender," said de Vos. "He’s got plenty of life left in him.
"He can be a strong competitor for the Whitecaps organization for the next couple of years."