Whitecaps Get DeMerit In First XI, but Team Prefers Wins

The Whitecaps have seen their first player be voted into the All-Star squad. The fans have selected team captain Jay DeMerit as Vancouver’s first-ever representative in Major League Soccer’s First XI.

The central defender has proven himself a worthy nominee on a side which currently leads the MLS with nine shutouts, ranks fourth in the Western Conference with a 8-4-6 mark and has eight points in their past five games (two wins, a loss and two draws) along with five clean sheets in nine road games so far.

Others named to the squad include Toronto native and DC United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. They will take on English Premier League side Chelsea on July 25 in Chester, Pennsylvania.

It’s a great bit of good news for a club on the rise, even as they have revenge on their minds as the get set to visit Toronto FC in a visit to BMO Field on Wednesday. The last time these two teams met was May 23 in the Canadian Championship final. The Whitecaps had been heavily favoured to win their first domestic title, but instead fell 1-0 to a Toronto FC squad which was winless in league play at the time. Despite the victory, Toronto subsequently fired head coach Aron Winter June 7 and replaced him with Paul Mariner, who has compiled a 1-2-4 mark.

After initial positive strides, including a five-game unbeaten streak which saw Danny Koevermans named MLS Player of the Week, the Reds experienced a reversal of recent fortunes last Sunday. Despite launching 10 shots on net, they ended up on the wrong side of an ugly 3-0 result against the Philadelphia Union.

When they line up in Toronto, the Whitecaps will be without the services of Davide Chiumiento. The club announced on Wednesday afternoon that the 27-year-old winger/attacking midfielder has been transferred to FC Zurich for an undisclosed fee; no other details were made available. In a news release issued by the club and posted on its website, Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie said the move would bring the Swiss international “closer to his family while continuing his career.”

Supporters and critics of the move made their thoughts known on Facebook after the news broke. While some were “gutted” that “our best playmaker” and “a class act” was gone, others expressed satisfaction with the squad getting rid of a “diver” with “no finish.”

Nonetheless the Caps will carry on with Scotland international midfielder Barry Robson to help fill the void created by Chiumiento’s departure.