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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:24 am 
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VANCOUVER - Jay DeMerit got the deal he wanted Monday and provided the troubled Vancouver Whitecaps with some stability at the same time. The teams captain signed a new contract after protracted negotiations. The deal eased some of the pressure on the Whitecaps caused by MLSs 2013 top scorer Camilos departure to a Mexican team and uncertainty surrounding the availability of 2014 first-round draft choice Andre Lewis. "Negotiations are never easy," said DeMerit. "Im just happy that we got (the deal) done." DeMerit who has made a strong recovery after missing most of last season with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the first game, will suit up for the fourth year of Vancouvers MLS existence. The 34-year-olds re-signing was anticipated after he and the club expressed a desire to extend his contract late last season, but negotiations took longer than he expected. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but DeMerit indicated it does not extend beyond one year. "Ultimately, for me, Im at an age where I have to go one year at a time," said DeMerit. "At this stage of my career, there is no such thing as a long-term deal. There are only short-term deals." DeMerit, who joined Vancouver after playing in England and has been the Whitecaps captain since their MLS inception, said he had to confirm that he was "still here because of the right reasons." DeMerits reasons included a desire to remain in the Vancouver area. He is married to retired Canadian Olympic snowboard cross gold medallist Ashleigh McIvor and plans to live in the region well beyond his playing days. "What this does is commit me to the future of being in B.C., whether its on the playing field or off the playing field," he said. "I came here for a reason three years ago, and that was to help develop soccer in North America and help develop the Vancouver Whitecaps as an MLS franchise. "What this contract does is solidify that for the future." He also felt it was important to give the Caps some stability after Camilos departure. The Brazilian striker bolted the team to train with Queretaro of Mexicos top league and then angered team officials by donning his new squads jersey before a transfer deal was completed last week. "As the leader for (our) club, I have to provide stability," he said. "Thats part of my role, definitely, in these types of situations." DeMerit has often praised Camilo for his unique shooting and scoring abilities. But the captain contended that Camilos absence will not affect the Whitecaps, who missed the playoffs in 2013 even though the former Vancouver star scored 22 goals. "Im sure the message from day one will be: Everyone who is here is here and the past is the past," said DeMerit. "What you have to consider is that were all in this together. And, when you have that, then you realize that certain players arent here anymore and you dont dwell on those things anymore, and the easier it is to move forward. "And what we have to do here is move forward." But the Caps still must address the nagging question of which newcomers will move the club ahead. In contrast to Toronto FC, the Whitecaps have not made any star acquisitions since Carl Robinson, who has never been a head coach before, replaced the fired Martin Rennie. "Theres no secret that we still need to make a few more additions that will help the character of this club and help the experience of this club," said DeMerit. "But I think that the nucleus is there (in) both older and younger players that are here and have already contributed. Now, its just (about) making sure that we add to that and all the guys contribute in their own way and make sure that we can have a successful season." DeMerits primary personal goal is to remain healthy for the entire season after he was injured while going up for a header early in the 2013 season opener against Toronto FC. Robinson said the central defenders ability to shine after he recovered and became "a rock again" late in the campaign is not a concern. "I think (his comeback) shows a little bit about his comport," said Robinson. "Everybody wrote him off — and maybe me included — last year because he had an horrific injury on the first day of the season." Robinson said DeMerits re-signing will help the team go in "the right direction" and deal with the uncertainty that has arisen in wake of Camilos departure and confusion about whether Lewis, a 19-year-old Jamaican who was chosen seventh overall in the MLS SuperDraft, will play in MLS this year. "We want players that want to be at the club," said Robinson. "(DeMerit) wants to be at the club and we want (him) be at the club, and thats why he continues to be at the club. For growth in any type of club, you need stability, and (DeMerit) is part of that stability." Lewis, who has expressed a strong to play for Vancouver, has already signed with the lower-tier New York Cosmos. But Robinson said he expects that the midfielder will be at Vancouvers upcoming training camp. "I think theres an agreement between Major League Soccer and the Cosmos (for Lewis to join the Whitecaps)," said Robinson. "Were looking forward to having him in camp once his visa arrives." Notes: Robinson said central defender Andy OBrien has overcome injuries that kept him out of the lineup for much of last season and will be ready for training camp. … Players will undergo physicals Saturday and begin the on-field portion of their training camp Monday. Divock Origi Belgium Jersey . They actually finished with a better record in ‘07 than they did in ‘06 but only marginally, going from 61 victories to 66. Thomas Vermaelen Belgium Jersey . The same cant be said of last Saturdays 2-2 draw at Olympic Stadium against a very weakened New York Red Bulls side and one which had three stalwarts in Henry, Cahill and Olave back home in Harrison, NJ. http://www.belgiumsoccerauthority.com/j ... um-jersey/. The Detroit Tigers closer blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning Wednesday night against the Dodgers. Nacer Chadli Jersey . Huntington doesnt want to help run the club unless Hurdle is in the dugout. The combination thats returned the franchise to respectability will remain intact for years to come. Michy Batshuayi Belgium Jersey . Pospisil, the seventh seed, saved match points in each of the last two sets before falling to the unseeded Dutchman. "I wasnt very happy with the way I was playing,"said Pospisil.SAKHIR, Bahrain -- Mercedes further demonstrated its early-season dominance by outpacing its rivals in Fridays practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix, indicating the team is well poised for a third straight win to start 2014. Lewis Hamilton followed up his victory last week in Malaysia by having the fastest time in both sessions, the second of which was held under lights for the first time at the Bahrain International Circuit, which has switched to being a night race. Hamiltons time of 1 minute, 34.690 seconds was one third of a second faster than teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg, and more than a second faster than third-place Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. "The car feels better than when we were testing here -- balance-wise, it was extremely good," Hamilton said. "There are still some tweaks we need to make it feel perfect, but Im feeling good." Defending four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was a distant seventh on the timesheets, behind his fourth-place Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo -- who carries a 10-grid-place penalty into Sundays race. The pair was split by Felipe Massa of Williams and McLarens Jenson Button. Vettel, who was a competitive third in Malaysia, was downbeat aboout Red Bulls prospects of hanging on to the Mercedes coattails on Sunday.dddddddddddd "They are very quick. It is not a surprise, they were very quick in the testing here. They have proved that again," Vettel said. "It will be a long way for us to catch up." Even more dispiriting for Mercedes rivals was that the dominance reflected by their lap times on lighter fuel and soft tires was even more pronounced when using higher fuel loads to practice for race conditions. Williams had a distinctly different approach to the days practice, doing relatively few laps to extend engine life, reckoning that it had all the data it needed about the Bahrain track after extensive preseason testing there. Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat was eighth fastest, ahead of McLarens Kevin Magnussen and Force Indias Sergio Perez. The night session, which began in falling desert temperatures at 6 p.m. local time -- the same as Sundays race -- saw many drivers struggling to get sufficient heat in the tires, misjudging braking distances and running off track. Max Chiltons Marussia went into a violent spin after a front brake failure, while Saubers Adrian Sutil and Caterhams Marcus Ericsson both had sudden power losses. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '


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