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Davis' Discussions: Jay DeMerit, World Traveler
In his latest edition of "Davis' Discussions," Goal.com's Noah Davis chats with Jay DeMerit.
Aug 28, 2009 1:54:47 PM
By Noah Davis
A recent eight-days stretch in the life of United States Men's National Team centerback Jay DeMerit:
Saturday -- Away match for his club side Watford
Sunday -- 10.5 hour plane flight to Miami
Monday -- Training with the USMNT in preparation for their World Cup qualifier against Mexico
Tuesday -- Flight to Mexico City
Wednesday -- Match against El Tri in the unfriendly confines of Estadio Azteca
Thursday -- 10.5 hour flight to England
Friday -- Training with Watford
Saturday -- Away match at Sheffield United, after a four hour bus ride
"Those types of weeks are really hard," the six-foot, one-inch defender recently told Goal.com over the phone without a hint of irony in his voice.
This summer, "those types of weeks" have become the norm for the Watford Hornets' captain. In June, he traveled with the U.S. Confederations Cup squad to South Africa. Slated to be the team's back-up centerback, he ended up pairing with Oguchi Onyewu after Carlos Bocanegra's hamstring injury kept him out of the first three matches. When the American captain returned for the semifinal against Spain, Bob Bradley left DeMerit in the middle and put Bocanegra on the left. The line up worked, as the U.S. shocked the world and ended La Roja's 35-match undefeated streak.
"Against Spain in particular, the energy that we held as a team... We weren't going to let anybody beat us that day," he said.
Since the historic win, DeMerit has continued to partner with Onyewu in the heart of the American formation, and he believes this new-look defense is coming together nicely.
"I think everyone has seen a little bit more stability back there, not necessarily because of me, but us four work well together and the more that we possibly do that, the more solid we'll become," he said.
The University of Illinois-Chicago defender, whose rags-to-riches story is well-chronicled, thinks he and the A.C. Milan recruit compliment each other nicely.
"He would be the carbon copy of my ideal player," DeMerit said. "What he has, I don't, and possibly I can make up for that which he might lack. That's the we are in a partnership."
The duo worked well together in the U.S.'s World Cup qualifying match in Azteca, with "Gooch" winning virtually every ball in the air and DeMerit using his quickness and understanding of the game to break up Mexico's attacking forays. There was nothing either one could do about El Tri's first goal -- a "25-yard cracker," in DeMerit's accurate parlance -- and the second tally came after DeMerit's hard tackle resulted in the ball unluckily bouncing directly to Miguel Sabah's feet.
Although "there was a lot of disappointment" in the American locker room after the match, the defender fondly remembers his team quieting the 100,00-plus fans with an early strike.
"From the noise when you walk out to the noise when Charlie [Davies] put that goal in was like night and day," he said. "It was almost to the point of an eeriness. I didn't think that amount of people could be that quiet."
While DeMerit's National Team responsibilities are an increasingly large part of his footballing career -- he's on the U.S. roster that will face Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador in early September -- he's not neglecting his duties at Watford. Although manager Malky Mackay gave his captain the day off during a recent Carling Cup loss to Leeds United, DeMerit has been a fixture on the squad that's attempting to return to the English Premier League. Four games into the campaign, the team sits in 12th place, one spot above their finish last season.
In all likelihood, however, this sixth year will be DeMerit's last at Vicarage Road. The 29-year-old is in the last season of his contract and admits that since the Confed Cup, "there's been inquires to the club" about acquiring his services.
However, as anyone who follows the transfer market knows, inquires do not mean a player is on his way out. DeMerit knows neither he nor Watford are eager to part ways.
"They aren't trying to push me out the door and get money for me in my last year," he said. "They want me to stay. I want to stay, unless something big was to come along."
Of course, "you never turn down a move to try to improve yourself and try to improve your career. You never do that," he explained. "But until that move comes along, I'm more than happy where I'm at and playing every week."
If this summer is any indication, DeMerit will need to continue to take advantage of the "little keys" he's learned in order to adjust to jet lag.
"So far [the constant travel] hasn't had a huge effect on me," he said.
That's good news for a U.S. team that's desperate for its starting centerback to be in form as the squad attempts to navigate a difficult road to 2010 World Cup qualification.
"As far as big games coming up, we have a ton of them, so I'm going to need all the energy I can get," the defender said, undoubtedly picturing the jet setting in his future.
Noah Davis covers the U.S. Men's National Team for Goal.com.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love their dedicated page on Goal.com!
A recent eight-days stretch in the life of United States Men's National Team centerback Jay DeMerit:
Saturday -- Away match for his club side Watford
Sunday -- 10.5 hour plane flight to Miami
Monday -- Training with the USMNT in preparation for their World Cup qualifier against Mexico
Tuesday -- Flight to Mexico City
Wednesday -- Match against El Tri in the unfriendly confines of Estadio Azteca
Thursday -- 10.5 hour flight to England
Friday -- Training with Watford
Saturday -- Away match at Sheffield United, after a four hour bus ride
"Those types of weeks are really hard," the six-foot, one-inch defender recently told Goal.com over the phone without a hint of irony in his voice.
This summer, "those types of weeks" have become the norm for the Watford Hornets' captain. In June, he traveled with the U.S. Confederations Cup squad to South Africa. Slated to be the team's back-up centerback, he ended up pairing with Oguchi Onyewu after Carlos Bocanegra's hamstring injury kept him out of the first three matches. When the American captain returned for the semifinal against Spain, Bob Bradley left DeMerit in the middle and put Bocanegra on the left. The line up worked, as the U.S. shocked the world and ended La Roja's 35-match undefeated streak.
"Against Spain in particular, the energy that we held as a team... We weren't going to let anybody beat us that day," he said.
Since the historic win, DeMerit has continued to partner with Onyewu in the heart of the American formation, and he believes this new-look defense is coming together nicely.
"I think everyone has seen a little bit more stability back there, not necessarily because of me, but us four work well together and the more that we possibly do that, the more solid we'll become," he said.
The University of Illinois-Chicago defender, whose rags-to-riches story is well-chronicled, thinks he and the A.C. Milan recruit compliment each other nicely.
"He would be the carbon copy of my ideal player," DeMerit said. "What he has, I don't, and possibly I can make up for that which he might lack. That's the we are in a partnership."
The duo worked well together in the U.S.'s World Cup qualifying match in Azteca, with "Gooch" winning virtually every ball in the air and DeMerit using his quickness and understanding of the game to break up Mexico's attacking forays. There was nothing either one could do about El Tri's first goal -- a "25-yard cracker," in DeMerit's accurate parlance -- and the second tally came after DeMerit's hard tackle resulted in the ball unluckily bouncing directly to Miguel Sabah's feet.
Although "there was a lot of disappointment" in the American locker room after the match, the defender fondly remembers his team quieting the 100,00-plus fans with an early strike.
"From the noise when you walk out to the noise when Charlie [Davies] put that goal in was like night and day," he said. "It was almost to the point of an eeriness. I didn't think that amount of people could be that quiet."
While DeMerit's National Team responsibilities are an increasingly large part of his footballing career -- he's on the U.S. roster that will face Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador in early September -- he's not neglecting his duties at Watford. Although manager Malky Mackay gave his captain the day off during a recent Carling Cup loss to Leeds United, DeMerit has been a fixture on the squad that's attempting to return to the English Premier League. Four games into the campaign, the team sits in 12th place, one spot above their finish last season.
In all likelihood, however, this sixth year will be DeMerit's last at Vicarage Road. The 29-year-old is in the last season of his contract and admits that since the Confed Cup, "there's been inquires to the club" about acquiring his services.
However, as anyone who follows the transfer market knows, inquires do not mean a player is on his way out. DeMerit knows neither he nor Watford are eager to part ways.
"They aren't trying to push me out the door and get money for me in my last year," he said. "They want me to stay. I want to stay, unless something big was to come along."
Of course, "you never turn down a move to try to improve yourself and try to improve your career. You never do that," he explained. "But until that move comes along, I'm more than happy where I'm at and playing every week."
If this summer is any indication, DeMerit will need to continue to take advantage of the "little keys" he's learned in order to adjust to jet lag.
"So far [the constant travel] hasn't had a huge effect on me," he said.
That's good news for a U.S. team that's desperate for its starting centerback to be in form as the squad attempts to navigate a difficult road to 2010 World Cup qualification.
"As far as big games coming up, we have a ton of them, so I'm going to need all the energy I can get," the defender said, undoubtedly picturing the jet setting in his future.
Noah Davis covers the U.S. Men's National Team for Goal.com.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love their dedicated page on Goal.com!
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